celebrating 25 years
at the heart of Essex County
In 2024, Essex County Community Foundation celebrates 25 years of service to Essex County. From a grassroots nonprofit capacity-building organization to the regional leader in positive, systemic change we are today, ECCF is so proud to commemorate this milestone and share this celebration of 25 years with you: our friends, neighbors and partners in philanthropy.
Join us for 25th anniversary stories, events and social media campaigns that honor ECCF’s rich past and explore the possibilities of the future we can create together.
eccf’s impact over 25 years

$169M
granted from ECCF funds in support of important causes

15,487
grants awarded to nonprofits and students in Essex County and beyond

344
fundholders that partner with ECCF to elevate their giving
what impact has eccf had in the community?
To help Essex County Community Foundation celebrate 25 years of serving the cities and towns of Essex County, we asked local leaders: What impact has ECCF had in the community?
ECCF helps us think outside the box. They understand where we’re coming from. I think of them as early investors in ideas, concepts, programs and artists. They get what’s happening in the community.
Working in Lynn and living in Salem, I have witnessed ECCF’s impact on our communities and the invaluable partnerships with funders, nonprofits and community leaders that power this critical work.
ECCF has not only advanced and supported critical services and programs throughout the region, but they have also elevated the way so many of us think about the work. And more importantly, they have changed the way we DO the work.
ECCF has elevated our local use of data and research to identify leverage points for positive change. Working hand in hand with public and private sector and local nonprofits like HAWC, ECCF has created the ecosystem of partnerships and inspired philanthropy necessary to act on those leverage points. Thank you ECCF for leading 25 years of forward-thinking investment in Essex County.
I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary impact that ECCF has had on the Lawrence community and by extension the Merrimack Valley. ECCF fosters community engagement and leadership on issues that matter most to the residents. Additionally, the foundation drives economic growth and strengthens the fabric of the community.
In the early days of ECCF, I was executive director of a small affordable homeownership program in Lawrence. During those initial years there were so many valuable ways that ECCF created spaces for community and nonprofit leaders to come together…As our collaborations grew stronger, so did the scope and impact of ECCF’s mission and strategies. I am so grateful for ECCF’s 25 years of commitment to the people of Essex County and for the ways it continues to evolve to meet the challenges of the day. As I was leaving my work in Lawrence, ECCF was the perfect partner to host my family’s scholarship fund for Lawrence youth. This service is just one of the many ways that ECCF supports efforts that create opportunities that prioritize equity by recognizing current and future leaders for social change.
25th anniversary news
Making a difference in the lives of women and girls for more than two decades
Essex County Community Foundation and The Women’s Fund of Essex County have, essentially, grown up together…
‘Philanthropy fueled by thousands of voices, intentions and deeds’
Essex County Community Foundation celebrates 25-year past, looks to the future at Anniversary Celebration…
Root’s longtime partnership with ECCF helps fuel big impact
On May 16, 2024, the clouds threatened rain for much of the day. But in the hours leading up to the annual celebration for Salem-based nonprofit Root, the skies cleared…
A 25-year history of collaboration in Essex County paves the way for new investment in the region
Over the course of three days in May, more than 120 investors, innovators and cross-sector community leaders gathered…
During ECCF’s silver anniversary, the IFT celebrates 15 years
For hundreds of nonprofit leaders, the annual Institute for Trustees (IFT) has become, as Bonnie Bain from Salem Alliance for…
A Community Foundation is Born
Like many origin stories, the story of how Essex County Community Foundation came to be is filled with challenges and opportunities, obstacles and perseverance. And, just like many worthwhile origin stories, it…
ECCF Marks its 25th Year
Dear ECCF Friend, Happy New Year! I hope your 2024 is off to a peaceful and healthy start. As I look back on 2023, the last 12 months have been filled both with challenges and achievements, much like every other year that’s come before. But 2023 was also very…
ECCF marks 25 years of service to Essex County
Twenty-five years ago, in 1999, a small organization founded the previous year to help build capacity within Essex County’s nonprofit community officially became Essex…