2022 GEORGE PEABODY AWARD
8th ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF GIVING
Stephen and Darcy Immerman
For Steve and Darcy Immerman, their philanthropy is not measured solely by financial support – though there is that too. For them, giving back is also expressed through the time, energy and sweat equity they give to the causes they care about: education, the arts and community development among them. The Immermans’ passion, and their focus on ensuring that all people have opportunities to build better lives for themselves, helps to create a new vision of what the word “philanthropy” truly means.
Both Steve and Darcy learned early on about inequity, gratitude and generosity – the reality that there were some who were fortunate and others who were struggling, and if there was something you could do to help, you should.
Raised by hardworking parents, it is the values they each learned as young people that laid the foundation for a life defined by activism, leadership and community service that focuses on creating equity and increasing access to new opportunities for people across Essex County. Together, the Immermans have had an undeniable impact on our communities, one that is rooted in a shared passion for initiating lasting change, a wish to create a universal sense of belonging and a desire to inspire others to think differently about how social challenges can be overcome.
Steve and Darcy have touched dozens of local nonprofit organizations with their ability to innovate, think strategically and move others to step outside the boundaries of conventional problem-solving. Together, the couple has served on more than 50 nonprofit boards, and the list of organizations they have supported with time, treasure or talent is even longer.
Darcy, an energy professional, is the former Chair of the Board of Northeast Arc, an organization the Immermans helped to create innovative arts programming and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She serves as co-chair of the capital campaign for the Northeast Arc’s Center for Linking Lives, a dynamic new community facility located at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers. Steve, President Emeritus of Montserrart College of Art, is Chair of the Board at The Cabot, serves on the Board at the Salem Athenaeum and is an integral part of ECCF’s Creative County Steering Committee. Other nonprofits the couple serves – or has served – include the MFA, Hamilton Hall, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Punto Urban Art Museum, Essex National Heritage Commission, Mass Creative, Beverly Main Streets, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Mass Humanities and many more.
This passionate commitment to giving back is a value the Immermans have passed on to the next generation. Their son, Eric, recently joined ECCF as the co-chair of the foundation’s NextGen committee and volunteers with several other local organizations. Creating a family legacy of giving is important to Steve and Darcy.
The Immermans – who are each also recognized as innovators in their mission-based professional fields – have accumulated a list of accolades that reflect the tenor of their work in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. They live their lives with integrity, humility and a deep commitment to the greater good, and they inspire those around them to see the greatness in themselves. Their work is a reminder that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And the entirety of what they have accomplished together leads us to the distinct honor of presenting them with this year’s George Peabody Award.
