Essex County Community Foundation celebrates 25-year past, looks to the future at Anniversary Celebration

By Michelle Xiarhos Curran
ECCF COMMUNICATIONS WRITER

After the conga line zig-zagged through the crowd, once the speeches and ‘thank yous’ were through, and the last note of “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” faded into the background, two things remained abundantly clear.

That the most impactful, sustainable change begins at home. And that in Essex County, the will to make it happen has never been stronger.

At its 25th anniversary celebration on Nov. 13, surrounded by more than 500 engaged friends and nonprofit, business, government and community leaders, Essex County Community Foundation planted a firm stake in the ground, promising to lean into its role as the hub for philanthropy, collective action and community.

“ECCF will be these things in perpetuity, for the more than 850,000 people that call this region home,” said ECCF President and CEO Stratton Lloyd. “We’re not going anywhere. But we need YOU to join us in this commitment.”

This statement – both a promise and a call to action – came on the heels of honoring ECCF’s 25-year history and the people, organizations and trailblazers that started the foundation and paved the path for its future. David Tory, who co-founded ECCF in 1999 with Lorraine Astle, was on hand to celebrate, as were many of ECCF’s founding board members, original supporters and early fundholders.

“ECCF has become the unifying force that it is today because of what you started back in 1999,” ECCF Board Chair Dick Sumberg told Tory. “And we are forever grateful for your work and your love of helping others.”

In honor of Tory, Astle and ECCF’s founding board, Lloyd announced that a $25,000 grant to plant hundreds of trees in Essex County’s gateway cities was being made in their honor for their “indelible mark and a powerful legacy for Essex County’s future.”

In addition to this original group of changemakers, and many other partners in ECCF’s 25-year-history, the foundation’s other former CEOs – David Welbourne, Dave Edwards and Beth Francis – were also in attendance.

“I know Stratton will agree when I say that the vital work happening under his leadership right now rests largely on the legacy of innovation and commitment of ECCF’s past leaders,” said ECCF Board Member Chat Reynders.

For as many longtime ECCF friends that were in the audience, there were many new faces in the crowd as well.

“As I look around, I see a lot of new faces in the room tonight and I love that,” said Lloyd. “New folks mean new connections. New ideas, innovations and partnerships. These are the key ingredients to the sustainability and resiliency of our work and the course we want to set for the future.”

One of the major themes of the night was that not only is there plenty of room at ECCF’s table, but that it is necessary for everyone to pull up a seat.

“Why is this important?” asked Stacey Landry, ECCF’s vice president for advancement and philanthropic services. “Because the social challenges we face here in Essex County are layered and complex. And it’s likely that in the not-too-distant future, our nonprofits will be called upon to do even more to help. It’s our responsibility to ensure that philanthropy is ready to support the nonprofit sector as it tackles both the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow. With YOUR help, we believe we can.”

Landry referred to the philanthropy that happens at a community foundation, philanthropy that is “fueled by thousands of voices and intentions and deeds.”

“It’s collective philanthropy and from what I’ve seen in my career and in my time at ECCF, it’s the most powerful and the most optimistic kind of philanthropy out there,” she said.

While the celebratory event was focused largely on networking and fun – Beverly arts nonprofit Express Yourself led the puppet-filled conga line and its co-founder Stan Strickland wowed the crowd with live saxophone music – the message for the night was clear.

“Unlocking the untapped talent, resources, life experience, ideas and innovation we KNOW exist across our region is one of ECCF’s highest priorities,” said Lloyd. “It’s how we imagine together the future of our communities and reimagine what it means to achieve impact.”