More than 500 people gather at Endicott College; Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll delivers keynote address
Beverly, MA – Meaningful, long-lasting change – the kind that makes our local communities more welcoming, equitable and sustainable – only happens when people come together, across sectors, difference, across city limits and town lines.
“When we roll up our sleeves and look towards each other as partners in this work, change is not only possible; it’s inevitable,” said Stratton Lloyd, president and CEO of Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF).
That was the message June 11 at ECCF’s State of Essex County, a community event organized by ECCF to celebrate the heroic work of local nonprofits, inspire collaboration and reveal new data from ImpactEssexCounty.org, ECCF’s indicator website tracking the health of Essex County’s 34 cities and towns.
The event was held at Endicott College and attended by hundreds of leaders from the public, private and social sectors.
“Look around. There’s about 500 people in this room right now,” Lloyd told a packed Cleary Lecture Hall. “This is incredible. We have nonprofit and community leaders, elected officials, donors, local business owners, municipal leaders and engaged citizens. And you’re all sitting side-by-side, not by chance, but because what happens in your community matters to you.”
Highlights of the evening included a spoken word performance by Marquis Victor, Ed.D., executive director of Lawrence-based art and social justice nonprofit Elevated Thought, and stories about ECCF’s Essex County Community Response Fund and the foundation’s collaborative Climate Resiliency work.
In addition, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll delivered a galvanizing keynote address focused on the key issues of housing, healthcare, education and economic development – and the spirit of innovation that runs deep in Essex County – and in the Commonwealth. As the former mayor of Salem and a champion for the role data plays in guiding and measuring community progress, Driscoll helped launch ImpactEssexCounty.org – a widely used community resource – back in 2018.
At the event, the updated data Lloyd presented from the site revealed Essex County as a region with low unemployment (4.6%), growing industries, rising graduation rates (the Gateway City of Lawrence saw the largest gain with a 36-point increase) and positive health outcomes. But it’s also a place that faces significant challenges around affordability (Essex County’s median home value is $619,000 — higher than both the state and national medians), food insecurity (43% of Essex County households experienced it in 2025) and access to opportunity.
[Statistics on these indicators and more can be found at ImpactEssexCounty.org.]
“While Essex County is seeing real progress, we’re also facing significant challenges,” said Lloyd. “Meeting those challenges will require collaboration, innovation and a commitment to working together for the long term.”
During her keynote, Driscoll emphasized the Commonwealth’s continued desire to be a strong partner in the work of strengthening our communities, and she praised Essex County as a region dedicated to working together.
“I think just time and again, this region demonstrates what’s possible when organizations work across traditional boundaries,” she said. “That spirit of collaboration is definitely one of our greatest strengths and it’s why I remain optimistic.”
“I think we have a lot of things going for us and I also think in our country right now, there is a lot of division,” Lt. Governor Driscoll continued. “It dominates the national conversation, and I think people in this room and the work that ECCF does demonstrates something different. You’re showing that partnerships really work.”
Partnerships like the ones being fostered through ECCF’s 5-year, $4 million investment in local climate resiliency – outlined at the event by Kate Machet, ECCF’s vice president of systems initiatives and government relations, and Alexandra Nova, CEO of Nectar Community Investments – are helping to strengthen and expand work that has long been happening by organizations throughout the region.
“The opportunity isn’t starting from scratch — it’s connecting and accelerating what already exists,” said Alexandra Nova, CEO at Nectar, which is working with ECCF to help local homeowners invest in things like weatherization, heat pumps and solar. “That’s where YOUR local community foundation has stepped in, to bring people together, align resources and help scale what’s working.”
And partnerships being built through ECCF’s Essex County Community Response Fund, which has already distributed $2 million to cash-strapped nonprofits in the last year. The impacts of this permanent fund were discussed by Amy Moran Lowe, vice president of programs at ECCF, and Vilma Martinez-Dominguez, executive director and CEO of Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, a longtime ECCF partner and grantee.
“The Community Response Fund reflects the power of a community coming together – donors and leaders united by a shared commitment to stand with their neighbors in times of need,” said Martinez-Dominguez. “ECCF creates space for that generosity, trust and collective action to take shape. It is a reminder that we do not face difficult moments alone.”
Bringing people together like this – and fostering local change powered by nonprofits and fueled by generosity – is at the heart of ECCF’s work.
“Essex County is stronger together,” said Stacey Landry, ECCF’s Chief Operating Officer. “And our goal is to inspire philanthropy fueled by thousands of voices and intentions and deeds – philanthropy that creates long-lasting, meaningful change.”
Landry described Essex County’s nonprofits as superheroes who keep showing up – despite funding cuts, uncertainty and the weight of the world on their shoulders.
“So as our communities ask more of our nonprofits, let’s rise to meet them in this critical work,” she said. “ECCF’s next step, as YOUR community foundation, is to activate all our support – however you choose to give it – for the critical work that our region needs to be truly resilient.”
