crisis response
COVID-19 pandemic
The Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund launched on March 20, 2020 to support nonprofits on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners, more than $8.6 million has been delivered through 300 grants to local nonprofits supporting our region’s most vulnerable communities.
MA COVID-19 relief fund grantees
Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund
ECCF extends a very special thank you to our partner, the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund that has distributed $31.2 million to date to nonprofits across the state. Grantees listed below received funding from this statewide philanthropic effort.
Acord Food Pantry
Action Inc
Addison Gilbert
Among Friends St. Paul’s Church
Anna Jaques Hospital
Aspire Early Education Center/Aspire Developmental Services, Inc
Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services
Northeast Behavioral Health Corporation
Beverly Bootstraps Community Services Inc.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Haverhill
Boys & Girls Club of Lynn
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem, Inc.
Boys and Girls Club of Lower Merrimack Valley, Inc.
Bread and Roses Inc
Bridgewell, Inc.
Camp Fire North Shore
Children’s Friend and Family Services (Fs: Justice Resource Institute)
Citizens Inn Haven from Hunger
Community Action Inc.
Community Day Care Center Of Lawrence Inc.
Cor Unum
Danvers YMCA (Community Young Men’s Christian Assoc Of Danvers Ma Inc.)
Deaf, Inc. (Developmental Evaluation and Adjustment Facilities Inc)
Eliot Community Human Services Inc./MSPCC
Express Yourself Inc
Family Services of The Merrimack Valley Inc.
Fidelity House
First Baptist Church
First Church Congregational Boxford
Food for The World
Good Hope Foods at Calvary Christian Church
Greater Lawrence Community Action Council
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
Greater Lynn Senior Services
Groundwork Lawrence
Haverhill YMCA Children’s Learning Center/YMCA Of the North Shore, Inc.
Health Law Advocates
John Ashford Link House Inc
Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, Inc.
Lawrence General Hospital
Lazarus House
Leo/Lynn Economic Opportunity Inc.
LHAND/Food for Thought – Lynn Food Collaboration
Lynn Community Health Center
Lynn Community Health, Inc.
Lynn Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Merrimack Valley YMCA, Inc.
My Brother’s Table
Neighbors in Need
North Shore Community Action Program
North Shore Community College
North Shore Community Health
North Shore Elder Services/Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, Inc
North Shore Health Project Inc
Northeast Arc
Northern Essex Community College
Open Hearts Ministries, Inc.
Our Neighbors’ Table
Pathways for Children, Inc.
Pettengill House
Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative
Roca, Inc
Rocky Neck Art Association
Salvation Army – Lawrence
Salvation Army – Lynn
Salvation Army – Newburyport
Salvation Army – Salem
SeniorCare, Inc.
Spectrum Health Systems (Methadone Clinic Haverhill & Methuen)
Sterling Enrichment and After The Bell/YMCA Of The North Shore, Inc.
The Food Project
The Open Door
The Psychological Center Inc
The Salem Food Pantry
Triangle, Inc.
YMCA Of Metro North
YMCA Of the North Shore – Salem YMCA
YMCA Of the North Shore
essex county covid-19 relief fund donors
ECCF extends a very special thank you to our partner, the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund that has distributed $31.2 million to date to nonprofits across the state.
Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund
Additional donors of more than $1,000 are listed below, with permission.
Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund
ASD Fund
Neil Ayer
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Anita W. Brewer-Siljeholm
Nat and Jess Chamberlin
Shelly and Ben Chigier
Clark Smith Fund
Tim Collins
Ana Colmenero & Hoyt Van Otterloo
Cross Family Giving Account
David Tory Fund
DCS Fund
Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation
Tom & Jen Eddy
Tracy and Steve Filosa
Senator Barry Finegold
Rebecca Foisy Riff
Michelle Franciose & Paul Schimmel
Scott Glosserman
Janice and Ralph James
Leslie Hammond
Elizabeth and Whitney Hatch
Allan & Marla Huntley
Cara and Brit Hutchins
Carolyn & George Koehler
Holly Langer
William and Angela Lowell
Merck-Evarts Fund
David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation
Mount Blue Fund
Jean Nichols and Richard DiPerna
North Shore Community Health Network
Bernadette and Brian Orr
Beth and Jon Payson
Chris and Jenny Perkin
Mary Pritchard
Chat and Claudia Reynders
Patrick and Julie Riordan
James & Julie Rose
Jim and Eileen Rullo
Paula and Binkly Shorts
Small Steps Fund
Spruce Environmental Technologies
Lolli and Dick Sumberg / The Sumberg Family Fund
Steven & Joyce Tadler
The Families of Capone Iron Corporation
The French Family
The Stevens Foundations
The Women’s Fund of Essex County
Kevin & Deborah Tierney
Van Demark Fund
Van Otterloo Family
Jean Verbridge
Wagner B. Foundation
WCollierLLC
Weber Family Foundation
Worden Family Foundation
nonprofit stories of impact
We are honored to share the stories of three nonprofit systems doing critical work to support our most vulnerable neighbors every day – but especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you listen to and help us share these stories with your friends and families. And if you are able, we urge you to GIVE to support this incredible work.
Lynn Comm. Health Center
Root, Salem
The Center, Lawrence
a multi-faceted response
ECCF’s multi-faceted response to the COVID-19 health crisis is possible with the support of our fundholders, individual donors, local businesses and regional and statewide coalitions.
eccf donor impact
ECCF’s family of 230 fundholders have responded to the COVID-19 health crisis with generosity and urgency, delivering critical support and making a significant collective impact on the local response.
Impact to Date
- Between March 15 and May 15, 2020 more than 350 grants totaling $3 million were distributed from ECCF Donor Advised Funds to nonprofits on the front lines of the pandemic
- This is an increase of 54% in grants delivered, and almost 65% in dollars awarded over the same time last year in response to the crisis
voices of giving
nonprofit support & funding
Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund
A countywide collaborative effort to provide financial resources to nonprofits working with communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Impact to Date
- To date: more than 8.6 million awarded through 300 grants to local nonprofits
- Ongoing countywide survey assessments and data gathering to 1) identify the evolving needs of our nonprofits and 2) direct funding strategically
voices of giving
“We are honored to be among the outstanding organizations chosen for a COVID-19 emergency grant. These necessary funds will help us to overcome obstacles caused by the pandemic to ensure we can continue to find forever families for the youth in our care.”
– Plummer Youth Promise
creative sector support
Impact to Date
- Creative Nonprofit Resiliency Grant Program: $134K granted to 47 arts and cultural nonprofit organizations
- Essex County Artist Fund: Granted $50k to 125 artists to date
voices of giving
“We are truly grateful for this, both as a financial necessity and as a vote of support for our work during this very difficult time. For a clumsy metaphor, we have been riding out this storm that is covering our landscape, recognizing that our boat is not the most important one or the one most in immediate peril. We are anxious to be able to start the road to societal recovery and I am confident that this is the role in which Maritime Gloucester will be able to best contribute.”
– Maritime Gloucester
small business support & advocacy
Impact to Date
- Built state and local-level coalitions to advocate for sector support
- Regional technical assistance providers help meet ongoing business crisis needs
- Conduct continuous county and statewide survey assessments and data gathering to understand evolving needs
- Collaborate to provide ongoing advocacy with local, state and federal audiences to support immediate and long-term small business priorities
- Assist local businesses in capitalizing on available federal, state and philanthropic relief opportunities
Aligned with our work to empower economic opportunity and strengthen small businesses in Essex County, ECCF is committed to sharing resources and advocating for these critical cornerstones of our community with local, state and federal audiences.
voice of giving
“The local PPP Coalition saved the day and my business. MCCI helped me get the loan very quickly. That loan has kept my business afloat during these tough times. Not only did they help me apply for the loan, but they also kept in contact with me and answered all my questions very quickly. They really eased my stress by being there for me every step of the way.”
– Jerry Tucarella, Small Business Owner, Lawrence
Donate to the Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund
covid-19 news
Homelessness in the Midst of a Pandemic
ECCF donors learn about the unique challenges facing nonprofits battling homelessness By Michelle Xiarhos Curran, ECCF Communications Writer When the COVID-19 pandemic began last March, nonprofits supporting Essex County’s homeless population were blindsided....
ECCF to Distribute $1.2 Million in COVID Relief Thanks to New State Grant
Danvers, MA --- Over the next four months, Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), which serves the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, will distribute $1.2 million to select area nonprofits serving and supporting those most vulnerable to the devastating effects of...
ECCF Awards $810,000 to Youth and Education Nonprofits
Final round of Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund grants address learning loss, opportunity gaps, mental health and more Danvers, MA --- Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), a nonprofit working to improve the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, is pleased to...
ECCF Awards $320,000 in COVID Response Grants to Boost Economic Security
Danvers, MA --- Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), a nonprofit working to improve the 34 cities and towns of Essex County, is pleased to announce the recipients of the second round of open application grants from our Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund. The...
Creating Change by Investing in People
COLUMN IN THE SALEM NEWS By Stratton Lloyd and Michelle Xiarhos Curran SEE ORIGINAL COLUMN IN THE SALEM NEWS HERE. As a society, we invest in roads and buildings, in water and electric systems because they are vital to our economic development and prosperity. So are...
January 2021 update report
crisis response
get in touch

Carol Lavoie Schuster
Vice President for Grants & Services
(978) 777-8876 x133
c.lavoieschuster@eccf.org