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Essex County Land and Environment Initiative
The Essex County Land and Environment Initiative (ECLEI) seeks to improve the quality of life for Essex County residents by promoting stewardship of our county’s land, water, and other natural resources.
Grant Guidelines
funding priorities
The current areas of priority for the Fund are to:
- Acquire land for open space and passive recreational use
- Provide access to open lands by building and maintaining parking and picnic areas and trails
- Promote stewardship of our county’s natural resources
- Manage the county’s growth wisely
Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to $25,000.
eligibility
Applicants must have 501(c)(3) tax status under the IRS tax code and serve Essex County residents.
ECCF is committed to non-discrimination. We support organizations that use all reasonable efforts to recruit, hire, train, promote and serve persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law, except where such status is a bona fide qualification for the service being provided and is related to the organization’s mission.
ECLEI grants will not be awarded:
- To individuals.
- For sectarian or religious purposes.
- For political purposes.
- For debt or deficit reduction.
- For capital campaigns for buildings or endowment.
selection criteria
ECLEI seeks grantmaking opportunities where the investment of up to $25,000 can make a difference. In addition to the funding priorities listed above, we will look for the following:
- Clear organizational mission and vision
- Strong leadership that is diverse, inclusive, and representative of the community that the organization serves
- Clear articulation of the opportunity, how funding would be used, and desired impact
- Ability and expertise to accomplish the proposed work and meet a documented need of Essex County residents
application deadline
Proposals must be submitted online by no later than October 15, 2021. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered.
application procedure
Proposals must be submitted through ECCF’s Application Portal.
If you do not yet have a login for our application Portal, please read our Grant Application Process page which will give you access to the Portal.
APPLICATION PORTAL

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Application Closed
GRANTS AWARDED BY
Early 2022
GRANT RANGE
Up to $25,000
GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATIONS
Organizations serving residents of Essex County, Massachusetts
FINAL REPORT FORMS
Final reports should be submitted through the Application Portal.
nonprofits & grants
get in touch

Hehershe Busuego
Director of Programs & Racial Equity
(978) 777-8876 x128
h.busuego@eccf.org
how can we help?
We would love to hear from you.