Celebrations and Community Building – parades, picnics, holiday
meals, road races, and outings designed to unite veterans and
strengthen community

Education and Advocacy –workshops, educational events, essay &
poetry contests, and speaker series designed to engage the public
(especially youth) in understanding and celebrating our veterans

Memorials – statues, parks, benches, and plaques in remembrance or
in honor of local veterans

Health and Wellness – strengthening the capacity of organizations to
effectively provide mental health, disability, and other health services
to veterans with diverse experiences and needs

Basic Needs and Economic Opportunity – increased access to food,
clothing, supplies, and housing; career counseling and workforce
training

Transportation – help connecting veterans with safe and reliable rides
to medical appointments and necessary errands

• Applicants must have 501(c)(3) tax status under the IRS tax code, or have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501c3.
• Stand-alone programs applying through a fiscal agent may be eligible if they meet the following criteria:
• The fiscal agent provides the 501(c)3 status but not much more
• The program has a separate budget and raises its own funds to cover this budget.  Note: If the program has only a small amount of administrative costs covered by the umbrella organization, they are still eligible to apply.
• There is a letter of agreement/understanding between the program and the umbrella organization
• Applicants must provide services in Essex County.
• Grants will not be awarded:
• To individuals
• For sectarian or religious purposes. Programs sponsored by religious organizations are eligible, provided that enrollment is open to all and the program does not include mandatory religious instruction, worship, or other sectarian activities.
• For political purposes
• For debt or deficit reduction
• For large-scale capital campaigns for buildings, land acquisition, or endowment

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.

In addition to the eligibility standards listed above, grant reviewers prioritize the following when considering funding:

• Clearly defined scope of work and need.
• Targeted and intentional deployment of services within the communities of Essex County, Massachusetts.
• Priority reserved for organizations based in Essex County.
• Potential for systemic impact and scalable solutions.
• Effective collaboration with strategic partners across Essex County.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion in organizational leadership, infrastructure, program design, and/or implementation.
• History of sound financial management.

An advisory committee of local veterans and military families sets the grant-making priorities for this fund. The ECCF team evaluates all applications and confers with the committee before making final determinations. Round 1 decisions will be announced in May 2026.

Approximately six months after the award is granted, ECCF staff will reach out to learn more about how the funds were able to help our local veterans community.