the giving season

Radical Generosity – the concept that the suffering of others should be as intolerable to us as our own suffering – is the basis for this global movement of collective giving, celebrated on November 30.

By clicking the link, individuals, community organizations, nonprofits and businesses can explore ideas for participating in Giving Tuesday, whether that includes rallying your family and friends, starting a social media campaign, connecting with likeminded people, amplifying an existing cause or involving your children in acts of philanthropy big and small.

You or your family might already have a cause that’s near and dear to your hearts. But if you’re starting fresh or are looking to expand your year-end giving to some new organizations, ECCF’s Nonprofit Directory, powered by GuideStar, is a great resource. Here you’ll find Essex County’s nonprofit organizations, searchable by name, subject area, populations served and more.

By year’s end, more than 1,000 Afghan evacuees are expected to resettle in Massachusetts following the devastating collapse of the Afghan military and government. The following organizations supporting the resettlement process continue to rely heavily on private donations and are raising flexible funds for emerging needs in Essex County and across the state.

• The Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC), a community-based grassroots organization with offices in Lynn, is committed to resettling 150 evacuees in MA.
• International Institute of New England (IINE),which has already supported Afghan evacuees in Lynn, will resettle 200 total evacuees throughout MA and is also welcoming volunteers and gift cards.
• Catholic Charities of Boston (CCB), with sites in Lynn, Gloucester and Salem, is committed to resettling approximately 100 evacuees in MA and will provide access to basic needs.
• New American Association of Massachusetts (NAAM), which is based in Lynn, works closely with all three agencies listed above. In addition to financial support, NAAM is also accepting in-kind donations of household items (dishes, pots and pans), school supplies, gift cards and groceries. The organization is also seekingvolunteers. If you have specific leads on potential housing for Afghan evacuees, please email NAAM Executive Director Natasha Soolkin or call her at 781.593.0100, ext. 718.

ECCF’s Giving Guide

We believe that kids can – and should – be philanthropists! That’s why ECCF created this easy-to-use tip sheet for parents that includes ways to engage children of all ages in acts of giving. Also included is a list of multimedia resources that can help parents teach their children about empathy, compassion and generosity – traits we can foster now to create lifelong changemakers.

Being a philanthropist isn’t always synonymous with financial support. At ECCF, we are redefining what it means to be charitable through a reimagining of our NextGen Philanthropy Initiative, which aims to engage new generations of philanthropic leaders in traditional – and non-traditional – ways.

Our goal is to make philanthropy more inclusive, diverse and accessible to younger adults, youth and families through experiential philanthropy, leadership development, collaborative problem solving and gatherings focused on acts of giving.

This giving season, we encourage you to find out more about NextGen, by clicking the link above.

Whether you’re interested in climate change, animal welfare, or both, a QCD allows individuals aged 70.5 or older to donate up to $100,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA, rather than taking a required minimum distribution. As a result, donors may avoid being pushed into higher income tax brackets and prevent phaseouts of other tax deductions. (Some limitations apply.)

Utilizing a QCD is an easy and tax-savvy way to make a big difference to the causes you care about. Please contact your financial advisor to find out more about QCDs.

Each member of ECCF’s family of fundholders make big impacts on the issues near and dear to their hearts. Join us in celebrating their passions and generosity by visiting Stories of Giving, a collection of narratives about fundholders making a difference. They inspire us, and we hope they inspire you too.

Our corporate partners not only support ECCF’s critical leadership work; they also give back to the Essex County communities we call home in myriad ways. We invite you to watch this collection of corporate partner video messages to learn more about how community businesses are making Essex County a better place.