Four Facts About the Essex County Community Foundation’s Massachusetts Giving

Historic buildings in Salem, Massachusetts. Photo: Yingna Cai/shutterstock

Historic buildings in Salem, Massachusetts. Photo: Yingna Cai/shutterstock

The northeastern Massachusetts county of Essex is the site of one of the nation’s early colonial settlements, known for its historic architecture and a strong commitment to philanthropy. The total population of the county is less than 800,000, but a lot of nonprofits call it home, as well as local donors who keep those operations afloat. Here are four important things for Massachusetts grantseekers to know about the Essex County Community Foundation’s local giving.

ECCF Serves 34 Cities and Towns

This is a county-specific funder that is well-known in this part of Massachusetts and a go-to source of funding for many local groups. Essex County is made up of many small and mid-size towns, each with their own unique challenges and assets. But since all of these places are located close together and nonprofits often serve the same population groups, collaboration is frequent and highly valued. In fact, over 1,000 organizations have collaborated to address local challenges with ECCF’s involvement.

There Are Numerous Competitive Grant Programs

Like most community foundations, ECCF awards grants through private and noncompetitive donor-advised funds, as well as through a public, competitive grant program. ECCF grantseekers must choose the most relevant program to apply to and follow specific guidelines and deadline requirements. For example, the NiSource Charitable Foundation Fund for Merrimack Valley has a December 4 deadline, while Creative County Initiative Partnership Grants have February 15 and April 1 deadlines.

Many of these funds focus on specific geographies within the county. Examples include the Greater Newburyport Fund for the Blind and the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund. A good way to keep up with relevant opportunities as they open up is by subscribing to the ECCF newsletter.

You’ll Be Competing with 4,000 Other Nonprofits

Many residents and donors are surprised to learn that over 4,000 nonprofit organizations work in this region. This means there is quite a bit of competition for grants, even though ECCF’s many grant programs spread the donations around. ECCF has been operating since 1998 and is well-versed in the region’s nonprofit landscape, both in terms of established organizations and newer ones.

ECCF Offers Free Nonprofit Trainings

In addition to awarding grants, ECCF offers nonprofit trainings through the Massachusetts Community Foundations Partnership, a combined effort of 13 community foundations, Philanthropy Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. These trainings went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic but have continued to take place. Timely training topics include engaging donors online, digital fundraising and strategizing in a climate of uncertainty. Trainings are free and can be accessed by registering on the foundation website.

ECCF is currently in the midst of a three-year strategic planning process that’ll extend through 2022. IP’s full profile of the Essex County Community Foundation, as well as our Boston and New England funding guide, offer additional resources to learn more about how to secure funding in Massachusetts for a wide variety of nonprofit causes.