The Women’s Fund of Essex County Announces Thirteen New 2026 Three-Year Grants Awarded

For Immediate Release (June 1, 2026) Beverly, MA – The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) is committing $390,000 over three-years to support 13 non-profit organizations working to improve the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.

“This year our teams reviewed 73 applications – a 51% jump from last year,” said Kathi Vander Laan, Grants Allocation Committee Chair. “The increase was striking and underscores our belief that while charitable giving to local women and girls is on the decline, our efforts are more essential than ever.”

Becci Backman, Grants Allocation Committee Vice Chair added, “Our teams relied on TWF’s proven Grants Allocation Process to carefully evaluate each application, decide on site visits, and rank the non-profits recommended for funding.”

To qualify, programs must serve Essex County women and girls and align with TWF’s key focus areas: Health & Well Being, Economic Empowerment, Equity & Social Justice, Leadership Development, and Academic Achievement. Many of our selected non-profit organizations reach multiple areas of focus.

After four months of review and deliberation, the 13 organizations chosen for funding are as follows:

2026 Grant Recipients

Amirah Inc. – All of Essex County “Expansion of Amirah Client Service Program”

Backyard Growers – Gloucester “Women Rooted in Community: Expanding Access to Engaging & Thriving Gardens”

Bellesini Academy – Lawrence “Expansion of Girls’ 11th Month July Summer Program”

Catie’s Closet Inc. – Lawrence “Expansion of Catie’s Closet Program Gateway to Confidence Lawrence”

Ellie Fund Inc – All of Essex County “Expansion of Equitable Pathways to Breast Cancer Care”

Essex County Community Organization – All of Essex County “ECCO Immigrant Women’s Care & Support Network”

Gloucester Education Foundation – Gloucester “Gender Equity in STEM Club at Gloucester High School”

Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC) – All of Essex County “HAWC Survivor Financial Stability Coaching Pilot”

Link House, Inc. – Salisbury “WISH Salisbury”

Love Your Magic, Inc. – Lawrence, Lynn “Love Your Magic’s Be Well Retreats in Lynn and Lawrence”

North Shore Community Development Coalition Inc. – Beverly, Lynn, Peabody, Salem, Saugus “Young Women’s Empowerment Group”

Notre Dame Education Center at Lawrence – Greater Lawrence (Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover), Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen “Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide Training Programs”

Youth Development Organization – Lawrence “YDO’s Make HERS Programming”

“Since 2003, I’m proud to share that our all-volunteer organization has raised and granted over $5 million to high-impact organizations in every city and town across Essex County, all with one goal: improving the lives of women and girls in our communities,” said Trish Moore, President of The Women’s Fund of Essex County. “Over the years we have worked hard to expand our reach and impact: 328 annual grants to non-profit partner programs, 11 Above & Beyond awards recognizing exceptional non-profit partners, 9 years of emergency funding to NSCC single-mother students, 8 responsive food security grants during the recent SNAP benefits crisis, and the launch of the Resilient Girls Project supporting five non-profits focused on the mental health and well-being of adolescent girls.”

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About The Women’s Fund of Essex County

Since 2003, The Women’s Fund has raised and awarded more than $5 million to high-impact non-profit partners who provide local women, girls and their families with the resources they need to find success in work, home and life. TWF has been recognized with the George Peabody Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, and the Constance Grasso Award from the YWCA of Greater Newburyport. The Women’s Fund of Essex County is an all-volunteer organization supported entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports an extensive portfolio of programs impacting local women and girls. To learn more visit The Women's Fund of Essex County, Massachusetts | Investing. Impacting. Improving the lives of women and girls

TWF Press Contact

Elizabeth Darragh | Elizabeth.darragh@verizon.net | 617-510-4205

New Grants Awarded for Vital Food Support Across Essex County

For Immediate Release (November 17, 2025) Beverly, MA – The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) has awarded an additional $40,000 in emergency grants to eight nonprofit organizations providing critical food assistance to our local communities. Although the federal government shutdown has ended, many Massachusetts families continue to face delays and disruptions in SNAP benefit access, leaving food providers stretched as they work to meet higher-than-usual demand. These organizations serve as an essential lifeline for women, girls and their families across Essex County.

Funds have been awarded to:

• Acord Food Pantry – Hamilton, Wenham

• Citizens Inn – Peabody

• The Haven Project – Lynn

• Neighbors in Need – Lawrence

• The Open Door – Gloucester, Ipswich

• Our Neighbors’ Table – Amesbury, Salisbury & surrounding communities

• Salem Pantry – Salem

• Three Sisters Food Project – Ipswich & surrounding communities

These special one-time grants are additional to the ten three-year $30,000 grants awarded by The Women’s Fund in October through the Annual Grant’s Allocation Process, and our $25,000 Above and Beyond Award given in honor of our Founder’s Circle. Our 2025 Above and Beyond Award was presented to Family Promise North Shore Boston.

To learn more about the work of The Women’s Fund of Essex County, discover ways to get involved, and support our all-volunteer organization, please visit our website.

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About The Women’s Fund of Essex County

Since 2003 The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) has raised and awarded grants to non-profit organizations that equip local women, girls and their families with the resources they need to thrive at work, home, and in life. An all-volunteer organization, TWF is sustained entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports a portfolio of programs improving the lives of women and girls across Essex County. TWF has been honored with the George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy by the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), the Champions Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, and the Constance Grasso Award from the YMCA of Greater Newburyport. TWF is a Field of Interest Fund of ECCF.

Press Contact

Elizabeth Darragh | elizabeth.darragh@verizon.net | 617-510-4205

The Women’s Fund of Essex County Announces 2025 Grant Recipients

Ten New Three-Year Grants Awarded to Organizations Serving Women and Girls in Essex County

For Immediate Release (June 10, 2025) Beverly, MA – The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) announced today that they have awarded three-year grants to ten non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.

“This year’s grants are all three-years in duration to assure multi-year support for programs that address longer-term issues to maximize impact,” said Trish Moore, co-president of The Women’s Fund of Essex County.

Since 2023, TWF has donated more than $4 million to over 160 high-impact organizations across the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Our grants provide resources to help assure success for women and girls in every aspect of their lives.

“Research shows that investing in women has a cascading, multiplier effect across generations and throughout communities,” said Wendy Roworth, co-president of The Women’s Fund of Essex County, “Our grant recipients have deep connections to the women and girls in their communities and our funding will amplify their impact.”

“This year we saw a 14% rise in incoming applications, indicating the greater need for assistance,” said Kathi Vander Laan, Grants Allocation Committee Chair. “We are pleased that this year’s grants reach a broad span of communities including Greater Lawrence, Lynn, Haverhill, Salem, Swampscott, Wenham, Cape Ann, Amesbury and more. The grants are also well-aligned with our areas of focus: Health & Mental Health, Economic Self-Sufficiency, Equity & Social Justice, Leadership Development and Academic Achievement with many awards touching multiple areas.”

2025 TWF Grant Recipients

Acord Food Pantry “Mobile Mart” in Essex, Hamilton, Wenham

Blueskies Behavioral Health Services “Single Working Mothers Program” in Greater Lawrence (Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover)

Casa Mariposa “Residence Program” in Lynn

Harvey Girls Inc. “Career Navigation & Readiness for Young Women” in Andover, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover

Haverhill Public Schools “GEMS Program: Girls Empowerment Means Success” in Haverhill

Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center “Domestic Violence Family Law Program” in Greater Lawrence (Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover), Greater Newburyport (Amesbury, Byfield, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, West Newbury), Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Ipswich, Merrimack

Lifebridge “River House Women’s Shelter” in Cape Ann (Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the Sea, Rockport) and Northshore Essex County (Beverly, Danvers, Gloucester, Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Swampscott)

Neighbors in Need “Diaper Pantry and Delivery Program” in Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover

Seaglass Village “Membership Subsidization Program for Seniors” in Marblehead, Nahant, Swampscott

Si, Se Puede “Empowering Young Women Program” in Lawrence

To learn more about the work of The Women’s Fund of Essex County, and ways to get involved or support this all-volunteer organization, please visit our website.

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About The Women’s Fund of Essex County

Since 2003 The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) has raised and awarded grants to non-profit organizations providing local women, girls and their families with the resources they need to find success at work, home, and in life. Our all-volunteer organization is supported entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports a portfolio of programs impacting women and girls. We have been recognized with the George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy by the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF), and with the Champions Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, as well as the Constance Grasso Award from the YWCA of Greater Newburyport. TWF is a Field of Interest Fund of ECCF.

TWF Press Contact

Elizabeth Darragh | elizabeth.darragh@verizon.net | 617-510-4205

The Women’s Fund of Essex County Announces 2024 Grant Recipients

Eleven New Three-Year Grants Awarded to Organizations Serving Women and Girls in Essex County

For Immediate Release (May 16, 2024) Danvers, MA – The Women’s Fund of Essex County (TWF) today announced that they have awarded three-year funding to 11 non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.

“This year’s awards totaling $231,000 are focused around five major funding priorities,” said Trish Moore, co-president of The Women’s Fund of Essex County. “We continue to see fallout post-pandemic and believe that Health/Mental Health, Academic Achievement Gap for Girls, Economic Self-Sufficiency, Equity/Social Justice, and Leadership Development remain the areas requiring our greatest attention.”

For over 20 years, TWF has donated more than $3.2 million to over 150 high-impact organizations across the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Our grants provide resources to help assure success for women and girls at work, school, home and in life.

“All of our awards this year will support three years of funding,” said Wendy Roworth, co-president of The Women’s Fund of Essex County. “Studies have shown that investing in women has a cascading, multiplier effect across generations and throughout communities. We believe that a three-year support grant will help these programs gain solid footing in their interest areas.”

TWF has a proven model for processing grant applications. “This year, three teams were assembled to process the 43 proposals we received,” said Kathi Vander Laan, Grants Allocation Committee Chair. “Across 17 committee members, the team evaluated every application and made 20 site visits. We were thrilled to see that nearly every community across Essex County was being touched by these amazing organizations. In the end, the 11 non-profits chosen represent the geographic and economic diversity found throughout Essex County, and fund the organizations poised to meet the challenges facing women and girls and help to provide them pathways to safe, healthy, and successful lives.”

2024 TWF Grant Recipients

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem “The Girls Club and Leadership Groups of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem” in Salem

Centerboard Inc. “Phoenix Rising” in Lynn

Elevate New England “Helping Lawrence High School Girls Graduate and FLOURISH” in Lawrence

Express Yourself, Inc. “You Go Girls” in Beverly

Family Promise North Shore Boston “Homelessness Prevention and Shelter Diversion” across Essex County

Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn “Project Accelerate” in Lynn

LEAP for Education “Sisters for Success” in Lynn

Merrimack Valley Immigrant & Education Center, Inc. “ESOL, Citizenship & Youth Writing Education Programs for Women Immigrants”

The Mabel Center for Immigration Justice “Legal Services Shelter Project” across Essex County

Three Sisters Garden Project “Winter Soup Share” in Ipswich

Uncommon Threads “Self-Esteem Styling (in person)” in Lawrence

To learn more about the work of The Women’s Fund of Essex County, and ways to get involved or support this all-volunteer organization, please visit thewomensfundec.org.

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About The Women’s Fund of Essex County

The Women’s Fund of Essex County is a Field of Interest Fund of Essex County Community Foundation. Since 2003, The Women’s Fund has raised and awarded more than $3 million to high-impact non-profit partners that provide local women, girls and their families with the resources they need to find success at work, home and life. The organization has been recognized with the George Peabody Award for Leadership in Philanthropy by the Essex County Community Foundation and the Champions Award for Community Impact by North Shore Community College, and the Constance Grasso Award from the YWCA of Greater Newburyport. The Women’s Fund of Essex County is an all-volunteer organization supported entirely by generous donors whose philanthropy supports a portfolio of programs impacting local women and girls.

TWF Press Contact

Elizabeth Darragh | elizabeth.darragh@verizon.net | 617-510-4205