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

The Women’s Fund of Essex County Launches “Resilient Girls Project”

Organization grants $210,000 to five local nonprofits to help improve adolescent girls’ mental health

(January 8, 2024) Danvers, MA – The Women’s Fund of Essex County today announced the launch of a novel collaborative three-year effort that will advance the field of knowledge addressing girls’ mental health and wellbeing.

The Women’s Fund of Essex County Announces 2023 Grant Recipients

Nonprofit grants $250,000 to 34 organizations serving women and girls in our community

For Immediate Release (July 7, 2022) Danvers, MA - The Women's Fund of Essex County (TWF) recently announced it awarded annual grant funding totaling $250,000 to 34 non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.

Women’s Fund of Essex County To Support Adolescent Girls Mental Health with $210,000 award from Cummings $30 Million Grant Program

3-year Essex County Resilient Girls Project to support five nonprofits that will provide programs, measure progress, and share lessons learned

Essex County, MA, June 1, 2023 – The numbers are staggering. According to data released by the US CDC in February of this year, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.

The Women’s Fund of Essex County Announces 2022 Grant Recipients

Nonprofit grants $250,000 to 34 organizations serving women and girls in our community

For Immediate Release (July 7, 2022) Danvers, MA - The Women's Fund of Essex County (TWF) recently announced it awarded annual grant funding totaling $250,000 to 34 non-profit organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of women and girls throughout Essex County.