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