Deadline: 15-Mar-2025
The Essex County Community Foundation is thrilled to announce its call for applications for the Greater Lawrence Summer Fund to focus on closing the opportunity and achievement gaps for thousands of youth in greater Lawrence each year by increasing access to enrichment and academic opportunities during the summer months.
For more than 30 years, GLSF has supported high-quality summer programs that:
- Enhance social, emotional and academic abilities
- Promote safety and physical and mental health
- Advance skills development and reduce summer learning loss
Funding Priorities
- The Greater Lawrence Summer Fund (GLSF) supports enriching summer opportunities for young people in Greater Lawrence by supporting programs that:
- Provide young people with opportunities for skill development, personal growth, joy, restoration and exposure to new experiences.
- Provide enriching educational opportunities that reduce summer learning loss and the opportunity gap.
- Affirm, preserve, and celebrate racial and cultural identity
- Promote and encourage interaction, communication, and relationship building among youth and staff
Funding Information
- Grant Range: Up to $15,000 (Average is $6,000)
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must have a 501(c)(3) tax status under the IRS tax code and serve residents of the designated communities of Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, and North Andover.
- Agencies located outside the area are eligible to apply but proposals must include details on how Greater Lawrence youth are able to participate. (e.g. transportation is a factor in approving such programs.) Approved programs should reserve funds received from GLSF to youth from the designated communities.
- ECCF is committed to non-discrimination. We support organizations that use all reasonable efforts to recruit, hire, train, promote and serve persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law, except where such status is a bona fide qualification for the service being provided and is related to the organization’s mission.
- Stand alone programs within umbrella organizations may be eligible if they meet the following criteria:
- The umbrella organization provides the 501(c)3 status but not much more.
- The program has a separate budget and raises its own funds to cover this budget. (Note: If the program has only a small amount of administrative costs covered by the umbrella organization, they are still eligible to apply.)
- There is a letter of agreement/understanding between the program and the umbrella organization.
- The program is core to the mission of the umbrella organization and serves a substantial number of the core client population.
Ineligibility Criteria
- GLSF grants will not be awarded:
- To individuals.
- For sectarian or religious purposes.
- Note: GLSF is limited to non-sectarian programming for youth of all religious and ethnic backgrounds. Programs sponsored by religious organizations are eligible, provided enrollment is open to all youth, and the program is free of mandatory religious instruction, worship, or other sectarian activities.
- For political purposes.
- For debt or deficit reduction.
- For capital campaigns for buildings, land acquisition or endowment.
- To support academic research.
Selection Criteria
- In addition to the priorities outlined above, they consider the following:
- Strong leadership that is diverse, inclusive, and representative of the community it serves
- Ability, expertise, and relationships to achieve the program’s intended impact
- Demonstration of equity and inclusion as values
- The program should be fiscally sound with a balanced budget
Application Requirements
- All competitive grant applications are accepted online through their grant application portal. The online system helps agencies streamline their application process and will enable you to:
- Upload files
- Share drafts with others inside your organization
- Log on/off at your convenience until ready to submit
- Receive immediate confirmation that your application is complete
- Keep track of your application history
For more information, visit ECCF.