Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) has opened Round 2 of the 2026 Essex County Veterans Fund, titled Serving Those Who Served Us, for nonprofit organizations serving veterans in Essex County, Massachusetts.
Funding focus
Round 2 supports two focus areas:
- Health and Wellness: strengthening organizations that provide mental health, disability, and other health services to veterans with diverse experiences and needs.
- Basic Needs and Economic Opportunity: increasing access to food, clothing, supplies, housing, career counseling, and workforce training.
ECCF has not published a per-applicant maximum or a Round 2 award range on the public grant page. A prior ECCF announcement states that the Foundation committed $300,000 over two years to the Veterans Fund overall, but that figure should not be treated as the Round 2 applicant ceiling.
Deadline
Applications opened September 1, 2026 and close October 6, 2026. The public ECCF page does not publish a cutoff clock time or timezone.
Eligibility
Applicants must have IRS 501(c)(3) status or apply through a qualifying 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Applicants must provide services in Essex County. Stand-alone programs using a fiscal agent may be eligible when they maintain a separate budget, raise their own program funds, and have a written agreement with the fiscal agent.
Grants are not awarded to individuals, for political purposes, for debt or deficit reduction, for large-scale capital campaigns for buildings, land acquisition, or endowment, or for sectarian or religious purposes. Programs sponsored by religious organizations may be eligible when participation is open and the funded program does not require religious instruction, worship, or other sectarian activity.
Selection priorities
ECCF states that reviewers prioritize a clearly defined scope and need, intentional service delivery in Essex County, systemic impact and scalability, collaboration with Essex County partners, equity and inclusion, and sound financial management. Priority is reserved for organizations based in Essex County.
Application mechanics and requirements
Applications are submitted through ECCF’s Grant Lifecycle Manager portal. The public program page does not list the complete application fields, required attachments, or a mandatory match or cost share. Applicants should review the live portal and current ECCF guidance before submission rather than assume that an unpublished item is not required.
Program contact: Amy Moran Lowe, Vice President of Programs, Essex County Community Foundation, 978-777-8876 ext. 138, a.lowe@eccf.org.
Atlas assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 86/100. N9+ Fit: 35/100. QC Healthcare Fit: 25/100. The health and wellness focus is relevant to veteran health services, but the public guidance does not specifically establish telehealth, remote examination technology, clinical devices, or related equipment as allowable costs. Atlas therefore does not force a Nonagon N9+ role and does not treat this as a routine outreach candidate without a verified applicant-specific program and budget fit.
Dr. Miltie direct-applicant fit: 0/100. The program is for eligible nonprofit applicants or qualifying fiscally sponsored programs.
Official source: Essex County Community Foundation — Essex County Veterans Fund.