Greater Lowell Community Foundation

Personal Stories

Belinda Juran and Evan Schapiro: Helping to Maintain and Grow the Merrimack Valley’s Rich Cultural Tradition

Belinda Juran and Evan Schapiro

As residents of the Merrimack Valley for the past 25 years, Belinda and Evan often took advantage of the rich and diverse cultural opportunities that the region offered. Unlike Boston, where the scene is dominated by large cultural institutions with a large donor base, the Merrimack Valley's arts scene typically consists of a more diverse group of smaller and less well-known organizations. So, Evan and Belinda were especially surprised to learn that the Merrimack Valley did not have a permanently endowed Arts Fund dedicated to the support of local cultural organizations. MORE

Peter S. Stamas: Dedicated to Education in Lowell for 17 Years

Peter Stamas

Peter’s Passion: Education and civic involvement.
As headmaster of Lowell High School for 17 years, Peter shaped the minds of Lowell’s future leaders and led by example. He believed community services was the way to better our region’s quality of life. More...

Our Mission

To improve the quality of life in the region through philanthropic leadership and service

Guiding Principles

The Greater Lowell Community Foundation is committed to:

  • Improving the quality of life in the communities we serve through philanthropy.
  • Advocating private giving for the public good.
  • Providing philanthropic services to donors of all means.
  • Convening and connecting resources with community needs and opportunities.
  • Being a source of knowledge on issues affecting philanthropy and the community.
  • Being held to the highest ethical standards through fairness in policies and procedures, full and objective review of funding requests, and the avoidance of conflict of interest.
  • Maximizing the impact of its grant and program initiatives.
  • Participating in the national community foundation field and philanthropy as a whole.

These guiding principles reflect the commitment of the Community Foundation to provide effective stewardship of the charitable resources entrusted to it.

Why become a philanthropic partner with the GLCF?

  • We are a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of the area.
  • We are a local organization with deep roots in the community.
  • Our professional program staff has broad expertise regarding community issues and needs.
  • We provide highly personalized service, tailored to each individual’s charitable and financial interests.
  • Our Donor Advised Funds help people invest in the causes they care about most.
  • We accept a wide variety of assets, and can facilitate even the most complex forms of giving.
  • We partner with professional advisors to create highly effective approaches to charitable giving.
  • We offer maximum tax advantage under state and federal law.
  • We multiply the impact of gift dollars by pooling them with other gifts and grants.
  • We build endowment funds that benefit the community forever and help create personal legacies.
  • We are a community leader, convening agencies and resources to create positive change.