Summary
Elder Services plans to spend $1 million gift on expanding its support for Family Caregivers.
Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (ESCCI) has received an anonymous gift of $1 million, given over four years, to expand its support for family caregivers. It is the largest gift in ESCCI’s history.
The gift will bring ESCCI’s caregiver programs together as the Family Caregiver Connection, under the message “Caregiving is Work, Too.” For the first time, ESCCI will also offer help to caregivers who don’t qualify for its existing programs. In 2025, ESCCI helped 317 family caregivers.
“Many people caring for a parent or a spouse don’t think of themselves as caregivers. They’re just getting through the week, often while holding down a job,” said Maryanne Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of ESCCI. “This gift lets us reach them and tell them: you don’t have to do it alone.”
The donor has deep ties to the Cape and knows the work firsthand. For several years, he cared for his wife before she passed away. He had intentions to support ESCCI, and when he retired, sold his business and reviewed his estate plans, he decided that now was the time to make the gift.
In the first year, the gift will allow ESCCI to:
- Hire and train additional clinical staff to support caregivers
- Provide respite stipends, so caregivers can take a break
- Reach out to local employers
- Offer programs designed for caregivers who are also working
The Family Caregiver Connection includes the Family Caregiver Support Program, which offers one-on-one counseling, support groups, referrals and caregiver education, and GUIDE, a Medicare-funded program that provides caregiver education, care management and a respite stipend for families enrolled in traditional Medicare. All services are free to caregivers.
“For decades, agencies like ours relied almost entirely on government grants and contracts, and later on contracts with insurers,” Ryan said. “But as the funding landscape evolves, we are increasingly turning to private philanthropy as a third pillar of support. This gift shows what becomes possible when someone who knows this work firsthand decides to invest in it.”
November is National Family Caregiver Month. Caregivers on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket can call our Information and Referral line at 508-394-4630 or use the online referral form to contact us.