PROVIDENCE – The Eastern Bank Foundation on June 25 announced its 2026 Community Advocacy Award recipients, recognizing 11 organizations across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire for work focused on civic education and community engagement.
The Rhode Island honoree was the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc., led by Executive Director Steven Brown. The organization was recognized alongside groups across the region working to expand civic knowledge, encourage public participation and strengthen community engagement.
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“Freedom can’t protect itself,” Brown said. “That’s why for over 65 years, we’ve shown up in courtrooms, committee rooms and communities across Rhode Island to provide that protection.”
Other 2026 Community Advocacy Award recipients include:
- Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, led by Director Danielle Allen.
- Bridgewater Communities for Civil Rights, led by Chair Jenise Campbell-Means.
- The Disagreement, founded by Catherine Cushenberry and Alex Grodd.
- Indivisible Outer Cape, led by Pam Poindexter.
- Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, led by CEO and President Cindy Rowe.
- Massachusetts Voter Table, led by Executive Director Shanique Rodriguez.
- Merrimack Valley Project, led by Executive Director Julio Mejia.
- Neighbor 2 Neighbor, led by Executive Director Dalida Rocha.
- New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights, led by Director Lisa Kovack.
- Queer History Boston, led by Executive Director Joan Ilacqua.
Each honoree will receive a grant from the Eastern Bank Foundation to support its continued work. The foundation did not immediately disclose the size of the individual grants.
“These leaders and their organizations are protecting fundamental rights and opening opportunities for everyone to participate in civic engagement and education,” said Turhan Dorsey, CEO and president of the Eastern Bank Foundation.
Last year, the Boston-based Eastern Bankshares Inc., the parent of Eastern Bank that operates about 125 locations in eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, completed its merger with HarborOne Bancorp Inc., parent of Brockton, Mass.-based HarborOne Bank, which had 30 full-service banking centers across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The $5.7 billion deal expanded Eastern Bank’s footprint into Rhode Island and boosted its presence in Greater Boston.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
