Driving positive change by connecting diverse people, ideas and resources.

Driving positive change by connecting diverse people, ideas and resources.

News & events

Vital Signs: Sex workers’ rights

Vital Signs: Sex workers’ rights

Michael Parente8 Mar 2025

Vital Signs: Sex workers’ rights A recent report from researchers at McMaster University identifies major themes and how they play out in the lived experiences of sex workers across Canada – police interactions, social exclusion and healthcare access. As a…

Our commitments to community are unwavering

Our commitments to community are unwavering

Rudi Wallace6 Mar 2025

Our commitments to community are unwavering To say we live in challenging times would be an understatement. They are deeply troubling and uncertain. As the leader of Hamilton Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization that has been inextricably connected to and…

Call for applications: Open Grant Advisory Committee

Call for applications: Open Grant Advisory Committee

Call for applications: Open Grant Advisory Committee Hamilton Community Foundation is seeking two to three members for our Open Grants Advisory Committee for a one-year commitment beginning in late April 2025. As a member of this committee, you will help to allocate financial support that…

Deepen impact with advocacy

Deepen impact with advocacy

Andrea Buttars20 Feb 2025

Deepen impact with advocacy With the impending Ontario election at the end of the month and a federal election later this year, it’s a good time to remember the role that charities play in advocacy, lobbying and supporting political parties.…

More than $800,000 in grants distributed to community

More than $800,000 in grants distributed to community

More than $800,000 in grants distributed to community Hamilton Community Foundation recently made 64 grants totalling $811,411 to charitable and non-profit organizations in Hamilton. The funding supports a wide variety of programming including access to nature, safe spaces for LGBTQ+…

A Foundation for the Future: 2024 Annual Report

We’re excited to launch our latest annual report: A Foundation for the Future. Read some inspiring grant and donor stories, our financial highlights and meet HCF staff members along the way! View the full report here.

Creating a vibrant, diverse and inclusive Hamilton

SCAFFOLD is a $50 million commitment to affordable housing that brings together resources based on research, consultation and the advice of policy experts.

The Community Fund — HCF’s original fund — is the fuel for responding to Hamilton’s most pressing needs and our leadership initiatives which address pervasive issues.

ABACUS focuses on the transitions to and through the middle-school years to increase the likelihood that young Hamiltonians graduate high school and access post-secondary opportunities.


Hamilton Community Foundation land acknowledgement

The City of Hamilton is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Purchase, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Today, the City of Hamilton is home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island (North America) and we recognize that we must do more to learn about the rich history of this land so that we can better understand our roles as residents, neighbours, partners and caretakers.

Actions

HCF has approved a draft Declaration of Action to contribute and implement its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, as well as to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. We are also undertaking board and staff education to deepen our knowledge and understanding of colonialism’s history and ongoing impact. 

Read about our Impact

Building for community

Trinity Lutheran Church’s gift helps address affordable housing in Hamilton This is a story about honouring the past. And buildi…

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Home for good

Program helps urban Indigenous tenants maintain their housing for the long term It’s one thing to have housing. It’s another t…

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Step by step

Tutoring program helps newcomer families find a path to a brighter future The room is remarkably quiet, considering its four walls…

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The gift that keeps on giving

Sisters continue their parents’ legacy of philanthropy The late Mark Nimigan never lost his commitment to Hamilton’s north end…

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Good vibrations

McMaster studies show music therapy improves student mental health It’s been said that music is medicine — and now there’s p…

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Honoring a legacy of belonging

New fund supports families of people living with disabilities Marcia Marcaccio believed in the power of community. In a long life,…

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Heeding the call of community

Dr. Juliet Daniel’s giving enables flexibility to address changing needs Dr. Juliet Daniel is a world-renowned cancer biologist …

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Trusting in our community

Sometimes trying something different can reveal new possibilities and strengthen relationships. A participatory granting pilot at …

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