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

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

News and events

Annual Report 2024-25

Annual Report 2024-25

We are pleased to present our 2024-25 annual report: Here. Where we stand. Its theme reaffirms the importance of standing by our values, especially at an uncertain time when diversity, equity and inclusion are being compromised, watered down or even…

Vital Signs: Faces of poverty

Vital Signs: Faces of poverty

Michael Parente28 Jul 2025

In May, Hamilton’s Social Planning and Research Council (SPRC) released its Faces of Poverty report, presenting a picture of poverty in our city. The report offers a glimpse of who is most affected by issues like low income, food security…

Upward angle on an apartment building complex under construction with a crane rising above it.

Joining forces on Hamilton’s most important issue

Rudi Wallace28 Jun 2025

This week, you’ll see the launch of a new pilot program from Hamilton Community Foundation as “HCF” continues its decades-long partnership with The Hamilton Spectator by funding a reporter dedicated to the housing and homelessness beat. Building on a long…

Vital Signs: Rights and encampments

Vital Signs: Rights and encampments

Michael Parente19 Jun 2025

Although encampments have become more visible in Hamilton and other cities since the pandemic, they are not new. In the 1920s and 30s, a group of people lived in “ramshackle boathouses”, the so-called Shacktown of Cootes Paradise. This caused public…

Vital Signs: Ending sexual violence

Vital Signs: Ending sexual violence

Michael Parente3 Jun 2025

In 2023, Hamilton joined other Ontario municipalities in declaring an epidemic of  intimate partner violence and domestic violence. This also takes place in the context of increased attention to femicide across the country. Several local organizations are working to end…

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 acknowledgment

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 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

Queer without fear

Legal education program is making Hamilton safer and more equitable for queer folks Audrey Merwin knows who she is. Now she wants …

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Work in progress, on purpose

Community curators help reimagine a national museum, one story at a time When the long-standing displays of industrial labour were…

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Spreading the word

Financial advisor a strong advocate for philanthropy Georgia Corkins’ history with Hamilton Community Foundation goes way back. …

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Stepping up

How a grant supporting stable housing is transforming young lives For youth leaving the child welfare system, adulthood isn’t a …

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Intensifying impact

Non-profit housing provider planning to convert townhomes to affordable units Sometimes the answers to our most pressing problems …

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Where the personal meets the collective

Knowing your options is always a good thing Donors to Hamilton Community Foundation are offered a simple way to maximize their imp…

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Going back to move forward

Inuit Elders and youth come to Hamilton for healing, sharing and closure In 1963, Ida Atagoyuk was separated from her baby daughte…

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Salad days

Healthcare providers at Compass Community Health have been writing a different kind of prescription since 2022. A recent grant fro…

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