Stories

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 at McMaster University. Her discovery of the Kaiso gene is advancing understanding of how cancer grows and how cancer cells function. She is internationally recognized for her cancer research, teaching and community engagement.

“The money stays here and benefits Hamilton in ways most people don’t realize.”

Originally from Barbados, Professor Daniel has made Hamilton home since joining McMaster’s Faculty of Science in 1999. She is a committed supporter of Hamilton Community Foundation, directing her contributions to the unrestricted Community Fund.

Dr. Daniel first learned about HCF when she joined the Board of Directors in 2014, and in six years as a board member, she developed a respect and admiration for the Foundation’s research, ongoing learning, and best practices approach. “Hamilton Community Foundation does phenomenal work,” she says, and wishes that more people knew about the role and value HCF brings to the community. “The money stays here and benefits Hamilton in ways most people don’t realize.”

Though passionate about many charitable causes — like youth and STEM education, climate change, social justice, and gender issues — Dr. Daniel directs her financial support to the Community Fund, where it is most flexible. “Through my work in the community, I know that life and society are constantly changing. The Community Fund provides the capacity to respond to those changes and capitalize on emerging opportunities to help.”

HCF’s Vice-President of Philanthropic Services, Andrea Buttars, agrees. “From an internal perspective, Community Fund donations are like gold,” she says. “They allow the Foundation to be agile in the community.”

With her busy schedule, Dr. Daniel has found it easiest to support the Foundation as a monthly donor “so I don’t have to think about it,” she says. “But I do try to remember to increase my monthly donation every two or three years.”

Excerpt from 2023-24 annual report