About

Helping people give in a way that has meaning to them and impact in the community.

Our vision

A vibrant, diverse and inclusive Hamilton

Our mission

To drive positive change by connecting diverse people, ideas and resources

Our values

Equity – Working toward justice, diversity, and inclusion requires us to centre the wisdom, knowledge and needs of those who have been and continue to be systemically marginalized and oppressed.  We are committed to working toward allyship and to amplifying their voices.

Reconciliation —We recognize that supporting Indigenous self-determination involves new ways of working, dismantling of settler colonial structures and a shift to relational work. We are working toward relationships with Indigenous communities that are grounded in reciprocity, ongoing and intentional relationship-building, mutual respect and trust.

Courage – Trying new things requires a willingness to take risks and to act with authenticity and conviction even in the face of resistance. It also requires humility and learning new ways of being, along with a willingness to unlearn behaviours that no longer serve our mission.

Relevance –We gather knowledge and make decisions that are relevant to our community and have impact in meeting its needs. This requires us to listen and to be adaptable.

Accountability – We steward resources and relationships with care and transparency. This requires us to honour our obligations and take responsibility for our decisions and actions, even as we experiment and learn.

Collaboration – Creating a just and vibrant city requires collective action and collective responsibility. We multiply our impact when we work together.


We drive positive change in Hamilton by

Helping people give in a way that has meaning to them and impact in the community

Like all community foundations, HCF is unique from other charities because donors may support any area of charitable interest including arts and culture, education, health and human services, environment and recreation.

Supporting all aspects of community life through grants and financing to a wide range of charitable organizations and initiatives

Beyond our traditional granting, HCF is unique in Hamilton because we also offer loans to charitable organizations and initiatives. This puts more of our capital to work for Hamiltonians. We also increase the amount of funds available to Hamilton programs by leveraging partnerships and matching gifts from a range of private and public partners. 

Engaging in community leadership by bringing people together to address priority issues that affect Hamiltonians

Leadership is an HCF hallmark. We mobilize our knowledge, assets and relationships to address emerging community issues and opportunities. We act to drive positive change and foster a vibrant inclusive city.

Download our latest fact sheet


Hamilton Community Foundation (HCF) is part of a network of over 191 Canadian community foundations who contribute time, leadership and financial support to initiatives that benefit their community most, based on an intimate understanding of local needs and opportunities.

About Community Foundations

Community foundations are charitable organizations dedicated to improving communities in specific geographical areas. They do this by pooling the charitable gifts of donors to create endowment funds and using the investment income to make grants. Some community foundations support a town or a city, while others support an entire province. Hamilton Community Foundation is a member of Community Foundations of Canada, the national membership organization for community foundations across Canada.