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

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

News and events

Come work with us!

Come work with us!

We are hiring for the role of Vice-President, Community Relations. This role provides leadership and strategic direction to all of HCF’s communications and public relations functions, including internal and external communications, marketing, constituent relations, media relations, sponsorship, issues management, crisis…

Vital Signs: Rebuilding trust in institutions

Vital Signs: Rebuilding trust in institutions

Michael Parente4 Apr 2025

Trust in Canadian institutions is in decline. A recent University of Waterloo report finds that though the pandemic saw an increase in trust, it has since dropped to pre-pandemic levels. Since trust is fundamental to a well-functioning society, this is…

Investors urge Scotiabank to conduct Racial Equity Audit

Investors urge Scotiabank to conduct Racial Equity Audit

Michael Parente2 Apr 2025

The following media release was prepared by the Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) and includes a proposal by Hamilton Community Foundation urging Bank of Nova Scotia (“Scotiabank”) to conduct a third-party racial equity audit as a risk-management practice.…

Vital Signs: Disability justice

Vital Signs: Disability justice

Michael Parente25 Mar 2025

Vital Signs: Disability justice January 1, 2025 has come and gone, and with it, the deadline for implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), a statute enacted 20 years ago to improve accessibility standards. Experts have warned that…

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…

A Foundation for the Future: 2024 Annual Report

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

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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Aging naturally

The benefits of being out in nature are well documented — lower blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease and better mental he…

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All the right moves

Three things often prevent those experiencing intimate partner violence from transitioning to a better, safer life: logistics, cos…

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ABACUS: Creating a generational impact

In 2015, Hamilton Community Foundation launched ABACUS, a commitment to increase the likelihood that young people facing multiple …

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Co-ordinating efforts to support housing

When the City of Hamilton recently announced $8.2 million in funding to local non-profits to build more than 800 affordable housin…

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Supporting the greater good

While the generosity of donors over the decades supports all our work, the Community Fund — HCF’s original fund — is the fue…

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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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