Donor Services

The Hamilton Community Foundation is pleased to offer a variety of services and tools to help you make the most of your charitable dollars and enjoy a meaningful giving experience. Our staff is ready to help you.

The Hamilton Community Foundation is a collection of more than 500 individually established funds, each one representing the vision of an individual, family or organization and their belief in the power of endowment and philanthropy. Each fund is designed to better the community, leave a legacy or inspire others to continue the work of the Foundation.


Dave Belew shares his story of the foundation

Thank you for placing your trust in the Hamilton Community Foundation. Your gift or creation of a permanent fund ensures that the issues, charities and the community you care about will be supported by you, forever. 

 

Making Grants from Your Fund

For assistance with grant-making or matters related to your fund, please contact the Foundation office at 513-863-1717.  You may Click Here  to print a donor suggestion form with instructions for submitting.

Individual Consultation for Grant-Making

 Foundation staff are available to:

  • Help you identify, focus and/or re-evaluate your philanthropic interests and optimize the impact of your grant-making.
  • Help you craft a plan to involve your children and grandchildren in philanthropy.
  • Assist you in determining the appropriate type of giving arrangement to fulfill your charitable goals.
  • Conduct research on a topic or nonprofit in which you are interested, and help you evaluate specific programs.
  • Provide you with post-grant evaluation of the effectiveness of a grant, where feasible.

Donor Networking

The Hamilton Community Foundation provides a variety of networking opportunities for donors and fund advisors to connect to other funders and charitably-minded individuals.

We do this through our annual meeting, and special initiatives and events where we gather donors to address particular issues of concern or interest to them.

 Researching Non-Profits

 HCF has information on file on many nonprofit organizations, and our staff maintains an involved, informed presence in the Hamilton nonprofit community. Also, the internet offers a variety of resources for researching nonprofits, including:

 Guidestar.org provides information about who the nonprofits serve, their budgets, staff, needs, success stories, and much more.

  • Give.org is the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, which offers guidance to donors on making informed giving decisions through charity evaluations.

Donor FAQs

Is there a limit to how many grants I can recommend in a year, or how often I can make grant recommendations?
Currently, there is no limit to the number of grants an advisor can recommend. Grant recommendations can be made at any time during the year.

Are there any restrictions on the grant size I can recommend?
Minimum recommendations of $100 are requested.

May I fulfill personal pledges through recommending a grant from HCF?
In accordance with U. S. Treasury Department regulations, grants awarded from HCF funds may not be used to fulfill personal pledges or to pay for memberships, dues, or anything that provides a direct benefit to a donor/fund advisor.

How long will it take to process my grant recommendation?
Grant suggestions received by the 28th of the month will be issued the first day of the following month.

Who can recommend grants from the donor advised fund I established at HCF?
Anyone named in the original fund agreement can recommend grants from the fund.
May I recommend grants anonymously?
Yes, you may indicate on your donor suggestion form that the fund name and/or the advisor name(s) be anonymous.

How will I know how much is available to distribute from the fund?
You will receive a financial statement that provides details of the fund, including a list of contributions and grants for the prior year, and the fund’s pro rata share of investment growth. If you have any questions about the fund balance, please call us at 513-863-1717.

What kind of organizations may I recommend for grants?
Nonprofit organizations that are classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3). Schools, municipalities and government programs are eligible.

May I recommend a grant to an individual?
No. Advised funds may make distributions only to qualifying nonprofit and public organizations such as municipalities and schools. Advisors may, however, recommend grants to schools or other organizations that award scholarships.

May I recommend a multi-year grant?
Yes. At the time of your recommendation, please indicate both the amount and schedule of the distribution.

May I recommend a grant to an organization where I serve on the board?
Yes, as long as you receive no personal benefit from the grant.

Update Your Record

While the Hamilton Community Foundation believes that impeccable record keeping is part of our commitment to you, we ask our Donors to fill out our Donor Information Form so we know more about them and their interests. You may type directly into the form and print it out to mail to our office at 319 North Thirds Street, Hamilton, OH 45013.

Thank you

If you are currently on our list of donors and need to change your address or phone number, please use our Donor Quick Record Update Form.