In 2016, the Hamilton Community Foundation is celebrating 65 years!  This translates into 65 years of listening to collaborating with the nonprofit community, and using knowledge gleaned from those efforts to help donors make their giving relevant, powerful and impactful.

“The Foundation’s impact is visible all around this community,” says Foundation President/CEO John Guidugli. To illustrate this, imagine someone entering Hamilton for the first time – and what they see.   

Entering Hamilton on westbound Route 129, visitors are welcomed to the City by the large Hamilton sign surrounded by landscaping, a gift the Foundation made to the community when the Foundation celebrated its 50^th anniversary, just 15 years ago.

Travelers crossing Route 4 into the City experience an aesthetically pleasing and smooth traffic flow, thanks to the new East High corridor.  This City of Hamilton project was started after a study funded by a Foundation donor identified the need and a solution to improve the look and functionality of City’s main entrance. 

Coming into the City’s downtown business district, there is more evidence of the Foundation’s impactful projects:

• The Mercantile Lofts
• Artspace
• Butler Tech School of the Arts
• Miami University Center for Civic Engagement
• Historic gazebo on the Courthouse lawn
• Former Elder Beerman building at 150 High Street

To the left:

• Hamilton Visitors Center
• Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers Monument
• Restoration of the Historic Log Cabin
• The Fitton Center for Creative Arts

 To the right:

• Lentil Park
• The Courtyard by Marriott
• The Bikeway extension
• RiversEdge Amphitheater
• The future Marcum Park
• The Hamilton Mill

Partners in Prime Center and Armstead Park are just across the bridge.  A little further north is Fort Hamilton Hospital, Hamilton High School, West Side Little League and Jim Grimm Park – all community resources that have benefitted from the Hamilton Community Foundation’s leadership.

However, the initiatives that cannot be easily seen may make the most impact on Hamilton residents:

• The student succeeding in high school and continuing to college because of the Foundation’s Youth Exploring Success program.
• The young person with a solid educational start because of our Start Ready program.
• The family receiving emergency assistance because of the Foundation’s support of the Open Door Food Pantry and Emergency Money Fund.
• Art being experienced personally for the first time due to our support for the Fitton Center and Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.
• The many enjoying the Hamilton Fairfield Symphony Orchestra and for the RiversEdge Concert Series we support.
• A young person realizing the dream of attending college because of a Foundation scholarship.

The generosity of our donors, the leadership of our Board, the hard work of our staff and volunteers and spirit of our community make all this possible.

The Foundation is able to meet many of the community’s needs because of its financial resources.  Our community is blessed with generous donors who care deeply about providing the capital to make positive change occur.  Contact us to turn your passion for philanthropy into even greater impact!