Hello Katie,

At the Hamilton Community Foundation, we're dedicated to our mission to build a stronger community through creative philanthropy, leadership, and vision. Help us strengthen our community by completing our Nonprofit Needs Assessment!

Here’s why it’s important for your organization to take part:

• Gain visibility: Your organization will be featured in our upcoming Nonprofit Directory upon completion of the assessment. The Nonprofit Directory affords your organization a platform to share your mission, programs, and photo. Your organization will also be able to receive online donations through our Nonprofit Directory.
• Collaboration: Your responses will help us foster greater collaboration among nonprofits through regular meetings, where we can share ideas, resources, and potential partnership opportunities.
• Foundation support: Your input will help us tailor our resources and services to better support the work you do.

The assessment should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We truly value your time and appreciate your participation in this important initiative!

Grantmaking

The Hamilton Community Foundation is commited to finding grant opportunities for nonprofits in our community and recommends the following Grant Search Engines:

Candid Foundation Directory: Candid Foundation Directory Essential is free for nonprofits with annual revenue or expenses less than $1M who also exhibit Candid's Gold Seal of Transparency or higher (the directory is also free to use, in-person, at the Lane Library)

Grants.gov: free

GrantStation: various membership levels

GrantWatch: various membership levels

Attracting Donors 

We hope you find the following outreach calendar valuable to inspire fundraising efforts and donor engagement. Whether you decide to use all, some, or none of the suggestions, at the least, we hope the material serves as a jumping off point as you launch full steam ahead in 2025!

Nonprofit Spotlight – Shared Harvest Foodbank

Shared Harvest Foodbank, located in Fairfield, is one of twelve Feeding America affiliated foodbanks in Ohio and serves five southwest, Ohio counties including Butler, Warren, Preble, Darke, and Miami. Shared Harvest sources more than ten million pounds of food donations annually and distributes directly to communities in need or through a robust partner network of more than 100 charitable food providers including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.

Currently one in seven Ohio residents are food insecure or lack consistent access to food to meet their nutritional needs. Shared Harvest Foodbank not only sources and distributes food but is committed to raising awareness about the impact of poverty and developing sustainable solutions to mitigate root causes.

Every day, Shared Harvest offers several volunteer opportunities to assist with sorting, packing, and distributing food in the newly constructed Hunger Awareness Center. Food, fuel, and housing costs are driving record numbers of people to seek food assistance. Support is needed now more than ever.

Want to be featured in our Nonprofit Spotlight? Open an Endowment Fund to be eligible!

Many nonprofits open an Endowment Fund at the Foundation to ensure long-term growth and protection of their investments.

Welcome Tracy!

We are thrilled to introduce Tracy Eads as our new Community Investment Officer. Tracy has a passion for helping others and is deeply commitment to community. She will lead our efforts in managing nonprofit grants, building strong partnerships with local organizations, and understanding their needs. She has long been connected to the Foundation through her children’s scholarships and her work as the choir booster president at Ross High School, where she successfully applied for Community Foundation grants. Now, as part of the Foundation team, Tracy is excited to support all of you who are making a difference in our region. Connect with Tracy at teads@hamiltonfoundation.org!