Hamilton Family Foundation Grant

_NOTE: Multi-year grants: requests must be approved in advance by the Trust Office._

Our Guiding Vision

A community where strong and accessible education can expand worlds and change lives.

History of the Trust

The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust comprises two generations of the Hamilton family with a long history of philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. Since 1992, the family has been committed to improving educational opportunities for children and youth, a mission established by Dorrance (Dodo) Hamilton (1928–2017), mother and grandmother of the family Trustees. The family extended their philanthropic reach to Palm Beach County, FL and Aquidneck Island, RI in 2017. The family convenes four times annually to honor this legacy, supporting myriad programs that enhance the lives of the young people they serve.

Program Focus

• Data-driven literacy-based programs focused on developing robust reading and writing skills with a strong history of success.
  • These can be programs that:
  • Take place during school hours, after school, or during the summer.
  • Take place across school systems, but the funding can support only nonsectarian programming including within a religious institution.
  • Grades K-8 programs should devote at least 70 percent of their time directly to instruction and activities in reading and writing.
  • Grades 9-12 programs should provide innovative approaches to students in under-resourced areas for success in higher education, from the college admission process and acceptance through to completion.
  • Youth workforce development programs that focus on quality career exploration and preparation initiatives.

Things To Consider

• First-time grants: generally designated for program support. The Trust rarely funds new staff positions for initial grants.
• Continuing partners: generally made for either programmatic or operational support.
• Multi-year grants: requests are typically reserved for grantees with five (5) years or more of consecutive funding from the Trust. Multi-year grants require approval prior to application submission. Approval is generally communicated in response to the LOI.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

• 501(c)(3) status: first-time applications must provide documentation verifying tax-exempt status.
  • For organizations that are part of a larger group, such as a religious affiliate, the ruling organization’s 501(c)(3) will suffice.
• Audited Financial Statements: Organizations with revenue over $100,000 but less than $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative internally prepared, reviewed, or audited financial statements.
  • Organizations with revenue over $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative financial statements audited by a CPA.
• IRS Form 990: Applicants must submit the organization’s IRS Form 990.
  • IRS Form 990 should not be older than 10.5 months after your most recent fiscal year-end.
• Population(s) Served: Children and youth in grades K-12 in under-resourced areas — more than 70 percent of all participants in the organization should be eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches in schools.
• Geographical Focus: Programs supporting children and youth in:
  • Aquidneck Island, RI
  • Palm Beach County, FL
  • Philadelphia County, PA
  • Chester County, PA
  • Montgomery County, PA
  • Delaware County, PA
  • Camden County, PA
• An organization may only apply to the Trust once per year.
• The Trust may request that an organization which has received funding for three continuous years (or more) delays any further applications for support for a year (or more), to expand opportunities for other potential grantees.

Ineligibility

• The Trust does not provide funding for:
• Individuals
• Capital Projects
• Human Services
• Programs focusing on/serving: school assembly, religious education, or college or university students
• Endowment funds
• Other foundations or family trusts
• Entry fees for museums or other cultural institutions
• Projects with unpaid teaching artists
• Political candidates, parties, or PACs
• Debt-reduction programs
• Pilot programs
• College programs are not funded.
• The Trust is unable to process any subsequent grant proposals or renewal requests until the grantee has provided an interim report through our Grant System.