HIGHER Fund Grants

The HIGHER Fund Grants, established in 2023 by the Neil Cohen family, are administered by the Hamilton Community Foundation. These grants focus on youth-centered programs that promote character and social-emotional development. With a commitment to fostering personal growth, the fund prioritizes innovative initiatives that embody values such as honesty, integrity, and empathy. This initiative continues the Cohen family's legacy of philanthropy, supporting the community's future through impactful funding.

Hamilton Community Foundation (Ohio)
As a public charity managing over $160 million in assets and more than 900 individual, family, corporate, and nonprofit endowment funds, the Foundation is dedicated to making the community a better place to live, work, and play. It awards millions of dollars annually in grants and scholarships, addressing critical local priorities such as education, social and health issues affecting children and families, and community revitalization. By offering donors the impact of a private foundation without administrative burdens, and by adhering to National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations, the Hamilton Community Foundation demonstrates a long-standing commitment to financial stewardship, transparency, and lasting community impact, ensuring philanthropic resources continue to benefit the region in perpetuity.
The HIGHER Fund, established in 2023 by the Neil Cohen family, supports primarily youth-focused programs that foster character and social-emotional growth. In partnership with the Hamilton Community Foundation, grants are guided by a local committee committed to the fund’s mission. The fund honors the Cohen family’s legacy of giving and is designed to carry that impact forward for generations to come.
Funding priorities include new programs, existing or expanded initiatives, or innovative approaches that promote personal growth and reflect one or more of the HIGHER values—honesty, integrity, gratitude, humility, empathy, and respect.