Stronger Together
What Does It Mean to Be an Affiliate?
The Ross Community Foundation and Fairfield Community Foundation are affiliate partners of the Hamilton Community Foundation. That means they are rooted in their own communities—with local advisory boards, local fundraising, and local grantmaking—while being supported by the strength and experience of the Hamilton Community Foundation.
Together, this model allows each foundation to focus on what matters most: making a difference in the places we call home.
Local Leadership, Shared Strength
Each affiliate operates independently with its own advisory board made up of dedicated residents who understand their community’s needs and opportunities. While the Ross and Fairfield Foundations set their own goals and lead their own initiatives, they benefit from the financial management, administrative support, and philanthropic expertise of the Hamilton Community Foundation.
This partnership ensures that every dollar is handled with care, every grant is made with purpose, and every effort is aligned with long-term community impact.
How Affiliates Work
Affiliate unrestricted funds (Community Impact Funds) are raised locally and grown through endowments. These funds are then granted out based on recommendations from each community’s advisory board—ensuring local dollars support local needs. And because these funds are endowed, they’re built to last: continuing to give back, year after year.
Additionally, donors in Ross and Fairfield also gain access to the full range of Hamilton Community Foundation services, including:
- Establishing donor-advised or designated funds
- Legacy and estate planning
- Grant support and impact reporting
- Professional investment oversight
Stronger Together
Our affiliate partnerships are about more than structure—they’re about people. We’re proud to walk alongside Ross and Fairfield as they grow their own legacies of giving. When you support your local foundation, you’re investing in a better future for your neighbors, your schools, and the causes that matter to you most.
No matter how you choose to give—through an annual gift, a planned legacy, or a new fund—your generosity stays local and creates lasting impact.
