The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust aims to improve educational opportunities for children and youth, primarily in the Philadelphia region, with extensions to Palm Beach County, Fl, and Aquidneck Island, RI. Established in 1992 by Dorrance (Dodo) Hamilton, the Trust focuses on enhancing the lives of young people through support for various educational programs. The Trust, embodying the philanthropic spirit of the Hamilton family over two generations, convenes four times a year to continue its legacy of philanthropy.
The Hamilton Family Foundation Grant focuses on supporting data-driven literacy-based programs that have a strong track record of success. These programs may operate during school hours, after school, or over the summer and aim to improve reading and writing skills in K-12 education, with a particular focus on grades K-8 dedicating at least 70% of time to direct literacy instruction. For grades 9-12, the emphasis is on innovative approaches that help students in under-resourced areas to succeed in higher education, covering the college admission process through to completion. Additionally, the grant supports youth workforce development programs focusing on quality career exploration and preparation initiatives. The grant guidelines differentiate between first-time grants, usually for program support, and continuing partners, which may receive programmatic or operational support. Multi-year grants are reserved for grantees with a long history of funding from the Trust and require prior approval.