Terry Cooke, CEO of Hamilton Community Foundation

We were please to hear from Terry Cooke, President and CEO of the Hamilton Community Foundation today. Terry introduced the history of the Foundation from the mid-1950's - when it started with a $200 dollar donation - to today's assets of $125M, and how it represented a powerful force for good in Hamilton. While it covers a broad range of activities, from education, to the environment, to the arts, the specific focus today is poverty and how it is influenced by education and health outcomes.

Terry noted that there are great signs of "renewal" in Hamilton - the number of new developments, Arts renewal, improvements in air and water quality for example. However there continues to be "two solitudes" in Hamilton; for some every opportunity is there, while in the Inner City the student drop-out rate is 40%-50% and people face a 21 year life expectancy difference.

Terry emphasized that, while philanthropic activities are important, real progress requires that charitable works are aligned with and supported by public policy changes. Money alone cannot fix problems. While Hamilton is in transition, we still need to move the needle further. The Foundation plays a role in injecting new ideas and then supporting improvements.

Terry was thanked by Jessica Brennan who enthusiastically gave some recent examples of how the Foundation is stimulating change for educators.