About Us

The Friends of the Hamilton Schools Foundation was founded in 1993. Its first mission was to provide funds for projects not covered in the Hamilton district’s budget. That first year we gave $200 to Washington School. The very next year we received over $20,000 in contributions from community businesses and organizations, large and small, and also from several community-minded individuals. At that time we began giving student scholarships and teacher grants. During those early years we supported “Artists in the Schools” and became the conduit for funding the Daly sidewalk construction, playground equipment at Washington, high school soccer, and preservation work on the Grantsdale Bell.  In the late 90s more community members noticed our good work and started making bequests, and we now have endowments in their names.  

Last school year we granted $6,320 for 10 unique classroom enrichment activities. In the past these activities have included Shakespeare in the Schools to field trips to the Big Hole Battlefield; our funds have been used to purchase cameras and software and a greenhouse; they have funded physics experiments, books, and native speakers. We also gave 9 scholarships to current K-12 Hamilton teachers for their continuing education, for a total of $4,500.   

However, our emphasis is on student scholarships. The Foundation has been the grateful recipient of many generous donations, including several large endowments. Last year in 2025, the Foundation awarded 29 individual scholarships to graduating seniors and alumni for a total of $108,730. As of December 2025, we have awarded $2,110,423 in scholarships for higher education for the graduates and alumni of Hamilton High School.  

As a recognized non-profit organization, we rely on community support. We are especially excited to have recently expanded our connection to K-12 fundraisers. Please check out our donation opportunity pages for ways to support our mission.