Hamilton Food Share
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
A
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Good
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
88%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 88 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Hamilton Food Share:
Hamilton Food Share is a 5-star rated charity with an above-average results reporting grade of A. For every dollar donated, 88 cents are available to go towards the cause. Its reserve funds can cover just over seven months of annual program costs.
Founded in 1992, Greater Hamilton Food Share (Hamilton Food Share) is the distribution hub for Hamilton’s Emergency Food Network. The network consists of 16 member agencies, operating 23 emergency food programs that work to feed people in poverty. According to Hamilton Food Share’s 2024 Hunger Report, the charity reports that the number of people reaching out for hunger-relief support has increased by 42% since 2020. In fiscal 2024 (year ended March), approximately 959 people reached out to a food bank every day in Hamilton and 37% of all food bank visits were clients with children.
Hamilton Food Share runs one main program: Food Acquisition and Distribution. In F2024, Hamilton Food Share distributed 4,670,610 pounds of food to an average of 17,682 unique people per month. Of the food distributed, 60% was fresh, 30% non-perishable, and 10% frozen. In F2024 Hamilton Food Share also served 366,908 public meals. The charity also distributes menstrual products to the Emergency Food Network. In F2024, Hamilton Food Share distributed 27,576 menstrual products, a 40% increase from the 16,519 products distributed in F2023.
A Charity Intelligence 2024 Top 100 Rated Charity.
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Results and Impact
In F2024, Hamilton Food Share distributed 4,670,610 pounds of food to an average of 17,682 monthly clients. The average client received 22lb of food per month.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not be a complete representation of Hamilton Food Share’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has given Hamilton Food Share a Good impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: Good
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Finances
Hamilton Food Share’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, which is a best practice. This means it clearly disclosed which expenses relate to program, administrative, and fundraising activities.
In F2024, Hamilton Food Share received $3.2m in donations. It also received $16.7m in donated goods in kind (80% of total revenues) and $909k in government funding. Administrative costs are 2% of total revenues and fundraising costs are 11% of total cash donations. For every dollar donated, 88 cents are available to go towards the cause.
In F2024, Hamilton Food Share spent $3.0m on its programs, which is 71% of total revenues (excluding donated goods). In F2024, the charity had $1.9m in its reserve funds. These reserve funds can cover just over seven months of annual program costs.
Profile updated on June 24, 2025 by Abby Stout.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending March
|
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 1.8% | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 10.6% | 8.3% | 9.1% |
| Total overhead spending | 12.4% | 10.5% | 11.2% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | 62.9% | 77.4% | 41.8% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 3,172 | 3,013 | 2,960 |
| Goods in kind | 16,721 | 12,557 | 13,129 |
| Government funding | 909 | 154 | 217 |
| Fees for service | 26 | 26 | 0 |
| Lotteries (net) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other income | 154 | 117 | 184 |
| Total revenues | 20,982 | 15,868 | 16,490 |
| Program costs | 3,018 | 2,284 | 2,878 |
| Grants | 49 | 47 | 350 |
| Donated goods exp | 16,721 | 12,557 | 13,129 |
| Administrative costs | 386 | 348 | 342 |
| Fundraising costs | 335 | 249 | 270 |
| Total spending | 20,510 | 15,485 | 16,968 |
| Cash flow from operations | 472 | 382 | (479) |
| Capital spending | 252 | 59 | 272 |
| Funding reserves | 1,931 | 1,804 | 1,351 |
Note: DEFERRED CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Ci did not include amortization of deferred capital contributions, decreasing revenues by $93k in F2024, $102k in F2023, and $80k in F2022. Ci included capital contributions received, increasing other revenue by $107k in F2024, $11k in F2023, and $195k in F2022. It was included in other revenue because Ci could not separate between government and non-government received contributions. DEFERRED REVENUE: To report on a cash-basis, Ci adjusted for the change in deferred revenue, affecting total revenues by $24k in F2024, $50k in F2023, and ($60k) in F2022. Ci also adjusted for deferred revenue related to COVID-19 affecting total revenues by ($nil) in F2024, ($nil) in F2023, and ($933k) in F2022. DISPOSAL OF ASSETS: Ci did not include loss on disposal of assets in revenue, affecting revenue by ($9k) in F2024, ($11k) in F2023, and ($18k) in F2022. GOVERNMENT FUNDING: Ci backed out government funding from donations in accordance with the charity’s T3010 filings with the CRA and included it in government funding.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
1 |
$80k - $120k |
2 |
$40k - $80k |
7 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Learn more:
Hamilton Food Share 2024 Hunger Report
Hamilton Food Share 2024 Annual Report
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 905-664-9065