Capital with Purpose. Change that Lasts.
In Hawai‘i, mission-driven organizations are doing extraordinary work; lending to first-time homebuyers, financing local farms, supporting small businesses, and rebuilding after disaster. What they've often lacked is access to patient, affordable capital at the scale their communities deserve.
The Social Impact Investment (SII) Fund was created to change that.
Through the SII Fund, Hawai‘i Community Foundation channels philanthropic capital into low-cost, revolving loans to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and mission-aligned organizations across the pae ‘āina. Every dollar invested goes to work; funding a small business loan, financing a first home, supporting a food cooperative; and then returns to do it all again.
A Proven Model. A Bold New Chapter.
What began as a $5 million pilot in 2020 became a permanent fund in 2024. In December 2025, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Board of Governors has approved a $10 million expansion, doubling the SII Fund to $20 million.
This is a vote of confidence in what donors like you helped build: a model that proves patient, affordable capital can circulate through communities, strengthen lasting institutions, and generate real returns for the people who need it most.
Your Investment, at a Glance
Since 2020, the SII Fund has demonstrated that philanthropic capital can be both mission-driven and financially sound:
- $16.4M in total economic impact across Hawaiʻi
- $9.4M in leveraged investment alongside donor capital
- $35M+ disbursed into communities through 300+ loans (2024–25)
- 230,000+ pounds of crops and produce harvested
- Nearly 400% growth in our CDFI partners' combined assets—from $18M to $87M
- 0% default rate across the entire portfolio since inception
Where Your Dollars Go
The SII Fund invests across five priority areas that reflect the interconnected needs of Hawaiʻi's communities and align with HCF's CHANGE Framework:
- Asset Building & Small Business Support — 43%
- Affordable Housing — 21%
- Sustainable Food Systems — 21%
- Environmental Stewardship — 14%
Loans carry an average interest rate of just 1%, with terms ranging from four to ten years, a low cost of capital that is intentionally passed through to borrowers so CDFIs can offer competitive rates to the families, farmers, and entrepreneurs they serve.
Reaching Those Who Need It Most
Impact investing means little if capital flows only to those who already have access to it. The SII Fund is designed to reach those furthest from traditional financial systems, and our borrowers hold themselves accountable to that standard:
- Hawaiian Council: 50% of loans to ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households; 75% to Native Hawaiian borrowers
- Feed the Hunger Fund: 69% of loans to ALICE households; 34% to Native Hawaiian borrowers
- Hawaiʻi Habitat for Humanity Association: 25% of lending to households earning 80% or less of Area Median Income
Why This Moment Matters
As federal funding for CDFIs faces uncertainty, local, reliable, mission-driven capital has never been more essential. The SII Fund enables our partners to keep saying "yes" to families, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits across Hawaiʻi—even when other sources of capital waver.
This is what your investment makes possible:
- A union carpenter finally building his first home on Hawaiian Home Lands in Anahola
- A Lahaina charter boat business rebuilding after the Maui wildfires and bringing jobs back to the waterfront
- A Hilo preschool opening its doors to keiki who need a safe place to learn, heal, and grow
Join Us in Building a Better Hawaiʻi
The Social Impact Investment Fund is open to additional investment from donors and institutions who share our belief that capital, when directed with purpose, can transform lives and communities.
Every dollar you invest becomes revolving capital—working, returning, and working again—in service of Hawaiʻi’s people.
To learn more about investing in the SII Fund, contact Donor Services at donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 537-6333.