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Dive into the latest news and stories of the people working to make Hawai‘i a better place.

In Memoriam: Jane Renfro Smith

Remembering the enduring legacy of HCF’s first CEO

Big Love for Lahaina

A new Maui nonprofit, Kaibigan Ng Lahaina, is increasing access to recovery services for Lahaina's Filipino community members.

Connections Newsletter – Spring 2025

In this issue: A newly revamped CHANGE Framework, Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative and an update on the Social Impact Investment Fund.

A Sacred Legacy

The Molloy Hilgers Estate Supports the Flourishing of World Religious Heritage

Q&A: How We Think about CHANGE, with Justina Acevedo-Cross

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) created the CHANGE Framework in 2019 to better understand and address Hawai‘i’s most critical challenges.

Lifelong Educators Leave a Legacy

Peter and Ti Manicas endowed a scholarship to support Native Hawaiian Students.

A woman sits with a baby, holding the baby's hand.

A New Era of Pediatric Mental Health Care in Maui

The new Mental Health Pediatric Access Line is a gamechanger for pediatric mental health services.

Growing Expertise in Early Childhood Mental Health

The Promising Minds Fellows Program is building a network of well trained professionals throughout Hawai‘i.

A man holds a baby girl, kissing her cheek.

Strengthening Keiki Mental Health through Community

Two Hawai‘i nonprofits are expanding access to care and grounding it in culture.

Connections Newsletter - Winter 2024

In this issue: Year-end giving deadlines, why Peter Ho is a Catalyst Fund donor and scholarship application opening soon.

Upraising the Future

World-renowned appraiser Gerald Kwock transforms a lifetime of collecting into unending opportunities for local students.

Empowering Early Childhood Providers

The second Hilo Kahewai Live conference equips early childhood professionals with valuable tools.

A Trauma-Responsive Journey

A Hawaiʻi early childhood program makes strides in becoming a safe place of empathy and healing for keiki.

Supporting Families from the Start

Integrating Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health into the Department of Health Home Visiting Program

Connections Newsletter - Fall 2024

In this issue: Updates on excellence in nonprofit leadership, Lāna'i Culture and Heritage Center and students raising money for Maui.

Peter Ho on his Approach to Giving

Peter shares his approach to philanthropy, and why he gives to HCF.

The Watercolor Philanthropist

Clytie Mead leaves a creative legacy and a bigger probability of success for her Hawai‘i Island community.

Aloha to Diane Chadwick

More than 30 years of transformative work with HCF

Workshopping for Culture and Community

A Lānaʻi nonprofit brings generations together with cultural practice.

Art–and Musubi–with Heart

Maui students showcase community solidarity after a disaster.

Sweets and Solidarity for Maui

The City and County of Honolulu’s Elderly Affairs Division holds a bake sale to benefit fire survivors.

Connections Newsletter – Summer 2024

In this issue: Updates on arts and culture funding, Maui's fire recovery and new HCF board members.

Planting Resilience on Maui

Fire survivors hired to heal the land also heal themselves.

Restoring ‘Āina, While Visiting ‘Āina

An ‘āina focused nonprofit on Moloka’i is restoring natural landscapes with native plant species.

Education, Service, Aloha: Making Hawai‘i a Better Place

David M. K. Mattson Jr. understands the compounding returns on relationships.

A Beacon of Hope and Transformation

A new development aims to bring hope and healing to West Maui.

Connections Newsletter – Spring 2024

In this issue: Updates on Federal Funding for Fresh Water Projects, Early Education and Maui Relief.

Patching Maui’s Support Network

A new emergency fund is allowing Maui caregivers some much-needed breathing room.

Goodwill Voucher Program Extended

Gift-card vouchers can be used at Goodwill through the end of June 2024.

Healing By Land and Sea

Ka‘ehu events help promote indigenous mental health practices.

Living Pono Project

Locally-sourced foods fill Mahi’ai Baskets for 400+ Maui families.

Meeting Maui Residents Where They Are

Maui Rescue Mission connects with unhoused people on their terms.

From a Child’s Questions to a Sustainability Movement

Candes Gentry and her son’s cookbook inspired a fund to support sustainable living.

Waves of Healing on Maui

Kids Hurt Too brings pro surf mentors and smiles to Maui elementary students.

Father and mother smiling while holding their child who is smiling at the camera

Bringing Early Education to More of Hawaiʻi’s Keiki

$38 million Preschool Open Doors expansion supports ALICE families and keiki

The Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center Launches

Bringing in federal funding for freshwater projects

Tattooed woman in kitchen, smiling at the camera

Building a Maui Food System for the Future

Learning from the fires and building resiliency

Two people hugging in front of a vibrant mural

Faith and Unity after the Maui Fires

Longtime Lahaina resident brings strength to his expansive community

A group of people in aprons standing in a kitchen, preparing food and working together.

Common Ground Collective

Coming together to feed those affected by the Maui Fires

A young boy carefully crafting flowers with his hands, showcasing his artistic skills and creativity.

Nā Keiki o Emalia

Helping children and families cope with grief and loss

A group of people smiling and posing for a photo in a hospital, capturing a moment of togetherness and celebration.

Mauliola Pharmacy

Bringing life-saving medications to displaced West Maui residents

Hawaiʻi Animal Rescue Foundation

Taking in animals displaced by the fires

Two women pushing a cart loaded with boxes, demonstrating teamwork and collaboration.

Pacific Birth Collective

Caring for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum families in Lahaina

Community Vision to Reality

The Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae community starts a new development in the back of Wai‘anae Valley.

Leveling Up Maui’s Housing Options

A new affordable development provides one solution for helping Hawai‘i’s housing crisis.

Plans for the Office of Wellness and Resilience

Here’s what’s first on the priority list for improving child mental healthcare.

Kūpuna Care, One Volunteer at a Time

Maui nonprofit Nā Hoaloha helps keep seniors healthy and independent.

Making Hawaiian Culture a Conversation

A Kealakehe community center is making Native Hawaiian cultural practices accessible to all.

Conservation through Education

A team of volunteers is protecting Kahalu‘u Bay’s precious resources, one visitor at a time.

Bringing Women Leaders into the Circle

Wāhine Pō‘ai aims to empower women executives through peer connection.

Compassionate Interventions for Maui County Keiki

The Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Maui offers expedited, targeted assistance to children in challenging situations.

A Generous Gift Ensures a Healthier Hawai‘i

This fund helps keep doctors practicing on Hawaii Island, reducing medical care shortages.

Hawai‘i Nonprofits Join Forces to Tackle ALICE

A new initiative uses collective action to build financial stability for Hawaiʻi families.

Fresh Start for Families at Kealaula

A new Līhuʻe housing complex offers a springboard for families transitioning out of homelessness.

Funding Hawai‘i’s Future Freshwater Resources

Watershed partnerships are helping to protect fresh water resources on Maui and across the state.

Bridging the Gap

ClimbHI connects Hawaii’s keiki to local leaders and future careers

Maui Financial Opportunity Center

Improving credit scores, managing debt, and increasing savings helps families become “home-purchase ready.”

A person smiles, standing on the porch of a modular home.

HOPE Services

Partnering with businesses to increase inventory of transportable modular houses and ensure safe housing for kupuna on Hawai‘i Island

In a garden, a blue handpainted depicts sunflowers and ladybugs. Its text reads: In our garden I will be safe, be kind, have an open mind, use my time well.

The Maui Farm

Helping at-risk women and their children unearth confidence and success.

Hui O Mana Ka Puuwai

A canoe club provides a safe space for Kaua‘i’s youth and adults while strengthening their community through partnerships.

A group of graduates in maroon graduation gowns.

Adult Friends for Youth

Counselors at this nonprofit are building relationships with young people who are struggling—and getting them back on track.

Two individuals carry bundled fishing nets and rope near water.

Maui Nui Makai Network

Seven community groups across Maui Nui are sharing their knowledge and exerting their kuleana to restore our ocean.

A mural from Kelly Sinclair Vicars features sunflowers representing the sun's path from sunrise to sunset.

Garden Island Arts Council

Mentors are helping Kaua‘i’s youth honor their own ideas and nurture their artistic side through public murals.

Looking Ahead for Hawai‘i’s Oceans

A new, community driven initiative aims to secure a resilient ocean.

Support Parents, Support Kids

A new cross-sector plan makes mental and behavioral health resources more accessible to families.

Keeping Connections with Health Care Providers Strong

A community health center implements virtual visits to keep residents on the west side of Hawai‘i Island healthy and well.

Giving Farmers More Assurance

A nonprofit focused on solving food security issues steps up during the pandemic shutdown to aid farmers and families in need.

Restoring Hope in Students

The Stronger Together Hawai‘i Scholarship Fund helps students achieve their dream of going to college despite the pandemic’s adverse economic effects.

Creating Collaboration

Diverse organizations demonstrate the power of partnerships to regain choice and control within their communities.

Designing a Better World through Philanthropy

A scholarship helped get Architectural design firm Group 70 makes giving back part of its company culture.

Paying It Forward

See-Ming Yim built a career with the support of others. Now, he’s giving back.

Celebrating Success with Philanthropy

For this resort owner, anniversaries are perfect for giving back to the community.

A Legacy of Generosity Lives On

This local boy made good has helped generations of Roosevelt High School graduates.

Family Investments

This Maui couple is teaching their kids about philanthropy early.

Giving Runs in the Family

The Goodale Family Fund will serve Kaua‘i for generations.

Kaua‘i’s First Female Pharmacist

Betty Bell is making sure Kaua‘i women can forge ahead on their own careers

Meet Justina Acevedo-Cross

We sat down with Justina Acevedo-Cross to learn about her work to support young children in Hawai‘i.

Meet Michelle Ka'uhane

We speak with Michelle to learn how she has brought Hawaiʻi Perspectives to the national stage.

Meet Larissa Kick

We chatted with Larissa Kick to find out more about her work with Community Grants and Initiatives.

Helping HCF Employees Thrive and Grow

Jamee Kunichika and Jamie Mitte in HCF’s People Operations and Growth Department share their approach to human resources.

Living to Serve, Local Style

Kahua Pa‘a Mua

As the plantations and their way of life disappeared, he passed on those values as an agriculture teacher with the Hawai‘i State Department of Education. He watched many of his students grow into leaders of the community. Says David, “When you look at those leaders you go, ‘Wow, we were happy we could contribute to them.”

Creating Touchpoints in a Distanced World

Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i

Prior to March, Tina Albao, Kaua‘i Director of Development and Operations for the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai‘i (BGCH), ran afterschool programs at sites around the island that provided enrichment and a safe place for youth, and supported strong connections between keiki, families, and the club’s staff.

Essential Help for Essential Workers

Island of Hawai‘i YMCA

When the pandemic hit, Alena Vincent was in a bind. She had started a new job with the DMV, while her husband, Wendell, worked with the Department of Transportation.

Building the Foundation for a Stable Community

Hawaiian Community Assets Financial Opportunity Center on Maui

Ivory Gilmore’s family has lived in Lahaina for generations. She works for Maui County, and has never been unemployed.

COVID, Legal Issues, and a Surge of Calls

Legal Aid Society Hawai‘i

Last March, as the pandemic was raging and Hawai‘i was all but shuttered, Cynthia Merrick found herself out of a job. Unemployment insurance was slow in coming, but she made rent with her savings and federal disaster relief money.

Nurturing Body and Spirit for Low-Income Kona Families

Kona Kids Outreach

Before COVID-19 hit, Kona Kids Outreach (KKO) was focused on enrichment for kids and their families in low-income subsidized housing in Kona, with afterschool programs and mentoring.

Food Trucks & Care Givers—An Unexpected Relationship

University of Hawai‘i Foundation

CTAHR partnered with the Maui Food Technology Center—a cooperative of fifteen food trucks—to offer family caregivers free meals. Former participants of CTAHR’s education programs received “kūpuna meal vouchers” to redeem at their choice of fifteen food trucks—twelve on Maui and three on Moloka‘i.

Helping Victims Walk a Dangerous Road Through COVID-19

Domestic Violence Action Center

When the coronavirus stay at home order was announced in Hawai'i, Nanci Kreidman, CEO of Hawai'i’s Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC), knew that it would be an exceptionally risky period for DVAC clients.

New Models for Helping Homeless Families During COVID-19

Family Promise of Hawai'i

On any given day, an estimated 563 families with minor children in Hawai‘i have no place to call home.

Zero Interest Loans Provide Security—And Hope

Hawaiian Community Assets

Struggle is nothing new for single mom Lei Agcaoili, who moved from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i, where they had few friends and no family, in order for her daughter to be closer to her dad.

Support for our Keiki—and Our Economy

The Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund

Before COVID-19 reached our islands, Chanelle Aina-Paaoao had been caring for the children of working families from her home in Hilo for seven years. “They were all like family,” she says. “When there was a party, they were all invited.”

Food Talk

The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank

More than 1 in 10 people in Hawaii are food insecure—which means they lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. With COVID-19, families across Hawaii who were already struggling now need immediate help to basic needs. Grants from the Hawaii Resilience Fund were deployed to foodbanks across our islands just days after the fund was established.

Feeding Kupuna and Keiki—While Keeping Kauai’s Fishers Afloat

E Ola Mau and the Kekaha Agriculture Association

When the COVID-19 crisis struck, fishermen on Kauai’s rural West Side found themselves with plenty of fish but not so many buyers with restaurants only doing take-out. At the same time, the community’s furloughed tourism industry workers were finding it harder to feed their families.

Supporting the Working Families Who Support Hawaii

The YMCA

When schools closed their doors because of COVID-19, the YMCA knew that working families weren’t just losing lessons, but also reliable, trusted childcare, and often, important nutrition in the form of school meals.

Protecting Those Who Continue to Serve

PPE Resilience Hubs

Without a supply of masks, gloves, and other PPE, Heather Lusk and her staff, volunteers, and community partners can’t work safely in the field or in their clinic. Unless they find more, quickly, they may not be able to continue their lifesaving work at all.

Keeping Kupuna Healthy — at Home

Kokua Kalihi Valley

For many seniors at Kokua Kalihi Valley (KKV), the beloved elder program is a lifeline to friends, movement, fresh air, and community. When the COVID-19 stay-at-home order rolled out, the group activities for the senior program had to stop.

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Strengthening Hawai‘i’s CommunitiesNews and Stories