Hawaii Community Foundation

Mahalo Augie Tulba for visiting the Hawai‘i Community Foundation headquarters this past week for our staff meeting, inspiring us with your words, reminding us in the importance of having someone believe in you, and for the many laughs! 🤣

At first, Candes Gentry was taken aback when her son, Poet, refused a hot fudge sundae as a treat. “Why would we eat that?” he asked. “I thought you said empty calories aren’t good for you?” The questions kept coming—What are nutrients? Where does our food come from? What’s fertilizer? Why don’t we compost?—and it became clear this wasn’t just a typical 8-year-old being inquisitive. Candes' ongoing conversation with her son led to a cookbook, “Eat Pono,” which they co-authored as a pandemic project, packed with nutritious recipes—many of which are easy for kids to make themselves, such as Poet’s favorite, overnight oats, and an entire section dedicated to smoothies. Candes also established the Eat Pono Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation, to benefit community projects aligned with its mission: providing hands-on opportunities for children to learn to make healthy choices for themselves and their planet. Read the full story, “From a Child’s Questions to a Sustainability Movement” on our website at https://lnkd.in/gicqxPBE

🌊 Hawaii Water Workforce Fellowship Program: fill out the expression of interest form and get notified of positions as they are posted later this summer - https://lnkd.in/eNcpkiWP 📽️ To get a look into one of the offices that will offer fellowships, watch this video from City and County of Honolulu's Storm Water Quality Division. The Hawaii Water Workforce Fellowship Program, founded in partnership with the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) is a program of HCF's Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center (HIEFC). It is an annual initiative that supports the development of a sustainable and inclusive water workforce in Hawaii. With a cohort of fellows each year, the program offers full-time opportunity for participants to gain invaluable experience by working within local government agencies and various water-related organizations. Relevant interest and/or education experience includes, but is not limited to: engineering, environmental studies, finance, geographic information systems, law, public administration, and urban/regional planning. #fellowship #internship #sustainabilityjobs #jobalert #careers #hiring

We are delighted to announce that Michelle Ka‘uhane, HCF senior vice president and chief impact officer, will be speaking at Hawaii Business Magazine’s Leadership Conference on July 19. Michelle will be presenting in the breakout session “Rediscovering Hawaiʻi’s Soul”, along with Kamanaʻopono Crabbe, Māpuana De Silva, Gov. John Waiheʻe III, and Lynelle Marble. During this session, participants will learn about a network-convening movement bringings together diverse cultures and perspectives to uncover Hawaiʻi’s soul. The movement began in 2022 with a gathering of Native Hawaiian leaders, CEOs, and community members, to discuss Hawaiʻi’s most divisive issues. Today, more than 150 businesses and organizations are involved in collaborating to bring positive change statewide. Listen in as the conference panelists delve into the deep meaning, history and value of Hawaiʻi, and discuss the urgency and collective commitment needed to preserve our Island home. Learn more about this breakout session and register for the Leadership Conference at https://lnkd.in/g3Dir9Te #leadership #nonprofitleadership #hawaiileaders #hawaiibusinessmagazine #hawaiicommunity #nonprofitnews

The LIVING PONO PROJECT has been nourishing those affected by the Maui wildfires. Working out of its Kahului hub, the organization is purchasing and distributing food for between 400 and 500 families a week with its Mahiʻai Baskets program. The project is also helping to promote a positive circular economy, because its food is being purchased from local producers. Hoapili Ane, executive director of the Living Pono Project, says, “We start with as many 100-percent-Maui-produced foods as we can, then move toward other Maui County sources, and, if necessary, go to food suppliers on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island.” The Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is providing financial resources via a grant to help support these efforts. Living Pono offers foods such as “‘ulu, poi, kalo, apples, bananas, oranges, zucchini, tomatoes,” says Ane. Various proteins are available too, such as cod, catfish, ground turkey, ground venison, salmon, shrimp—as well as staples like bread, eggs, and milk. The venison meat serves a dual purpose, too, as the deer are an invasive species. “No matter what you are going through, if there’s food on the table, there’s less worry,” says Ane. “When people come in and they say, ‘You don’t know how much this means,’ and I don’t because I am not in their shoes, but that is what keeps us going. Our kuleana is to feed our people.” To read the full story on our website at https://lnkd.in/g3UtPb3q #mahiaibaskets #livingpono #livingponoproject #MauiStrong

As Maui continues its disaster response and moves toward mid- and long-term recovery, we are excited to announce Keanu Lau Hee as the new senior director of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation's Maui Recovery Effort. This appointment signifies a commitment to Maui-based leadership aligned with a pivot to longer-term recovery for Lahaina and broader Maui. In her role, Keanu will lead HCF's external efforts related to Maui County, inclusive of our role in Maui’s recovery from the wildfires. Keanu brings unique experience in emergency management (including eruptions, flood, hurricane, and now wildfire) as well as critical strategic planning, land use, resource and project management, and communication skills. Her current deputy roles for both the Maui County managing director as well as the Office of Recovery have provided incredible opportunities for her to demonstrate strong capabilities, courageous leadership, and a deep commitment to the community’s recovery. This, coupled with her passion to contribute to the Maui community for the long-term, will be highly valuable in the days and months ahead. Please join us in welcoming Keanu to the HCF team! #MauiRecovery #nonprofitnews #hawaiicommunity

Growing up with a U.S. senator as your grandfather may seem intimidating. But, according to the late Sen. Daniel K. Akaka’s oldest grandson, Dr. David M. K. Mattson Jr., it was “so the opposite.” Eagerness to build relationships paid long-term dividends for Akaka, and all of Hawai‘i. “He was able to conduct himself with grace and dignity and a lot of aloha mixed in,” says Mattson. “And so where he maybe didn’t achieve a legislative objective, he was able to strengthen his relationships, building interpersonal support that led to victories down the road.” Mattson experienced the power of ongoing relationships and support when he was a repeat Hawai‘i Community Foundation scholarship awardee, which he credits for propelling him to achieve his MD at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. “Receiving the same scholarships repeatedly was affirming, like a personal investment and recognition of my worth. It really made an impression on me,” Mattson says. It also led him to pay his own experience forward, endowing the Daniel K. and Millie Akaka ‘Ohana Scholarship Fund at HCF for students with a connection to Hawai‘i. “Now that I am in a position to help the next generation of students, it warms my heart knowing that, together with HCF, I can make an impactful difference for them.” Read the full story on our website at https://lnkd.in/gFphC9Sf #payitforward #hawaiischolarship #senatorakaka #giveback #relationshipsmatter #hawaiicommunity

Are you with an organization or program that helps students and families successfully apply for financial aid using the FAFSA form? An important deadline is fast approaching for a FAFSA Support Activities funding opportunity: July 12, 2024, at 4 p.m. HST. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation is offering grants to support organizations and programs that are working toward increased awareness and completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Hawaiʻi’s students, especially considering the modifications made to the 2025-2026 application process. As a continued effort to address the ongoing concerns students and families have about their upcoming college academic year, HCF is seeking opportunities to support and partner with community-based organizations or institutions that plan to provide direct services or response in assisting students and families with FAFSA completion. Learn more and apply on our website at https://lnkd.in/gbzfdXwd #FAFSA #scholarships #financialaid #fundingopportunity #grant #hawaiinonprofit #hawaiicommunity #nonprofitnews

Are you a nonprofit organization working to benefit the people of Hawai‘i? An important grant deadline is approaching from the Atherton Family Foundation. The final day to apply for an Atherton Family grant via the HCF Grants Portal is July 1, 2024. The Atherton Family Foundation makes grants for programs that benefit the people of Hawai‘i. The Foundation currently funds in the following areas: arts, culture, and humanities; community development; education; the environment; health; human services; spiritual development; and youth development. To learn more, visit the Atherton Family Foundation website: https://lnkd.in/gbFJUMKF To apply, visit the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Grants Portal: https://lnkd.in/ggBz6PP7 #AthertonFamilyFoundation #grant #hawaiinonprofit #funding #nonprofitnews #hawaiicommunity #grantapply

Early bird registration ends on June 30, 2024, for the Schools of the Future Conference 2024! The Schools of the Future Conference explores a wide range of topics and ideas related to best and emerging practices in education. The annual SOTF Conference is the largest event of its nature in Hawai’i and serves as an opportunity for teachers and administrators, across Hawaiʻi’s public, private, and charter schools, to reflect on how to better serve children. 🗓️November 14 and 15, 2024 📍Hawai‘i Convention Center ✅Register at sotfconf.org The conference is produced annually in partnership with the Hawai‘i State Department of Education the Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools, the Hawaii Community Foundation and the HSTE (Hawaii Society for Technology in Education). #schoolsofthefuture #whatschoolscoudbe #STEM #futureproof #hawaiieducation #hawaiiteachers #educationadvancement