This fund was established to support the specific needs of East Hawaii with input from an advisory committee made up of residents.

With the help of KTA Superstores, the estate of Frederick Yokoyama, Frederick’s sister Leatrice, and a committed group of residents, the East Hawaii Fund was established to provide a stronger link between charitable donors and the specific needs of the east side of Hawaii Island. This regional fund, a component fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, continues to grow through contributions, bequests and planned gifts from businesses and individuals. A volunteer advisory committee made up of trusted residents of East Hawaii works with HCF’s professional staff to match the fund’s resources with community needs through grants.

“The East Hawaii Fund started small and grew over time,” said Barry Taniguchi, president and chief executive officer of KTA Super Stores, and K. Taniguchi, Ltd. “It was a mechanism to encourage residents to participate in philanthropy and provide access to funding for local organizations that are doing good work.” Often times, people want to give and help their community, but do not know where to begin. “The fund allows them an easy way to combine, or pool their financial resources to make a significant impact,” said Taniguchi, who played a key role in creating the fund.

People and businesses can make gifts directly to the East Hawaii Fund, or set up a separate fund and have the East Hawaii Fund’s advisory committee manage all or part of the grantmaking. In either case, said Roberta Chu, longtime advisory committee member, “You are not burdened by the administrative paperwork—that’s taken on by HCF.”

The East Hawaii Fund advisory committee also makes recommendations for grants from the Frederick Yokoyama Fund, which was created in 2010 to give back to East Hawaii in good times and bad.

Ten nonprofit groups joined together as a single fund to meet the various needs of the Hana community.

Hana has found its way into the hearts of many. Almost an island unto itself, Hana’s isolation has bred a special, tightly knit community that continues to honor the values of the Hawaiian family. The same qualities that make Hana special—small, rural, isolated, Hawaiian—also make it challenging to meet the critical needs of the community.

Ten Hana nonprofit groups joined together in 2012 to form the Hana Community Endowment Fund with the goal of raising $1 million. Set up as a component fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, it was designed to allow the nonprofits to share any income earned from the fund's interest, with the principal remaining untouched as it grows through additional donations.

"In a time when nonprofits are struggling to survive and our communities need them more than ever before, it's refreshing to be a part of a collaborative effort that aims to lift each other up and get through the hard times together,” said Kamaui Aiona, director of Kahanu Garden.

Donors can give to a single fund that benefits the multiple missions of these participating nonprofits:

Hana Arts
Building community through creativity

Hana Cultural Center
Collecting, displaying and preserving artifacts regarding the history and culture of Hana

Hana Maui Trust
Promoting the health, welfare, happiness and development of the people of Hana, primarily, and elsewhere in the world

Ala Kukui
Offering a retreat center for personal and global healing and transformation

Hana Youth Center
Inspiring youth to make positive decisions and impressions that last a lifetime

Kipahulu Ohana
Reviving, restoring and sharing the practices of traditional Native Hawaiian culture with others

Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike
Providing hands-on construction skills training program for at-risk youth

Hale Hulu Mamo
Providing a safe and nurturing haven for kupuna of Hana

Kahanu Garden
294-acre botanical garden focusing on plants traditionally used by Pacific Island people

Ohana Makamae
Strengthening the families of East Maui through Hawaiian culture and spiritual values

Established by a group of caring residents, this fund supports projects and programs on Kauai.

The purpose of the Kauai Aloha Endowment Fund is to raise funds to support projects and programs on Kauai that protect, preserve and enhance the island’s natural beauty, promote the island’s culture and arts, and serve the needs of the island’s individuals and community. Established by a group of caring, committed people of Kauai in 2000 for the people of Kauai and through the generous gifts of donors on Kauai and throughout the world, the Kauai Aloha Endowment Fund is a component fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation.

The first grant from the fund went to the Na Aina Kai Botanical Garden toward the support of a sculpture in the ahupuaa exhibit located in the children’s garden. More recently, the Kauai Aloha Endowment Fund made a grant to Leadership Kauai for its Laulima Project.

Over the years of its existence, advisory committee members have been motivated to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. Many have contributed every year to the Kauai Aloha Endowment fund.

This fund was established by a small group of donors who wanted to create a permanent charitable resource for communities in West Hawaii.

Thanks to a modest initial investment, plus the foresight of a group of area residents, the West Hawaii Fund still exists more than 25 years later, having helped to transform the community into a vibrant and thriving place for its residents to live, work and play.

The fund was initiated in 1990 by a small group of donors who set it up as a component fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, allowing the group to focus on grantmaking and securing additional gifts. A rotating group of local leaders serve on the fund’s advisory committee and work with HCF to recommend where grants should go. And because they have a finger on the pulse of the community, there is a good understanding of the area’s needs.

The West Hawaii Fund’s endowment has grown significantly through contributions and planned gifts from donors who want to benefit the region or a specific focus area within, such as programs for youth. Donors have the option to give directly to the fund or to set up a separate fund, but have the West Hawaii’s Fund’s Advisory Committee manage all or part of the grantmaking.

The fund is truly by the people, for the people of West Hawaii. Not only does it provide a permanent resource to address the current and emerging needs of residents living on the west side of Hawaii Island, its legacy continues to inspire others to give back as well.

Community-minded volunteers provide input to HCF on issues relevant to their respective islands and help to make local connections.

Leadership Councils help Neighbor Island staff to further HCF’s mission. These community-minded volunteers open doors to form new partnerships and provide advice on issues relevant to their respective islands. Hawaii Island’s Leadership Council was founded in 2000, Kauai’s Leadership Council began in 2001, followed by Maui’s in 2002.

This fund promotes and enriches the lifestyle of the residents of Lanai through the support of educational, cultural and recreational activities for the Lanai community, with special emphasis on youth, young adults and senior citizens.