A man, woman, and child sit together reading a picture book. The letter H appears over the image.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS


To achieve a Hawai‘i in which health and wellness are accessible to all, we need to shift from an approach focused on “fixing the individual” to supporting changes identified and led by communities across Hawaiʻi. These shifts will impact the overall ecosystem of health in places where people live, connect, work, and play. Additionally, shifting agency, resources, and decision making to community members closest to the solutions creates a more resilient, equitable, and secure Hawaiʻi.

Today, foundational challenges stand in the way of making this vision a reality. Hawaiʻi does not have enough health and wellness practitioners to meet the needs of residents. In addition, our health system is tipped toward individual intervention and treatment, rather than a preventative, holistic, or culturally relevant view of healthcare. As a result, we consistently see health disparities existing in certain populations, particularly COFA migrants and Native Hawaiians.

Why tackle these obstacles? We believe that every person in our Island communities deserves a fair opportunity to achieve their full potential and thrive. Together, we can make a difference.

 

Preview of data
EXPLORE THE DATA

 

 


How We Can Make Change Together

By actively addressing health outcomes through community-informed decision making, Hawaiʻi can achieve health equity and increase the quality of life for all people.

It’s important to create intentional spaces where mission-aligned organizations can come together to collaborate, inspire, and challenge one another to grow and support our community.
– Health and Wellness Grantee Partner

Seven Strategies to Pursue

Given the insights and analyses driven by community feedback, experts, and data, here are the leverage points HCF has identified that can help push the sector forward.

  1. Engage and support networks of people and organizations working on holistic health. We can create common data sets and a shared vision for health and wellness driven by inclusivity, leading to greater transparency, better understanding, and improved outcomes.
  2. Standardize data and facilitate sharing across organizations. This will reduce data collection fatigue and help identify trends in smaller groups, ultimately leading to better resource allocation for specific community needs.
  3. Create more educational pipelines into health and wellness professions. By increasing access to these kinds of careers, we will begin to generate more local professionals and, over time, expand availability of health and wellness services.
  4. Fund collaborative projects to address mental health across the life span. By doing this, we will support more accessible and welcoming mental health services, eventually resulting in Hawaiʻi actualizing its declaration as a trauma-informed state with proactive health and wellness services.
  5. Validate and spread the understanding that physical and mental health are essential factors in overall well-being. By reducing the stigma surrounding mental healthcare, we can encourage greater acceptance of these services and foster a healthier community. Ultimately, this involves changing beliefs about care standards to include mental health.
  6. Provide holistic and culturally based approaches to healthcare services. Particularly in a multicultural place like Hawaiʻi, these approaches will equip us to better care for the health of all individuals and improve quality of life for the entire community.
  7. Secure commitments from systems decision makers (policy makers, insurance companies, government, philanthropy, etc.) to involve constituents in their decision-making processes. Soliciting broad and meaningful buy-in from constituents will lead to a greater focus on health and wellness, more access to community-based solutions, and regular conversations about community needs.


A man holds a young baby near a sailboat.


Folks sit in folding chairs at an event, chatting.

How HCF is Supporting Health and Wellness

HCF currently provides grant funding in alignment with several of these sector strategies. We are also working to convene partners across the health and wellness sector on intersectional challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Health and Wellness Grant Program – HCF funds community-led collaborative efforts and connects and supports a cohort of organizations operating with community-led mindsets in rural and other geographies, helping them develop as organizations.

COFA Health Outreach Grant Program – The goals of this program are to increase the enrollment of eligible COFA migrants in either Medicaid or other health insurance coverage; to build and strengthen the capacity of the COFA community to facilitate greater access to effective, culturally-aligned health and well-being programs; and to strengthen the organizational sustainability of COFA-led and COFA-serving nonprofit organizations.

Kūpuna Aging in Place Program – This multi-year grant program supports organizations that provide a range of supportive services including community-based support, adult day care and adult day health, and caregiver support for low- to moderate-income kūpuna (seniors) age 65 and older and their caregivers, all with the goal that kūpuna in Hawaiʻi can age in place.


Donate to the Health and Wellness Sector

Click here to donate to the CHANGE Health and Wellness Fund, or reach out to our Donor Services team at donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5560.

Grant Funding Opportunities

There are currently no open funding opportunities available for the Health and Wellness sector.

Check our Open Applications page to see which grants are accepting applications.

For more information or questions, please email CHANGE@hcf-hawaii.org


Stories of Impact


Healing by land and sea

Healing by Land and Sea

Ka‘ehu is a Maui-based nonprofit with the goal of restoring the land and perpetuating traditional Hawaiian culture using a community-based, inclusive, family-oriented approach.

Read More

TODO

Bringing Early Education to More of Hawai‘i’s Keiki

A $38 million Preschool Open Doors expansion supports ALICE families and keiki, allowing more parents to start their workday knowing that their three- and four-year old children are learning, growing, and thriving in a safe, enriching environment setting them up for future success.

Read More

Making Hawaiian Culture a Conversation

Kūpuna Care, One Volunteer at a Time

Maui nonprofit Nā Hoaloha helps keep seniors healthy and independent, making it easier to age in place well. Services include friendly home visits to offer companionship and assistance, transportation, and respite for round-the-clock caregivers.

Read More

Resources

Health and Wellness Sector Summary of Findings 2022

Hawai‘i Health Data Warehouse



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HEALTH AND WELLNESS


To achieve a Hawai‘i in which health and wellness are accessible to all, we need to shift from an approach focused on “fixing the individual” to supporting changes identified and led by communities across Hawaiʻi. These shifts will impact the overall ecosystem of health in places where people live, connect, work, and play. Additionally, shifting agency, resources, and decision making to community members closest to the solutions creates a more resilient, equitable, and secure Hawaiʻi.

Today, foundational challenges stand in the way of making this vision a reality. Hawaiʻi does not have enough health and wellness practitioners to meet the needs of residents. In addition, our health system is tipped toward individual intervention and treatment, rather than a preventative, holistic, or culturally relevant view of healthcare. As a result, we consistently see health disparities existing in certain populations, particularly COFA migrants and Native Hawaiians.

Why tackle these obstacles? We believe that every person in our Island communities deserves a fair opportunity to achieve their full potential and thrive. Together, we can make a difference.

 

Preview of data
EXPLORE THE DATA

 

 


How We Can Make Change Together

By actively addressing health outcomes through community-informed decision making, Hawaiʻi can achieve health equity and increase the quality of life for all people.

It’s important to create intentional spaces where mission-aligned organizations can come together to collaborate, inspire, and challenge one another to grow and support our community.
– Health and Wellness Grantee Partner

Seven Strategies to Pursue

Given the insights and analyses driven by community feedback, experts, and data, here are the leverage points HCF has identified that can help push the sector forward.

  1. Engage and support networks of people and organizations working on holistic health. We can create common data sets and a shared vision for health and wellness driven by inclusivity, leading to greater transparency, better understanding, and improved outcomes.
  2. Standardize data and facilitate sharing across organizations. This will reduce data collection fatigue and help identify trends in smaller groups, ultimately leading to better resource allocation for specific community needs.
  3. Create more educational pipelines into health and wellness professions. By increasing access to these kinds of careers, we will begin to generate more local professionals and, over time, expand availability of health and wellness services.
  4. Fund collaborative projects to address mental health across the life span. By doing this, we will support more accessible and welcoming mental health services, eventually resulting in Hawaiʻi actualizing its declaration as a trauma-informed state with proactive health and wellness services.
  5. Validate and spread the understanding that physical and mental health are essential factors in overall well-being. By reducing the stigma surrounding mental healthcare, we can encourage greater acceptance of these services and foster a healthier community. Ultimately, this involves changing beliefs about care standards to include mental health.
  6. Provide holistic and culturally based approaches to healthcare services. Particularly in a multicultural place like Hawaiʻi, these approaches will equip us to better care for the health of all individuals and improve quality of life for the entire community.
  7. Secure commitments from systems decision makers (policy makers, insurance companies, government, philanthropy, etc.) to involve constituents in their decision-making processes. Soliciting broad and meaningful buy-in from constituents will lead to a greater focus on health and wellness, more access to community-based solutions, and regular conversations about community needs.


A man holds a young baby near a sailboat.


Folks sit in folding chairs at an event, chatting.

How HCF is Supporting Health and Wellness

HCF currently provides grant funding in alignment with several of these sector strategies. We are also working to convene partners across the health and wellness sector on intersectional challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Health and Wellness Grant Program – HCF funds community-led collaborative efforts and connects and supports a cohort of organizations operating with community-led mindsets in rural and other geographies, helping them develop as organizations.

COFA Health Outreach Grant Program – The goals of this program are to increase the enrollment of eligible COFA migrants in either Medicaid or other health insurance coverage; to build and strengthen the capacity of the COFA community to facilitate greater access to effective, culturally-aligned health and well-being programs; and to strengthen the organizational sustainability of COFA-led and COFA-serving nonprofit organizations.

Kūpuna Aging in Place Program – This multi-year grant program supports organizations that provide a range of supportive services including community-based support, adult day care and adult day health, and caregiver support for low- to moderate-income kūpuna (seniors) age 65 and older and their caregivers, all with the goal that kūpuna in Hawaiʻi can age in place.


Donate to the Health and Wellness Sector

Click here to donate to the CHANGE Health and Wellness Fund, or reach out to our Donor Services team at donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5560.

Grant Funding Opportunities

There are currently no open funding opportunities available for the Health and Wellness sector.

Check our Open Applications page to see which grants are accepting applications.

For more information or questions, please email CHANGE@hcf-hawaii.org


Stories of Impact


Healing by land and sea

Healing by Land and Sea

Ka‘ehu is a Maui-based nonprofit with the goal of restoring the land and perpetuating traditional Hawaiian culture using a community-based, inclusive, family-oriented approach.

Read More

TODO

Bringing Early Education to More of Hawai‘i’s Keiki

A $38 million Preschool Open Doors expansion supports ALICE families and keiki, allowing more parents to start their workday knowing that their three- and four-year old children are learning, growing, and thriving in a safe, enriching environment setting them up for future success.

Read More

Making Hawaiian Culture a Conversation

Kūpuna Care, One Volunteer at a Time

Maui nonprofit Nā Hoaloha helps keep seniors healthy and independent, making it easier to age in place well. Services include friendly home visits to offer companionship and assistance, transportation, and respite for round-the-clock caregivers.

Read More

Resources

Health and Wellness Sector Summary of Findings 2022

Hawai‘i Health Data Warehouse



BACK TO MAIN PAGE