Faces of
Philanthropy Winter 2011
Quarterly News from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation
Supporting Education for Ni‘ihau’s ‘Ohana
OUR MISSION We help people make a difference by inspiring the spirit of giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every island community.
Anyone familiar with Ni‘ihau and its culture knows that it is unique. Words like “family” and “old Hawai‘i” come to mind when thinking about this small island in the Hawaiian chain with only 170 residents. “We’re all one family,” Ileialoha Beniamina once said in a Star-Bulletin interview about Niihauans. Now, that family honors Beniamina and provides for other fellow Ni‘ihau residents through the Jean Ileialoha Beniamina Ni‘ihau Scholarship Fund.
The Fund Established by Wayne James Rapozo and the Rapozo family with the support of the Beniamina family to honor Ilei Beniamina, the fund is among the few of its kind to provide post-secondary scholarship support specifically for Ni‘ihau students interested in pursing higher education. Rapozo said the scholarship fund was created to recognize and support the work and dedication of the Ni‘ihau community in Wayne James Rapozo emphasizing education for its youth, and Ilei Beniamina was a very important part of Ni‘ihau education. “Aunty Ilei and the Ni‘ihau students she worked so hard for are proof that all of us can successfully straddle two worlds, the traditional one and the modern one that we all face today,” said Rapozo. A Ni‘ihau native and educator, Beniamina was a respected and active community leader on Ni‘ihau and Kaua‘i who worked as an outreach counselor and assistant professor at Kaua‘i Community College. She devoted her life to Hawaiian education and culture until her passing last July.
First Scholarship Awarded This year, the first Beniamina scholarship was awarded to Jasmine Kali, a 2011 graduate of Island School. She is the great-granddaughter of Sarah Mamali‘ili‘i Loa of Ni‘ihau with rich native roots in Hula and Recipient Jasmine Kali pa‘aki (hawaiian salt) cultivation. She will be an incoming freshman at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo seeking a degree in Hawaiian Studies and Language. She aspires to become an educator of young children, teaching them her beloved culture, values and language.
How to Contribute Donating to an existing scholarship fund or starting one of your own is simple. Each year the Hawai‘i Community Foundation awards nearly $5 million through its more than 160 scholarship funds. Each fund has its own criteria, which is decided upon by the donor. For example, eligibility requirements for the Beniamina fund include being a resident of Kaua‘i or Ni‘ihau and an essay describing family descent from and connection to Ni‘ihau. Scholarship funds are a great way to focus your giving to our community’s youth and champion education to others, like Kali. To contribute to the Jean Ileialoha Beniamina Scholarship for Ni‘ihau Students Fund or receive more information, contact our client services group at clientservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5560.
Introducing New Online Application!
The Hawai‘i Community Foundation is proud to announce our new, all online scholarship application process. This useful tool will allow students to submit all documentation online and will provide further efficiency to our internal processing systems. Visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/scholarships after December 1, 2011 to view the application.
For more information on connecting with a cause that you care about, please contact the Philanthropic Services Department at (808) 566-5560 (toll-free at 1-888-731-3863) or e-mail clientservices@hcf-hawaii.org
www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org
Leading the Mission
A message from the Chairman and President & CEO
As this year comes to close, we reflect on our 95th year of providing community service to our state and we acknowledge each of you, from nonprofit grantees to our clients and donors, who play a vital role in making Hawai‘i a better place. As we continue to navigate a new philanthropic landscape in these challenging times, the Foundation is focusing on helping to strengthen the nonprofit sector. One example of this effort is our recognition of the exceptional leaders who are working hard to help their organizations weather the economic storm. In this issue of Faces of Philanthropy, you can read more about the 10th annual Ho‘okele Awards, a program in partnership with the Alexander Wallace Gerbode Foundation that presents cash awards to outstanding nonprofit executive directors for their own personal rejuvenation.
Above: Board of Governors Mary Bitterman (left) and Richard Gushman (back) with Leslie Wilcox, donor Dot Mason, and HCF General Counsel & Vice President, Operations Kate Lloyd
The Foundation also works to build stronger nonprofits by helping to provide resources and training to its board members. On November 29, we invite anyone who serves as a board member of a nonprofit to attend the Board Leadership Conference. In its seventh year, board members will hear from expert speakers from Hawai‘i and the mainland, who will speak on topics including fiscal sustainability, fiduciary responsibility and innovative ideas for conducting business in the reality of this economy. We are also pleased to have as our keynote speaker, Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay and Publisher and CEO of Honolulu Civil Beat. Please see more information on how to register on the last page of this issue. Our rich and vibrant 95-year history is highly attributed to our caring donors and clients who have a deep passion and commitment to helping the people of Hawai‘i. It is through the generosity of these donors that we are able to touch every island community in our state. As a way to show our appreciation to our donors and clients, we recently hosted our “Thanks for Giving” event on October 20, at our new home in the C. Brewer Building. Please enjoy a few photos of night’s festivities. Thank you once again for being our partner in philanthropy. We look forward to many more years of serving our community together and making our islands a better place to live for generations to come.
Above, center: Donors (left to right) James Leong, Lenora and Joseph Wee, Helen Gary and Edith Leong. Above: Guest speakers (left to right) Matt Levi, Daphne Vaina, Zachery Grace, Jayleen Jud-Pharmin from the Lawakua Education program at PACT, and donor Mark Agne
We wish you all a joyous holiday season and a prosperous 2012,
Paul Kosasa Chairman of the Board
Kelvin H. Taketa President & CEO
Above: Donors Betsy and Raymond Sekiya. Left: Donors (left to right) Brad and Guy Kamitaki
Facesof
Philanthropy Rewarding Executives,
The Ho‘okele Awards
Revitalizing Nonprofits
President of Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation Thomas Layton, at left, and President and CEO Kelvin Taketa, at right, with the 2011 Ho’okele Award recipients (left to right), Tony Krieg, Lea Hong, Leslie Wilcox, and Robert Peters
A nonprofit organization, like any business, is only as good as the people who run it. Knowing this to be true, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, in partnership with Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, established The Ho‘okele Awards to strengthen leadership in the nonprofit sector through professional development and personal renewal. “We recognized that Hawai‘i was in danger of losing incredible executive talent in the nonprofit sector in part because many executives had little opportunity to renew themselves and marshal the stamina to continue their demanding work,” said Kelvin Taketa, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “The Ho‘okele Award allows us to recognize, thank and reward our community’s truly selfless leaders.” Unlike other recognition programs, the Ho‘okele Award recipients are unaware of the honor and generous $10,000 award until they receive a phone call from Kelvin Taketa to share the good news. “My favorite day of the whole year is when I get to call the four people who have won the award,” said Taketa. “The fact that we get to call with a surprise announcement of something to benefit them is just such a moving experience.” Recipients are nominated by a confidential group of community members and previous Ho‘okele awardees. Recipients are selected on ability to think strategically and get results, bring different groups of people together, inspire others, make a
difference in Hawai‘i, and enthusiastically share their knowledge with others. Over the past 10 years, $420,000 has been awarded to 42 recipients. This year’s Ho‘okele Awards, it’s 10th annual, went to four outstanding nonprofit leaders: • Lea Hong, Hawaiian Islands program director for The Trust for Public Land • Tony Krieg, chief executive officer for Hale Makua Health Services • Robert G. Peters, head of school for Hanahau‘oli School • Leslie Wilcox, president and chief executive officer for PBS Hawai‘i Encouraged to use the funds for self-renewal, Leslie Wilcox has said she plans to use her award for a wilderness survival-training course on a neighbor island while Tony Krieg, an amateur photographer, is planning to take a trip to national parks in Utah’s canyon lands to take photos. “As a retention strategy it’s been great – these people are rejuvenated and still at the helm, leading their organizations,” Taketa said. “More importantly if you listen to their stories, these are people who are just remarkable, selfless individuals.” Congratulations to the 2011 Ho‘okele Award Recipients! We thank you for your hard work.
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2011 Board Leadership Conference – Register Today! Who: Board members of nonprofit organizations When: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 7:30 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. sessions 12 p.m. keynote speaker: Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay, and Publisher and CEO of Honolulu Civil Beat Where: Sheraton Waikiki Hotel Keynote Speaker Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay and Publisher, and CEO of Honolulu Civil Beat
What: BLC is part of the Conference of Nonprofit Communities of Hawai‘i (CNCH) Cost: $295 includes BLC and CNCH sessions and keynote luncheon. $75 for keynote luncheon only. To register, visit: www.hawaiinonprofitconference.org/ ratesandregistration.html
BOAR D LEADER SHIP conference
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Be sure to select BLC when registering. Only BLC attendees will be allowed to attend all sessions. For more information on the BLC, visit: www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org For more on the CNCH, visit: www.hawaiinonprofitconference.org
Join the Hawai‘i Community Foundation for its seventh Board Leadership Conference (BLC) as expert speakers are brought together into one forum. Latest updates on the following will be discussed: • National and local trends on nonprofit executive leadership and succession planning • Culture requirements and models of innovation in the nonprofit sector • Current federal and state nonprofit tax requirements The role of a nonprofit board member is an important one and continues to transform as organizations work harder to navigate through a deep recession. Now more than ever, nonprofits look to board members for guidance as well as innovative ideas for conducting business in the reality of this economy. If you are a nonprofit board member, we encourage you to register for what will be an informative and inspiring event. Space is limited, so register today!