A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE
AB UT you
• PHILANTHROPY: IT’S ALL
Isolation Sparks Ingenuity In Ha¯ na Working Together and Making a Difference Living in paradise isn’t always easy. And when home is Hana, 52 miles from the nearest town over a winding stretch of nail-biting highway, paradise feels pretty isolated. But for Hana’s nonprofits, that isolation sparked the Hana Community Endowment Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) – a smart venture that brings together ten diverse community nonprofits, raising the money they need to ensure their collective services are kept alive for the people who need them most.
“In Hana, everybody knows each other. Everybody’s related, and we all cross paths,” said Keoki Kalani, Executive Director of the Hana Youth Center, one of the ten organizations in the Fund. “Because we are so close, we don’t compete. Instead, we embrace and support each other. That way, our community wins.” Started almost a decade ago, the fund
“How blessed we were that HCF helped us with a gameplan to get started. We had a lot of heart but not a lot of experience. Now we’ve learned and grown together.” – Keoki Kalani, ED, H a¯ na Youth Center was envisioned as a way to pool resources, fundraise collectively, and make sure the diversity of programs remained available to the community. It worked. Today, the fund has hit its start-up goal of $1 million, thanks to a number of donors. When talking about contributors to the fund, Kalani is also quick to mention visitors to Hana who have given their support. “People who’ve been to touched by this special community now have a way to support it,”he said, “knowing that their gifts benefit everyone.” From keiki to kupuna, the organizations provide hands-on cultural experiences, education and care facilities, and family counseling services to the people of Hana — a tight-knit community holding hands and helping each other.
Did You Know ... As a resource to nonprofits, HCF provides research on community issues, trends in giving, and partnership opportunities.
Learn how it’s about you - HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/you