PHILANTHROPY:
It’s All AboutYOU A Lasting Gift
A
t the start of 2016, Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) recognized that the most fitting tribute to its 100-year anniversary would be to help increase the level of giving to Hawai‘i nonprofits long into the future. That’s why HCF embarked on an ambitious, two-year campaign to enhance people’s awareness about the impact of philanthropy, especially legacy giving. “There’s great, untapped potential in legacy giving,” said Paul Keenan, vice president of development at HCF. “If everyone today left just 10% of their estate in their will or trust to charity, there could be as much as $6 billion available to nonprofit organizations in Hawai‘i in the next decade or two.” Think about what that could mean for the future of Hawai‘i. To jumpstart the effort, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation started the Hawai‘i Legacy Giving Campaign, a partnership with 100 nonprofit organizations to increase the number of legacy gifts across the islands. Nonprofit partners
“We didn’t have to do the heavy lifting; HCF gave us the tools and the media exposure to help us strengthen our own legacy giving efforts.”
have received a Planned Giving Toolkit as well as hands-on training and coaching to help get the word out to their own supporters. Among them, the North Kohala Community Center, whose executive director Christine Richardson remarked, “Having HCF’s legacy campaign parallel with our own plans was both a great incentive and a valuable guide to begin this important work.” What makes legacy giving important is that it provides a way for people in Hawai‘i to leave something to their community. This type of philanthropy is not just for high net worth individuals, either; it reflects the deep relationship that donors often have to causes they care about in their lifetimes. Mary Beth Lohman, Director of Marketing and Development for the Waik-l k-l Health Center, has seen how small gifts over one’s lifetime are sometimes followed by a legacy gift when a person dies. “It’s not the size of the gift, it’s the consistency of giving that matters most to our organization.” Legacy giving, like all forms of philanthropy, is deeply personal and always meaningful. That’s why HCF chose a centennial year theme that is a call to action: “Philanthropy— It’s All About You.”
Mary Beth Lohman, HCF highlights the Hawai‘i Legacy Giving Campaign and its partners in publications, newsletters, and media outlets.
Waikl-kl- Health Center
L e a rn h o w y o u c a n l e a v e a legacy - H awaiiC ommunityFoundation. org/legacy