PHILANTHROPY:
It’s All AboutYOU Preserving Hawai‘i’s Environment for our Keiki
Over 20 years ago, Kimo Campbell established a modest endowment at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) to ensure that it would always have some connection to environmental funding. Today, thanks to his passion and support, HCF has made a difference in everything from groundbreaking funding of watershed partnerships to pioneering marine conservation to fostering fresh water security. Kimo believed that from one small gift, great things
could happen. He was right. Director of Programs for Environment and Sustainability at HCF Josh Stanbro talks about HCF’s legacy of environmental work and what’s still to come. HCF and the Environment — What’s the Connection? It all started with Kimo planting the first seed. His early support laid the groundwork for major streams of national funding to HCF from both Packard and Hewlett Foundations in the 1990s. This funding helped to build a thriving network of environmental organizations, which bolsterd a later wave of local funders stepping up to address environmental
issues. It’s a story of one seed helping to produce an entire garden. Today, HCF is at the crossroads of environmental philanthropy in Hawai‘i. There are so many private funds and foundations focusing on everything from sustainability to marine life to invasive species to Hawaiian culture and the environment. At HCF, we’ve worked to foster a safe space for the players to work together on critical issues. What’s HCF’s role in funding environmental initiatives in Hawai‘i? The biggest advantage is that we’re not just reviewing grants and writing checks. Keiki and their families volunteer to help restore and preserve the Loko Ea fish pond in Hale‘iwa through a grant from HCF’s Community Restoration Partnership.
“HCF is at the crossroads of environmental philanthropy in Hawai‘i – bringing all the players to the table in a common safe space, working together on critical issues facing our environment.” – Josh Stanbro, Director of Programs for Environment and Sustainability at HCF We’ve convened the Environmental Funders Group — including everyone from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation to the Marisla Foundation to OHA and Kamehameha Schools — to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current state of Hawai‘i’s environmental efforts, from where we are doing well to where we need to improve. With our partners over the years, we’ve also helped to kick-start the land trust movement in Hawai‘i; supported coastal restoration in over 30 locations across the state; helped launch the school garden movement;
> Did you know: Over the past 16 years, HCF has invested more than $35 million in environmental initiatives.
L e a r n h o w i t ’s a bout you at H awaiiC ommunityFoundation. org
and facilitated the work of 20 community leaders, policy makers, and experts to create a blueprint for Hawai‘i’s fresh water security by 2030. What’s been the financial impact from these efforts? Through the support of our donors and partners, HCF’s environmental funding continues to grow. In 2000, HCF invested just under $640,000 in environmental initiatives and last year, it increased to $5 million. That’s the power of bringing people together for common solutions.