The Hawaii Community Foundation, which has served the people of Hawaii for 99 years as one of the oldest community foundations in the nation, announced the opening of a second office on Hawaii Island in Hilo. ADVERTISING The Hawaii Community
The Hawaii Community Foundation, which has served the people of Hawaii for 99 years as one of the oldest community foundations in the nation, announced the opening of a second office on Hawaii Island in Hilo.
Senior philanthropy advancement officer Andrea Furuli leads the new Hilo office, located at the Hawaii Innovation Center. The East Hawaii office will serve as a resource for donors and nonprofit organizations in the region, which has seen a steady increase in philanthropic activity in recent years.
Residents will be able to meet with HCF giving officers in their community to ensure their charitable contributions benefit causes in East Hawaii or the rest of the state, depending on their wishes.
“I look forward to leading the work of the foundation as it expands its presence in the Hilo community and throughout the region,” Furuli said. “The people of East Hawaii have shown incredible support and generosity for causes near and dear to them, and we look forward to working with them even more closely to transform their generosity into lasting change.”
One recent new program was the establishment of the regional East Hawaii Fund, which provides residents the opportunity to target their donations toward needs specific to the area. Over the past four years, East Hawaii organizations have received nearly $200,000 in grants from the fund, with $66,000 distributed to 21 local charities in the past year alone.
“Hawaii Community Foundation has long been a valuable resource for giving across the state,” said Barry Taniguchi, past member of Hawaii Community Foundation’s board of governors. “As the foundation develops deeper roots in East Hawaii, it will provide more opportunities to focus on the community as a whole and help shape positive change and growth.”
