Three Leaders in One
Dr. Kim-Ahn Nguyen has understood the importance of collaborating and adapting to change since childhood. She was just 7 when her family was evacuated from Vietnam and deposited in a small town in New Jersey to start a new life…
Nonprofit
Yes, you can become an Affordable Housing Developer
Some people think that a partial solution to Hawaii’s critical shortage of affordable housing is right in our own homes. These advocates want to boost the supply of affordable rentals by relaxing restrictions on ohana units – known officially as…
The Value of Heeia
Some of the most valuable lands in ancient Hawaii were located in Kaneohe, and prized by kings and chiefs. There on the windward side of Oahu, mountain springs flowed into acres of terraced loi that grew kalo in fertile soil,…
Getting At-Risk Kids on Track
Name: Malia Alo Job: Program coordinator at Hale Kipa Experience: 2½ years Education: BA in sociology and criminal justice from UH West Oahu. Her start: Alo was a student at Campbell High School when she realized she wanted to help…
Hawaii Rotary Awards $250,000 a Year in Scholarships
The Hawaii Rotary Youth Foundation has awarded 1,562 scholarships worth more than $5.6 million to Hawaii high school seniors since 1976. The program started when Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan, co-founder of Foodland Super Market Ltd., decided it was important to…
Bright Idea
WEfficiency lets you support your favorite nonprofit and still get repaid How many people does it take to change a light bulb? Ask David Aquino and he’ll say it often takes a crowd. Aquino, the project director of Blue Planet…
If You Can Read This, You Can Help
Attorney Nancy Youngren was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would really make a difference in an individual’s life when an ad for Hawaii Literacy caught her eye. She looked no further. Starting in early 2011, for almost three years,…
Pro Bono Architects Help Nonprofits Thrive
Palama Settlement has served low-income and immigrant families in Kalihi and Palama for more than a century, but the facilities have deteriorated over the years and some can no longer be used. “We’re land rich but asset poor,” says Wendy…
Trust is No. 1
Earning trust is absolutely crucial if nonprofits are going to succeed, says a national expert who will be speaking at a Hawaii conference on National Philanthropy Day James M. Greenfield, a national expert on fundraising, says the most important best…
Talk Story with Pohai Ryan
Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association Ryan brings wide experience to her role, from managing an information office in Kailua to serving as a state senator. This Kamehameha Schools alumna plans to focus on culture and authenticity during her tenure,…
Legacy of a Popular Candy: Millions in Scholarships to Local Students
Erica Shin graduated from Kalani High School in May with an ambitious plan that carried a huge price tag: biology major and pre-med student at UH-Manoa, before attending the John A. Burns School of Medicine. That’s why she was surprised…
Diamond Head Theatre is Fun and Frugal
The Diamond Head Theatre is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, but there was a time when it seemed like it might end its run right around its 80th anniversary. A few bad decisions – including paying actors more than…
Talk Story with Coralie Chun Matayoshi
Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO, American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter & Pacific Islands Region The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15 and runs through Nov. 30. In this interview, Matayoshi talks about disaster preparedness and the role the Red Cross plays…
Aloha Medical Mission Heals the Poor in the Philippines
For a week in February, a team of 28 volunteers helped heal some of the poorest people in Tuguegarao and the surrounding region of the Philippines. The visitors from Hawaii’s Aloha Medical Mission and their local partners saw 1,300 patients, performed 22…
5 Ways Companies Support Charities
Hawaiʻi's corporate foundations bring some stability to local giving. But foundations aren’t the only way for big corporations to give. And many companies supplement their cash giving with donations of time, resources and services.
Talk Story with Kimberly Miyazawa Frank
Frank took the helm of the YWCA of Oahu in January. She had been owner of Kimberly Frank Consulting since 2006, and, before that, served as organizational development manager at Servco Pacific Inc. The attorney and mother of three young children talks…
Editor's Note: New leadership reinvigorates Aloha United Way
Spend any time with Hawaii executives and chances are the discussion will turn to leadership and community. The business leaders I know take a broad view of their responsibilities regarding public welfare, and are always looking for new initiatives to…
Aloha for Japan Revealed Hawaii’s Heart
Though it was an ocean away, the devastating earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis that ravaged northeastern Japan in March 2011 struck Hawaii in the heart. People all over the world grieved over the magnitude of the tragedy, but it…
Unique Scholarships Give Second Chance at College
Jasmine “Tita” Kuhaulua never thought college was an option while she was in high school. After graduation, she had three children in quick succession and the possibility of college receded further. But, the Waialeale Project has changed everything for the 25-year-old, part-time…
6 Great Small Nonprofits and What Makes Them Succeed
Hanahauoli School The first rule of not-for-profits,” writes nonprofit consultant Peter Brinckerhoff, “is mission, mission, and more mission.” Mission, he points out, is a nonprofit organization’s legal reason for existence. It’s why the staff works long hours, often for a…
Business Executives Sign up to Lead Nonprofits
As a former top executive at Aloha Airlines, Aloha Island Air, Roberts Hawaii and theHawaii Superferry, Neil Takekawa has had more than his share of high-flying corporate jobs, with their big salaries and big headaches. Now, as COO at the nonprofit Japanese Cultural…
Businesses Support Public Schools
The new track at Lahainaluna High School on Maui, along with the field and turf, have been made possible because of millions of dollars worth of in-kind and cash donations by Maui businesses and residents. Additional changes are coming in…
Hawaii State Government Slow to Pay
K.D., A General contractor on Oahu, has a hint of dismay in his voice when he talks about not yet getting fully paid for a job completed at the end of 2009. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are still owed…
Editor's Note: Aloha United Way Still Crucial to Hawaiʻi
As a board member of Aloha United Way and publisher of this magazine, I have been engaged in many conversations about AUW and its future. While it is clear from the November cover story, “The New Culture of Giving,” that…