Friends of Hawai‘i Charities and Sony Open in Hawai‘i PGA TOUR Event Partner with Hawai‘i Community Foundation to Make Multi-year Investments into Hawai‘i Nonprofits Addressing Areas of Critical Need
Combined funding support of $4.8M directed over four years toward alleviating poverty, kupuna care, and the healthy development of children
HONOLULU, Hawaii – Friends of Hawai‘i Charities and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) have announced a four-year partnership through the Sony Open in Hawai‘i PGA TOUR tournament to fund specific Hawai‘i charitable programs. The strategic plan fueling the Friends of Hawai‘i Charities’ significant four-year partnership with HCF is rooted in a joint commitment to create generational impact. This marks a transition for Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, which for nearly 25 years has provided numerous, project-focused, modest grants to nonprofit organizations addressing the various needs of under-resourced populations.
“We anticipate that leveraging the resources of Friends of Hawai‘i Charities generated through the Sony Open in Hawai‘i PGA TOUR event in concert with the expertise and matching resources of HCF will ultimately produce stronger outcomes for the people of Hawai‘i,” noted Corbett A. K. Kalama, President of Friends of Hawai‘i Charities. “The four-year partnership with Hawai‘i Community Foundation mirrors the commitment of Sony Group Corporation to sponsor the annual Sony Open in Hawai‘i PGA TOUR tournament at Waialae through 2026, ultimately enabling us to create waves of blessing in and through the islands’ nonprofit community.”
Beginning in 2023 the combined funding support of the two organizations will be specifically directed toward nonprofits serving the following:
- To help Hawai‘i families transition out of poverty via the ALICE Initiative
- To support community-based services in their care for kūpuna and their caregivers via the Kūpuna Aging in Place program; and
- To increase the healthy development of under-resourced children ages 0-5 via the Promising Minds Initiative
“Working with Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is committed to collective action to find solutions to achieving an equitable Hawai‘i,” says Michelle Ka‘uhane, HCF senior vice president and chief impact officer. “This partnership will magnify the impact we’re able to have through our combined commitment to improve the well-being of Hawai‘i’s children, families, and kūpuna.” HCF will work with nonprofits that have had a relationship with FOHC and Sony in the past to connect them with new opportunities through HCF’s community grants and initiatives.”
FAQ
What is the relationship between Friends of Hawai‘i Charities and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation?
Friends of Hawai‘i Charities and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation share
a common philanthropic perspective – to forge connections to create a
better Hawai‘i where people and places thrive. In 2023, HCF stepped
forward to become the official partner of Friends of Hawai‘i Charities
for its mission of generating $1.2 million through the Sony Open in
Hawai‘i PGA TOUR event held annually at Waialae Country Club, building
upon the foundation laid by long-time charity partner The Harry &
Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. HCF will match $600K in funds raised by
Friends of Hawai‘i Charities each year for four years, totaling $4.8M in
funding to the community.
What type of grants are funded by Friends of Hawai‘i Charities?
The Friends of Hawai‘i Charities will increase impact in areas of
critical need by making larger, multi-year investments to Hawai‘i
nonprofit organizations. Beginning in 2023, Friends of Hawai‘i Charities
will direct funds raised annually via the Sony Open in Hawai‘i to the
ALICE Initiative Cohort, Kūpuna Aging in Place program, and the
Promising Minds Initiative. The ALICE Initiative cohort supports 17
Hawai‘i-based nonprofits. The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained,
Employed) Initiative focuses on improving systemic social inequalities
in Hawai’i. The ALICE Initiative Cohort is focused on helping Hawai‘i
families out of poverty through financial literacy, workforce
development and career coaching, assistance with housing, and more. A
list of ALICE Initiative Cohort awardees can be found here.
The ALICE Initiative is managed by Friends of Hawai‘i Charities partner, HCF, which will match funds directed to this initiative by the Friends. The Kūpuna Aging in Place program supports organizations providing a wide range of community-based support services, adult day care and adult day health, and caregiver support services for low-to moderate-income kūpuna (seniors) age 65 and older and their caregivers so that kūpuna in Hawai‘i are able to age in place. More information about the Kūpuna Aging in Place program can be found here. The Promising Minds Initiative focuses upon increasing the healthy development of under-resourced children ages 0-5 and upon building resilience in those who have already experienced the negative effects of trauma in their young lives. The Initiative instills the foundation for positive early childhood behavioral health, resulting in long-term benefits to individual children and families, as well ensuring that more children are on track for kindergarten with social, emotional, and academic readiness. More information about Promising Minds can be found here.
How do I apply for a grant?
This new strategic focus of charitable giving by Friends of Hawai‘i
Charities will curtail acceptance of grant requests and distribution of
funds to individual nonprofit organizations. The Aloha for Hawai‘i
Charities program will be discontinued.
Hawai‘i nonprofit organizations can apply for grant funding opportunities through HCF here and sign up for the HCF newsletter here that sends alerts for upcoming funding opportunities. See the 2023 grantmaking and scholarship submission deadlines here.
About Friends of Hawai‘i Charities
A 501(c)(3), Friends of Hawai‘i Charities, Inc. was formed in 1998
through the shared vision and collaboration of a group of business and
community leaders to provide support for local not-for-profit programs
that serve and benefit Hawai‘i’s women, youth, elderly, and
impoverished.
The Friends’ principal fund-raising event is the Sony Open in Hawai‘i PGA TOUR golf tournament held at Waialae Country Club annually. Friends of Hawai‘i Charities (FOHC) activates financial resources from the private sector and spirited volunteerism from the community, in concert with the extraordinary natural resources of the state, to produce sports and cultural events that generate funds for qualifying not-for-profit endeavors in Hawai‘i.
About Hawai‘i Community Foundation
The vision of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is to create an
equitable and vibrant Hawai‘i where all of our island communities
thrive. With our more than 105-year history, trusted expertise, and
generous support of donors, we are working to solve our state’s most
difficult challenges. In 2021, HCF stewarded more than 1,050 funds and
distributed $100 million in grants to the community from funds at HCF,
contracts, and private foundations statewide, including $7.1 million in
scholarships. HCF offices and staff are located statewide. For more
information about HCF, please visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.