WHAT WE'RE SOLVING
92% of foundation CEOs are white.
89% of foundation boards are white.
Only 7 to 8% of foundation funding goes specifically to people of color.
Socioeconomic - Hawaiʻi has the 4th highest number of millionaires per capita in the US
Second highest per capita rate of houselessness
Chronic teacher shortage in the public schools
Wages do not match the cost of living
Bio-cultural - 25% of the total endangered species of the US is situated within the Hawaiian archipelago
Nearly 50% of the 140 endemic bird species have been lost
Shorelines are awash in marine debris
Water traditionally held in sacred trust by Native Hawaiians has been diverted away from communities for corporate profit
Precious groundwater polluted by the military and agrichemicals
We want community to determine how our land, natural resources, and sacred spaces should be used.
Why does Equity in Philanthropy matter?
Race is one of the most reliable predictors of life outcomes across several areas, including life expectancy, academic achievement, income, wealth, physical and mental health, and maternal mortality.
74.5% of Hawaiʻiʻs population identifies with a race other than white.
Leaders of color bring perspectives, and often strategies, that intimately understand the racialized experiences of communities of color and the issues they face.
Population-level impact in the issues donors care about cannot happen without funding more leaders of color and funding them more deeply.