Recent grants to Hawaii nonprofits

Nature Conservancy granted prime coastal land on Big Island

Angus Mitchell, son of the late hair stylist and hair care product icon Paul Mitchell, has donated seven acres of land to The Nature Conservancy worth $6.5 million. Mitchell is the co-owner and artistic director of John Paul Mitchell Systems and owner of the Angus Mitchell Salon in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The land is at Kiholo Bay on the North Kona Coast between the Hualalai and Waikoloa resorts. It is next to Kiholo State Park and features freshwater-fed pools and native plants and marine life. John Paul Mitchell purchased the property about 25 years ago to build a house, but he died in 1989 before he was able to build. “This parcel was my father’s Eden — his Shangri-La. He thought it was the most beautiful spot on Earth, as do I,” Angus Mitchell said in a statement.

Suzanne Case, Hawaii executive director for The Nature Conservancy, called the Kiholo Bay property “a rare treasure.” The parcel is culturally important to Native Hawaiians as the site of an important fishpond used for food production during the days of Kamehameha I. It is currently cared for by the nonprofit Hui Aloha Kiholo, which will continue its work under The Nature Conservancy’s ownership, Case said.

> AlohaCare recently distributed $1.5 million in health care quality incentive awards to 14 community health centers and clinics statewide, part of AlohaCare's annual Quality Improvement Incentive Program, which supports projects that measurably improve clinical care, services and access to care, especially to Hawaii's at-risk populations. These community health centers and clinics received fiscal year 2011 awards: on Oahu, Kalihi-Palama Health Center, Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Koolauloa Community Health and Wellness Center, Queen Emma Clinics, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Waimanalo Health Center and Waikiki Health Center; on Hawaii island, Bay Clinic Inc., Hamakua Health Center and West Hawaii Community Health Center; on Kauai, Hoola Lahui Hawaii/Kauai Community Health Center ; on Maui, Hana Community Health Center and Malama i ke Ola Health Center; and on Molokai, Molokai Ohana Health Care.

> Hawaii Community Foundation has awarded almost $1 million in community grants to eight organizations through the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention Control Trust Fund. The recipients are: American Lung Association of Hawaii, $150,000 during the next two years; Waianae Coast Community Health Center, $150,000 during the next two years; West Hawaii Community Health Center, $150,000 during the next two years; Lanai Community Health Center, $150,000 during the next two years; Maui Family Support Services, $150,000 during the next two years;  The Queen’s Medical Center, $150,000 during the next two years; Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, $50,000 for one year; and Signs of Self, $26,300 for one year.

> Bank of Hawaii employees, retirees and directors pledged $520,803 during the bank’s 2011 Employee Giving Campaign. The campaign ran Sept. 6-Oct. 7, benefiting 20 local nonprofit organizations. Employees voted online to select the 20 beneficiaries: Aloha United Way, $102,819.30; Alzheimer’s Association, Aloha Chapter, $20,108.12; American Red Cross, Guam Chapter, $18,622.13; American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, $24,507.41; Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, $18,430.85; Catholic Charities Hawaii, $26,072.08; Child & Family Service, $16,533.95; Friendly Isle United Fund, $2,823.85;  Hawaii Foodbank, Inc., $39,185.81; Hawaii Island United Way, $13,924.85; Hawaii Meals on Wheels, Inc., $36,881.12; Hawaiian Humane Society, $34,404.94; Hospice Hawaii,$47,342.74; Institute for Human Services, $19,165.85; Kauai United Way, $6,127.60; Maui United Way, $15,591.35; Parents And Children Together, $12,089.35; Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii, $16,103.54; Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, $16,691.52; and University of Hawaii Cancer Center, $33,376.64.

> Core to College: Preparing Students for College Readiness and Success has awarded Hawaii and nine other states grants of $200,000 per year for three years as part of an education program that seeks to prepare students for college readiness. The grants were awarded by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to align Hawaii with what it calls “common core” state standards and assessment. Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, led by the Early Learning Council, the state Department of Education and the University of Hawaii system will administer the grant for the state. Grant funds may be used to expand or create programs.

> Chaminade University has announced that the chair of Chaminade's Board of Regents, Kathleen "Kitty" (Sullivan) Wo, and her husband, Ronald C. "Buzz" Wo, donated $150,000 to its interior design program on Tuesday. The gift will be used to endow one of the newly renovated interior design laboratories.

> Island Insurance Foundation has donated more than $75,000 to the following nonprofit organizations in Hawaii: Aha Punana Leo Hawaiian Language Preschool, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawaii Academy of Science, Hawaii Council on Economic Education and Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation. The funds will be used to improve local education.

> Family Support Hawaii has been awarded a $60,241 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to support Na Makuakane Maikai O Hawaii – Great Fathers of Hawaii, a Hawaii Island fatherhood initiative to increase father involvement in the lives of children and promote responsible fathering practices. The Fatherhood Initiative assists fathers and fathers-to-be with mentoring, education and support by providing direct services, classes, group meetings and family activities using Hawaiian values and cultural practices.

> Feed My Sheep recently received a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation. The gift was welcome news after the Maui Nonprofit’s warehouse, office trailer and delivery trucks were damaged by a fallen tree during a storm at the end of last year.

> Hawaii Foodbank and its neighbor island food distribution partners have received $39,772, or the equivalent of 66,286 pounds of rice, from 29 credit unions on Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai. The “Have a Rice Day” fundraising event ran from Sept. 9-Nov. 10. Each credit union gave away plastic rice paddles imprinted with the credit union’s logo to members who donated 20-pound bags of rice or cash equivalents. Money and rice donations were distributed to Hawaii Foodbank, Maui Food Bank, The Food Basket on Hawaii, and Hawaii Foodbank-Kauai.

> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $24,974 grant to Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services to involve the community in a campaign to mitigate the causes of indoor air pollution, reduce exposure to toxic cleaning chemicals and address public health issues resulting from poor sanitation within the Kuhio Park Terrace public housing community. The project’s goal is to empower the predominantly Pacific Islander community of Kuhio Park Terrace by providing residents with necessary information and tools to take ownership of their physical surroundings and thereby improve the health of their families and community.

> TEACH Maui has been awarded a $4,680 grant from the Maui Economic Development Board Ke Alahele Education Fund to support an after school computer skills enhancement program for 7th- and 8th-grade students. The goal of the program is to enhance the technology skills of select South Maui middle-school students to prepare them for the academic challenges of high school.

> Monsanto Hawaii has donated $14,650 to the Maui United Way.

> Wailea Community Association's Restaurant Week raised $5,598 for the Maui Food Bank. Participating resort restaurants made a contribution for each pre-fixe entree sold during the week. Participating restaurants were Capiche?, DUO Steak & Seafood, Gannon's, Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, KO Plantation, Longhi's Wailea, Mala Wailea, Matteo's, Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman, Mulligan's on the Blue, Nick's Fishmarket Maui, Pita Paradise Bistro Wailea, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Tommy Bahama's.

> Lahaina Yacht Club donated more than $10,700 to Hospice Maui to support its work with terminally ill patients and their families by providing medicine, supplies and equipment. The yacht club raised the money by hosting a charity golf tournament and community auction.

> Maui Family Support Services received a $5,000 grant from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation to improve its infrastructure and technology by digitizing documents to lessen storage requirements and improving agency efficiency.

> Central Pacific Bank donated 457 new rice cookers to seniors as part of The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program. The rice cookers were presented to the seniors in the Adult Day Health Services (ADHS) at Kauluwela Mission Corps Community Center. This year, all 34 CPB branches statewide participated in the program that provides holiday gifts to Hawaii children and seniors from underprivileged families in need.