Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii supports community

The Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, engages entrepreneurial companies in community service and philanthropy – 27 companies are currently listed as members. EF Hawaii helps companies establish community service programs for their employees and accepts donation of company equity. When there is a liquidity event, the foundation uses the proceeds to establish a charitable fund for the company.

For example, in 2010, EF Hawaii member company BioImagene was acquired by Ventana Medical Systems. Thanks to donations of stock and warrants by EF Hawaii Chairman Emeritus John Dean and BioImagene founder Mohan Uttarwar, EF Hawaii received more than $10,000, half of which will go into EF Hawaii’s endowment and half awarded as a grant to an education-related Hawaii nonprofit organization.

After the Jan. 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake, EF Hawaii partnered with local technology company Referentia Systems Incorporated and its CEO, Nelson Kanemoto, to raise relief funds. Referentia matched all Hawaii donations and all Hawaii/Referentia donations were again matched by donors at the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, resulting in a 4-to-1 match for Hawaii donors and a total of $22,000 for Haiti relief.

In the area of community service, EF Hawaii organized an annual School Supplies Drive for disadvantaged children in programs at Catholic Charities Hawai‘i and the afterschool program Learning for a Lifetime at Palama Settlement. Member companies and friends donated over $2,700 in cash and school supplies to the drive.

Member companies have contributed to the community in many ways, such as:

> Adama Materials collected more than $4,000 from executives, staff and investors to provide holiday gifts and meals to a dozen struggling families in the Lōkahi Giving Project.

> Cardax Pharmaceuticals donated school supplies to Palolo Elementary School and office and kitchen supplies to Goodwill Industries Hawaii.

> Hoana Medical and its parent company Oceanit participated in the EF Hawaii School Supplies Drive, a food drive for the Hawaii Foodbank, and drives for Kauai United Way, Maui Humane Society and Women Helping Women.

> Hoku Scientific made donations to the Hawaii Foodbank, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Girl Scouts, Fisher House Foundation, Inc., Hanahauoli School, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Child and Family Service, Hawaii Academy of Science and Hawaii Theatre Center. Hoku has donated more than $2 million to the Hawaii community since its 2005 IPO, has initiated a time-away-from-work policy that allows every employee to take one paid day off each year to volunteer in the community and is working toward creating an endowed fund from which to continue making donations year after year.

> ProService Hawaii participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Bowl for Kid’s Sake raising more than $13,000, subsidized employee entry fees in the Great Aloha Run, helped The Nature Conservancy clear alien seaweed, participated in the Hawaii Foodbank’s annual food drive and donated $10,000 to the GIFT Foundation and $10,000 to The Nature Conservancy.

For more information, visit www.efhawaii.org or email info@efhawaii.org.