Recent grants to Hawaii nonprofits

> The 2011 Sony Open PGA golf tournament raised $1 million for Hawaii charities with help from The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. More than 160 Hawaii nonprofit organizations have been awarded grants from Friends of Hawaii Charities. The grants were distributed to a broad spectrum of charities encompassing established groups and grass-roots services that fulfill the mission of Friends of Hawaii Charities, which provide resources for women, children, elderly and those in need. This year marks the seventh consecutive tournament season of distributing $1 million to Hawaii Charities. Click here for the list of grant recipients.

> American Savings Bank has donated $20,000 to four community organizations: Kako‘o Oiwi to replace tools and equipment stolen from its Heeia Wetlands site; Hawaii 3R (Repair, Remodel and Restore) to help organize financial and human resources to solve and repair the maintenance backlog affecting Hawaii’s public schools; Institute for Human Services to help provide the homeless with basic needs, health care, support services, adult education and special counseling; and Feed the Hunger Foundation for its “Food for Thought” microfinance program that provides small loans to low-income borrowers to create or expand businesses that help create self-sufficient food systems in Hawaii.

> American Savings Bank and Hawaii Electric Light Co. have donated $35,000 to Hospice of Hilo to support the construction of the first neighbor island inpatient hospice facility, which will serve terminally ill patients who are unable to be cared for at home. The facility will include a living room, meditation room, dining room, kitchen, office space, meeting rooms and other common areas. The companies also donated $10,000 to the Hawaii Council on Economic Education to support the council’s Economics & Leadership Cadre program.

> First Hawaiian Bank’s Japan-Hawaii Relief Fund has donated one hundred million yen, or $1.176 million, to the Japanese Red Cross Society in support of the relief efforts to help victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. First Hawaiian established the fund with an initial $100,000. Contributions were collected at all of the bank's 63 branches in Hawaii, Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and several thousand customers contributed to the fund including $105,000 from the Friends of Hawaii Charities, $25,000 from Tanaka's of Tokyo, $5,000 from Maui Divers and $5,000 from Carole Kai Charities, among others.

> First Hawaiian Bank will also donate $25,000 to the Aloha Initiative, a program of the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui to provide citizens of Japan displaced by the March earthquake and tsunami and nuclear crisis with a home in the islands. Japanese residents selected for the program will be done on the basis of greatest personal need and circumstance and will be flown to Hawaii and spend up to 90 days with host families. The initiative will pay for ground and air transportation to and from Hawaii.

> The “Lei Day for Japan” music and cuisine benefit held May 1 at Aloha Tower Marketplace raised more than $200,000 to help the aid and recovery efforts in Japan stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Hawaiian Airlines, which presented the event, said more than 1,500 guests attended. All of the funds raised from the sale of event tickets, T-shirts and lei at the event are going to the Japan-America Society of Hawaii for donation directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society to benefit families and individuals in need.

> Chaminade University was awarded approximately $4.1 million over five years from the National Center for Minority Health and Disease of the National Institutes of Health. This award will support student preparation and faculty research focusing on health issues that disproportionately affect Pacific populations. In addition,   E.L. Wiegand Foundation of Reno, Nev., has approved a grant of $497,000 to Chaminade University’s School of Nursing. The grant will fund adult, birthing and child/infant simulators and an education management system for the nursing education program. Chaminade also received a $40,000 seed grant to initiate research on liver cancer by the Alana Dung Research Foundation. Stephen and Adelia Dung established the foundation after their daughter, Alana, became ill with leukemia, to support research focused on eliminating the pain and suffering caused by terminal illnesses affecting children.  

> The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation, host organization of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, has donated $285,190 to nonprofit organizations on Maui. This year, beneficiaries receiving the majority of the proceeds include: Boy Scouts of America, Maui County Council; Friends of the Children's Justice Center; Hale Makua; J. Walter Cameron Center; Ka Lima o Maui; Lahainaluna High School Foundation; and Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation. In addition, money raised this year went to two new organizations: the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association and Maui Family Support Services.

> Hawaii Medical Service Association Foundation awarded a total of $195,533 in grants during the first quarter of 2011 to eight community organizations and health programs: Friends of Family Specialty Courts, $100,000; Hawaii Health Systems Corp., $16,500; Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs, $5,000; Hawaii Primary Care Association, $4,158; Hui Malama O Ke Kai Foundation, $24,375; Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike building program, $30,000; Shriners Hospital for Children, $5,500; and Special Olympics Hawaii, $10,000.

> Bank of Hawaii Foundation has announced the 2011 Mike Lyons Maui Community Award Recipients. Community Clinic of Maui’s Malama i ke Ola Health Center, received $5,000. Hale Mahaolu Akahi and Hui Malama Learning Center were each awarded $10,000.

> First Nations Oweesta Corp. of Longmont, Colo. has awarded a $400,000 investment to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. The investment is dedicated to CNHA's community loan fund to expand its renewable energy loan program in which solar water heating systems have been installed in 150 native Hawaiian homes across Hawaii.

> The Office of Hawaiian Affairs awarded a $50,000 grant to the Alii Pauahi Hawaiian Civic Club. Funds will support the club’s effort to establish Ka Pa Aniani o Ho‘oulu, a Culture of Glass, a laboratory at farming operation Mahi‘ai ‘Ihi used to increase the production of maile plants. OHA also awarded $25,000 to support the Women in Need’s “Bridge to Success” program, which targets single native Hawaiian women with children who are minors and in crisis. Women in Need will offer support and provide intensive case management to each participant, which is tailor-made to the individual’s specific needs.

> Pacific Buddhist Academy has received a $50,000 gift from the Island Insurance Foundation, the charitable arm of Island Insurance. The gift will be used to support Pacific Buddhist Academy’s construction of new classroom facilities.

> McInerny Foundation, has awarded a $50,000 grant to PBS Hawaii to continue public education outreach with the science series “NOVA” and “Biz Kid$,” a financial literacy program for young students.

> Ward Centers’ GIVEandGET Weekend, a three-day shopping event on April 8 to 10, raised more than $57,730 for 69 local nonprofit organizations and schools that sold $10 tickets to the event and retained 100 percent of their ticket sale proceeds. The tickets provided shoppers with exclusive discounts at more than 90 Ward Centers shops and restaurants, prize giveaways and other festivities. Participants included: Ballet Hawaii; Children’s Outreach Foundation; Hawaii Foodbank; Hongwanji Mission School; The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; McKinley Band Boosters; PATCH (People Attentive to Children); and Susannah Wesley Community Center.

> Maui Jim, which markets polarized sunglasses, announced its first $10,000 contribution from the company’s “Send a Lei” promotion to the Ocean Project, a network of museums, zoos and aquariums focused on ocean education and conservation. Funds came from Maui Jim’s Facebook page, where visitors have the opportunity to send a virtual lei to their friends.

> Friends of Hawaii Charities has awarded a $5,000 grant to Kuakini Health System. To date, Kuakini has received $97,500 from the Friends of Hawaii Charities. The funds provide free health screenings and educational materials at the Great Aloha Run Sports, Health and Fitness Expo, the PrimeTime Wellness Fair, and Kuakini’s annual open house for students.

> The Hawaii Meth Project received $2,500 from the Traditional Taekwondo Center of Honolulu. The donation will support the project’s effort to reduce methamphetamine use among Hawaii teens and young adults.