About Us
Get to know the members of the Environmental Funders Group.
Who we are
The Hawai‘i Environmental Funders Group (HEFG) is a network of philanthropic individuals and institutions engaged in active, substantial grantmaking to promote environmental and community sustainability in the Hawaiian Islands. The HEFG’s purpose is to foster peer learning and collaboration among its members and to steadily increase philanthropic support from both inside and outside of the state for environmental and sustainability efforts in Hawai‘i.
HEFG members are thinkers and leaders who are interested in an array of topics including conservation, biocultural restoration, climate resiliency and adaptation, renewable energy, agriculture and food security, long-term sustainability, environmental justice, green infrastructure, and more.
The HEFG is a place-based program of the Biodiversity Funders Group.
Meet the EFG Affiliates
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A Hawaiʻi-based funder who supports environmental issues.
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The mission of the AES Hawaiʻi Foundation is to empower local communities to create a brighter, more sustainable future. Driven by the company's values and longstanding commitment to community engagement, the AES Hawaiʻi Foundation serves as the heart of AES Hawaiʻi’s social impact giving. The Foundation was formally established in 2021 to build upon AES Hawaiʻi’s decades of giving in Hawaiʻi. They are committed to improving the lives of local residents and building stronger communities.
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The Atherton Family Foundation makes grants for programs that benefit the people of Hawai‘i. The Foundation currently funds in the following areas: arts, culture, and humanities; community development; education; environment; health; human services; spiritual development; and youth development.
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The Healy Foundation partners with nonprofit teams working to mitigate climate change, protect ecosystems, educate and advocate for youth and reduce child poverty.
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Founded in 1962, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation works to build resources for Hawaii’s future. They do so by investing in promising initiatives and organizations through grantmaking, using our convening power, and introducing and spreading new ideas and approaches to help solve some of Hawaii’s most pressing problems. Their 2017 Mission and Strategies:
(1) to close the achievement gap in public education so that all of Hawaii’s children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have access to and benefit from high-quality education, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, that prepares them for a successful future;
(2) to restore Hawaii’s nearshore marine life populations so that future generations can benefit and learn from this rich natural resource;
(3) to build on the strengths of Windward Oahu communities through investments that support the region’s rich cultural legacy, its youth and families, and its natural resources; and
(4) to support a limited number of other unforeseen but compelling opportunities to make a big difference in Hawaii’s future.
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The Hawaii Community Foundation helps people make a difference by inspiring the spirit of giving and by investing in people and solutions to benefit every Island community. At the Hawaii Community Foundation, we strive to use both our heads and our hearts to help Hawaii in meaningful and measurable ways. Using the collective wisdom from our network of supporters, we are able to make effective decisions, powered by philanthropic passion, to improve our communities.
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Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established by Helga Glaesel-Hollenback who, in her words, “found great happiness on the islands of Hawai‘i” and through her philanthropy sought “to return the generosity of the islands.”
Because the Foundation was established to return the generosity the Foundation's benefactor found while living in Hawaiʻi, the Board had agreed that the Foundation's mission will be carried out primarily in Hawaiʻi.
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Within a generation of twenty-five years, Kamehameha Schools envisions a thriving lāhui where our learners achieve postsecondary educational success, enabling good life and career choices.
KS’ impact has been far-reaching throughout the pae ʻāina with over 61,000 learner experiences through campus and community-based programs in fiscal year 2019-20. On average, KS spends $400M each year to create educational opportunities for Native Hawaiian learners.
Approximately, 97% of the educational spending is funded by KS’ endowment. The commercial real estate portfolio accounts for 31% of KS’ educational spend. While the portfolio provides the financial resources to support our mission, it also helps to activate communities, grow the local economy, and provide educational opportunities to develop Hawai‘i’s future leaders.
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The Ulupono Initiative invests in innovative organizations to fuel change. Their work focuses on what we can do to help transform our community and the lives of our neighbors. Ulupono uses a systems approach to understand how partners and projects work together to create the most impact. They aim to play a catalytic role with our investments, providing capital and guidance that will take a solid plan further, faster. As a for-profit investment firm, Ulupono typically focuses each year on several investments of $1 million to $3 million in key mission projects. They work closely with investees to help them achieve their goals, seeking a governance role where appropriate. Their investments span both the for-profit and non-profit sectors to ensure they’re supporting strong ideas that will catapult toward their goal of greater self-sufficiency for Hawaii.