About Us

Get to know the members of the Environmental Funders Group.

Who we are

The Hawai‘i Environmental Funders Group (EFG) is a network of philanthropic individuals and institutions engaged in active, substantial grantmaking to promote environmental and community sustainability in the Hawaiian Islands. The EFG’s purpose is to foster 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.

EFG 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 EFG is convened and coordinated by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

Meet the EFG Affiliates

  • A Hawaiʻi-based funder who supports environmental issues.

  • AES Hawaiʻi is committed to being an active, investment member of the communities they serve. They aim to utilize projects to invest in the communities where they operate. The stable tax revenue generated by each of their projects fund county services such as education and municipalities. On top of this, they have worked hard to bring community benefits through employee volunteerism, donations and meaningful partnerships.

  • 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.

  • The Healy Foundation partners with nonprofit teams working to mitigate climate change, protect ecosystems, educate and advocate for youth and reduce child poverty.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • A mainland-based funder that supports environment and education.

  • 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.