First Hawaiian Bank Employees Donate $877K to Charities
First Hawaiian Bank today announced that bank employees and retirees donated a total of $877,457 to 32 charities in Hawaiʻi, Guam, and Saipan as part of the bank’s annual Kōkua Mai campaign.
The bank’s Kōkua Mai giving program allows its employees to contribute to causes and charities that are personally meaningful to them. Established in 2007, employees and retirees have donated over $9.5 million through Kōkua Mai in support of thousands of people who receive assistance through non-profit organizations that are a part of the program.
Although gathering for activities was curtailed this year due to COVID-19 safety precautions, FHB reports that employees remained committed to helping local non-profit agencies as they struggled to keep up with community demands – particularly the needs of our vulnerable kupuna and keiki as well as the growing number of hungry families.
An estimated 98 percent of the bank’s employees participated with financial donations this year.
“This year, our Kōkua Mai Campaign was a tremendous success. Not only did our team members step up to donate, but they went above and beyond our expectations. They truly demonstrated that the bank’s culture of caring is at the core of who we are as they selflessly donated to non-profits that are helping to meet the needs of our community as the pandemic continues to affect us all,” said Bob Harrison, First Hawaiian Bank chairman, president, and chief executive officer. “I am very proud of our ʻohana and their dedication to strengthening our communities.”
The program is run completely by employees and the bank covers all program costs so that 100 percent of every employee contribution goes to their local charity of choice in the communities FHB serves.
The program includes a variety of activities to encourage employees to donate to their favorite charities from baked goods and book sales to online auctions. This year, Kōkua Mai ran from Oct. 13 through Nov. 13 and benefited the following organizations that focus on health, education, self-sufficiency and life-sustaining services:
- American Red Cross, Hawaii, Guam & Northern Mariana Islands Chapters
- Aloha Harvest
- Aloha United Way
- Ayuda Foundation
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters Hawaiʻi
- Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi
- Boys and Girls Club of Hawaiʻi
- Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi
- Child and Family Service
- Domestic Violence Action Center
- Easter Seals Hawaii
- Family Programs Hawaiʻi
- Goodwill Industries of Hawaiʻi, Inc.
- Hale Makua Health Services
- Hawaiʻi Children’s Cancer Foundation
- Hawaiʻi Foodbank
- Hawaiʻi Island United Way
- HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support)
- Imua Family Services
- Kamaʻāina Kids
- Kauaʻi Hospice
- Kauaʻi United Way
- Lānaʻi Community Association
- Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi and Make-A-Wish Guam & CNMI
- Maui United Way
- Palama Settlement
- Pali Momi Women’s Center (Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment)
- Prevent Child Abuse Hawaiʻi
- Salvation Army Hawaiʻi (includes Guam and Saipan Corps)
- Special Olympics Hawaiʻi, Inc.
- Teach for America
- Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
Other ways First Hawaiian Bank and its employees give back to the community:
- The bank, its employees, and the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation annually donate more than $4.25 million to over 400 charities, making it one of the largest corporate contributors to charity in Hawaii.
- To help Hawaiʻi’s communities impacted by COVID-19, FHB launched the Aloha for Hawaiʻi campaign as a special program to offer much-needed support to local restaurants while at the same time providing critical funds to non-profit organizations that support those people most at risk to COVID-19 and its impacts. The campaign ran from April 13 to June 7, 2020, reaching it’s one million restaurant takeout or delivery purchase goal in just eight weeks, generating $24.5 million in support for the restaurant industry. Through the “Aloha for Hawaiʻi” Fund, the organization donated atotal of $1 million, plus an additional $25,000 through its partnership with Marcus Mariota’s Motiv8 Foundation, to Hawaiʻi, Guam, and Saipan non-profit, reaching over 536,000 people impacted by the pandemic; 354,000 meals were provided and 8,700 people received health and human services support.
- Each year, the bank’s branches serve as community collection points for various charitable causes, as well as natural disaster recovery and relief efforts, such as hurricanes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions. From Dec. 16 to 31, 2020, monetary donations are being accepted for the Good Neighbor Fund, a partnership with the Honolulu Star -Advertiser and First Hawaiian Bank to benefit Helping Hands Hawaiʻi and its Adopt A Family program.
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