Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund awards $1M to 26 Kauaʻi organizations

Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, through the Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund, have awarded a total of $1 million to benefit 26 nonprofits as part of their ongoing support for organizations across the Garden Isle.

On Kauaʻi, Chan’s and Zuckerberg’s giving is driven and informed by conversations with local residents, leaders, and service organizations, according to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, co-manager of the grants. The fund’s priority areas for 2024 are: education and youth, health and wellbeing, workforce development, affordable housing, and ʻāinaand culture.

“We have seen firsthand how the Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund at HCF has positively supported communities across Kauaʻi—and in the focus areas that they care about most,” said Micah Kāne, Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s president and CEO. “We are grateful for Priscilla’s and Mark’s generosity and their commitment to supporting the incredible work of local organizations serving Kauaʻi.”

The grants will support general operating needs, which allows the nonprofits to use the funds in the ways they best see fit to reach maximum impact for their programs and services.

“Our family is grateful for these organizations that uplift so many people and efforts on Kauaʻi. We are inspired by their hard work and dedication,” said Chan and Zuckerberg.

The 26 organizations awarded grants by the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund are:

• ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kīlauea
• Aloha Angels
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Catholic Charities
• Child & Family Service
• Hawaiian Community Assets
• Hoʻākeolapono Trades Academy & Institute
• Hui Hana Pa‘akai o Hanapēpē
• Iwikua
• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board
• Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project
• Kauaʻi Habitat for Humanity
• Kaulu I Ka Pono Academy
• Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank
• Kauaʻi North Shore Food Pantry
• Kauaʻi Planning and Action Alliance
• Keala Foundation
• Kīpuka Kuleana
• Kumano I Ke Ala
• Kupu
• Mālama Kaua‘i
• Nā Maka Onaona
• Permanently Affordable Living Hawai’i
• The Hanalei Initiative
• UH Foundation – Kauaʻi Community College
• Women in Need

“We are grateful for the award from the Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund,” said Kaina Makua, executive director of Kumano I Ke Ala. “Through the vital support of dedicated funders like Priscilla and Mark we are galvanized in our continued mission to nurture the next generation’s connection to our land, ensuring that our cultural heritage and sustainable farming methods rooted in Aloha ʻĀina remain strong and vibrant for years to come.”

“The support from the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund empowers our team to expand our reach and deepen our impact,” said Cheyna Bargayo, Kauaʻi Program manager, Hawaiian Community Assets. “With these funds, we’ve been able to offer more Kaua‘i families the financial tools and affordable housing resources they need to achieve stability and security. This grant fuels our commitment to building a resilient and thriving Kaua‘i community.”

“This grant provides much needed funds for our efforts to protect some of Hawaiʻi’s rarest forest birds, like the ʻakikiki, ʻakekeʻe, and ʻanianiau,” said Dr. Lisa “Cali” Crampton, Program manager for the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project. “With this funding, we will be able to work towards preventing their extinction and restoring upland forests to make them a safe place for these species.”

The Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation was established in 2019. To date, the fund has supported over 75 organizations across the island.