Lahaina wildfire survivors among beneficiaries of Bank of Hawaiʻi fundraising campaign

A grant program designed to keep Lahaina families in their homes is among the initiatives receiving support following a record-breaking $623,000 fundraising campaign by Bank of Hawai‘i employees and retirees.

The 2025 Live Kōkua Giving Campaign, which concluded Oct. 31, directed a portion of its corporate proceeds toward the Holomua Collective. The organization’s Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Grant Program focuses on assisting families at risk of loan default following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. The program aims to ensure that recovered properties remain primary residences or long-term rentals for local residents rather than being lost to the real estate market.

The funding for the Lahaina recovery initiative was part of the bank’s 15th annual campaign, which supported more than 300 Aloha United Way partner nonprofits. Since its inception in 2010, the employee-led drive has raised more than $9.4 million for organizations across the state.

Bank of Hawai‘i Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter Ho presented the $623,000 check to Aloha United Way CEO Michelle Bartell during the 14th annual Bankoh Tree Lighting Celebration on Dec. 10 at the bank’s Main Branch in Honolulu.

“I’m truly inspired by the generosity and passion our bank ‘ohana brings to this effort,” Ho said. “This campaign reflects the heart of our team, and it’s amazing to see everyone come together to uplift the nonprofits doing vital work in our communities.”

In total, the bank, its foundation and its staff contributed more than $2.8 million to community initiatives throughout 2025.

Beyond the wildfire recovery efforts in Lahaina, the bank’s foundation also provided support to the Hawaiʻi Mobile Museum of Tolerance and the YMCA of Honolulu for the construction of a new 99,000-square-foot facility.

Other nonprofits benefiting from the campaign included US VETS Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center, ʻAha Pūnana Leo, Domestic Violence Action Center, Child & Family Service, Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi and Junior Achievement of Hawaiʻi.