Beneficiary Application

We are no longer accepting applications for 2011 beneficiaries. Applications for our 2012 beneficiaries will become available early next year.

Past Beneficiaries

Hawaii Youth Symphony

Focus of Contribution: Music Alive Program, an initiative to help meet the needs of a community and educational system that is starved for live musical/educational performances. With the absence of the Honolulu Symphony, there is a need for high-quality performances in several venues across the state. HYS is the only organization that can fill this gap. This program will secure outreach programming for community and educational concerts on different islands throughout the next three years. This year’s combined gift will ensure the funding for the first two years to be planned and executed. There will be a minimum of ten major performances each year servicing over 30,000 children during the three years. Educational concerts and preparation material distributed to teachers and students help children of Hawaii meet general learning outcomes and state music standards.

HYS Mission: HYS fills a large gap in music education for Hawaii’s youth. Though music education has lasting, positive effects on childhood development and learning, the quality of HYS’s music program is not available in most public schools. Few music specialists exist at the elementary schools and only 15% of the state’s high schools offer any type of orchestral program. HYS provides a learning environment that fosters cooperation, communication and teamwork among students from many schools and cultural backgrounds. HYS collaborates with artists, musicians, composers, entertainers and arts groups throughout the state and beyond to give its students musical experiences they cannot find elsewhere.

Boys & Girls Club

Focus of Contribution: Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI), The JDAI initiative focuses on the idea to provide an alternative to sending Hawaii’s youth that need to be protected from negative conditions at home or have committed non-violent crimes to a juvenile detention center. Too often this segment of the center’s occupants are put into environments that often times make their situation worse. This program proposes to utilize the infrastructure of the existing Boys & Girls club in Waianae to develop a clubhouse program with the help of the juvenile court system. The gift will ensure funding for the key staff position during its pilot year and until it receives federal funding.

JDAI Mission: Hawaii’s Juvenile Justice System differs from most states as there are no alternatives to detention. As a result, youth who have committed non-violent, minor transgressions such as curfew violation, running away from a troubled home, and truancy are locked up with youth that have committed serious and violent crimes. These youth are now negatively impacted as they “learn the ropes” of serious crimes. Through the partnership with the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii (BGCH) seeks to provide forty (40) youth referred by the Juvenile Courts with access to the BGCH Waianae Clubhouse. BGCH will provide one (1) staff to run The Journey Program and provide case notes to the youth participants’ probation officer. The program will engage participants in all available activities of the Waianae Clubhouse including The Journey Program, Ohana “family” nights and service learning. Key skills learned will be: volunteerism, pro-social skills and leadership development.

Hawaii Nature Center

Focus of Contribution: Construction of a New Sheltered Pavilion for Expansion of Programs, The Hawaii Nature Center in Makiki Valley is operating its facility at full capacity. An additional program shelter would enable them to expand several programs, including revenue generating events that would help ensure their future sustainability as an impactful contributor to environmental educational services in the community.

HNC Mission: The Hawaii Nature Center has fulfilled an important educational and conservation mission: “to foster awareness, appreciation and understanding of the environment by and for the people of Hawaii, and to encourage wise stewardship of the islands in the future”. The legacy of the HNC’s field programs is an environmentally literate public, whose understanding of local natural and cultural history and environmental issues are grounded in an inspired sense of place. To date, the Hawaii Nature Center has served nearly 750,000 children, teachers, families and visitors with its variety of environmental programs.

Hawaii Literacy

Focus of Contribution:

1. Literacy & Technology Initiative, will provide computer access and educational instruction for low-income adults and children in a variety of high need settings to promote better educational and employment outcomes. Will serve approximately 600 children and 150 adults annually.
2. Parents Achieving Literacy Project, will support literacy tutoring and parent support programs that help children learn to read, write and succeed in school while their parents increase literacy skills. Will serve approximately 110 adults and 250 children annually.
3. 3. Youth Tutoring Project & Literacy Classes, will expand Family Literacy activities to include individual and small group on-site tutoring for low-income youth in Family Literacy programs, bookmobile programs and children with parents in ‘drop-in’ center programs, working with community partners and new trained volunteer tutors.

Hawaii Literacy Mission: Our mission is to help people gain knowledge and skills by providing literacy and lifelong learning services

Hui Malama Learning Center (Maui)

Hui Malama Learning Center, a non-profit (501c3), was originally created to address the academic needs of local youth, primarily teen mothers, who had dropped out or been expelled from the public school system. As their mission states, "Our caring environment provides unique educational opportunities to youth and families of Maui Nui." (Since its inception) Hui Malama has provided educational alternatives and academic support services to over 20,000 children, families and adults in Maui County. Last year alone, Hui Malama's integrative programs served more than 1200 individuals, over 1000 of them under the age of 19, by helping students to realize academic and personal success and improve their employment opportunities." The Gift Foundation of Hawaii will be assisting HMLC and their new Executive Director, Pualani Enos, with the launching of their pilot special-education program for 2009. (Total Pilot Budget: $120K)

Spirit Sessions (Oahu)

Spirit Sessions has launched its first full year of assisting at-risk and troubled teens through the Hawaii Girls Court Program, teaching life lessons through surfing and counselor guided 'talk-circles'. The Gift Foundation of Hawaii's goal will be to assist with the He`e Nalu Learning Center, their new pilot marine biology program, providing ocean based experiential learning as a part of the Spirit Sessions project. (Total NALU Budget 2009: $38K)

Kanu Hawaii

Kanu Hawaii is a movement of people drawing on island strengths to make Hawaii a model of environmental sustainability, economic resilience and compassionate community. Kanu Hawaii is pursuing this vision through "island style" activism that starts with changing ourselves before pointing any fingers; trying to lead by example, then asking others - including neighbors, businesses, and government - to change.

The Childrens Discovery Center

The Children's Discovery Center, A world-class, interactive, participatory learning environment designed to inspire the young and "young-at-heart" to new heights of learning and discovery.

The Center provides an environment that encourages children to use their senses of touch, sight, hearing, and smell to gain a better understanding of the world around them.

Their goals are to help children develop positive self-concept and an understanding of others in Hawaii's multicultural community, and to offer them a "window to the world" beyond our island shores.

Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii

Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii is a NARHA member center offering therapeutic riding and regular riding lessons since 1983. THH is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Their goal is to improve the minds and bodies of their riders using horses as therapy tools. We specialize in physically or mentally disabled children and adults, but provide instruction to riders of any ability.

'AINA In Schools

The 'AINA In Schools Program is a farm-to-school program that consists of six integrated components: nutrition education in classrooms, promotion of healthy school lunches featuring locally grown produce, garden-based learning, solid waste management, farm field trips and community outreach. This program was designed by The Kokua Hawaii Foundation to ensure the future health of the children, communities and environment in Hawaii. A pilot program has been implemented at five elementary schools on Oahu, and the goal is to make the 'AINA In Schools program available to more of Hawaii's public schools in the near future. The Kokua Foundation of Hawaii was established in 2003, and is a non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii. Their mission is to provide students with exciting and interactive encounters that will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of their environment so that they will be lifelong stewards of the earth.

The North Shore Community Land Trust

The North Shore Community Land Trust is an organization committed to preserving the Pupukea-Paumalu property on the North Shore. Community members, multiple levels of government, and supporters from around the world are working to conserve Pupukea Paumalu and implement community stewardship of its unique resources. An unprecedented coalition including the surf industry, the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawaii, the Federal government, the US Army Garrison Hawaii, and other contributors have committed financial support for the public acquisition and permanent protection of Pupukea Paumalu. Once it is permanently protected, Pupukea-Paumalu will be managed as a natural area and will be open to the public soon after community plans for educational programs, public access, safety features are completed. The area is well-suited for activities such as hiking, nature study, biking, horseback riding, and agricultural and cultural resource restoration.

O'hia Productions

The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii is pleased to support Ohia Productions, as it is a perfect fit with the Foundation's objectives supporting both education and youth. By bringing performing arts into the classroom, the "Imagination Soars" program integrates performing and visual arts while addressing multiple learning styles, engaging the verbal, aural and kinesthetic learners. Hawaii's youth needs this kind of support which celebrates not only the arts, but recognizes environmental education.

Positive Coaching Alliance-Hawai'i

Sports and coaches can teach valuable life lessons, while keeping our kids off the streets. Unfortunately many of us have to turn over our children to coaches who have had no training. Their "win at all costs" mentality creates a pressure-filled environment for kids, which eventually turns 70 percent of them away from sports and, worst of all, teaches them poor life lessons.

Positive Coaching Alliance-Hawai'i provides training, workshops and practical tools for coaches, parents and sports association leaders to get them to learn how to "Honor the Game" and win. The Stanford-based national office also educates those who shape the youth sports experience by offering partnership programs to youth sports organizations, schools, cities and national sports governing bodies.

Ma'O Farms

"Ne huli ka lima iluna, popoli ka opu; Ne huli ka lima ilalo, piha ka opu." These words express the philosophy and mission of the first organic farm, MA'O Farms, cradled in the "womb of O'ahu", on the Wai'anae Coast. This Hawaiian proverb translates as: "When your hands are turned up, you will be hungry, when your hands are turned to the soil you will be full."

Mala 'Ai 'Opio (MA'O) Farms, in partnership with Leeward Community College through the Wai'anae Organic Agriculture Center, has adopted as its mission "to fight hunger, improve nutrition, strengthen local food security, and empower low-income families to move toward self-sufficiency through sustainable and culturally appropriate economic opportunities." One of the farm's immediate goals is to emphasize the benefits of organic farming and expand organic agriculture throughout Wai'anae. By supporting local farmers and providing training activities, MA'O can bring the message home to the community.

College Connections Hawaii

College Connections Hawaii (CCH) is a nonprofit educational charity set up for the following purpose: To improve educational opportunities for Hawaii's students.

CCH was started in 1999 because so many students in Hawaii face obstacles to pursuing their educational potential, including a lack of information about college admissions, inability to afford college prep services such as test preparation classes, misinformation about financial aid and scholarships, discouragement about their ability to get in and achieve in college, and inadequate preparation for the academic demands of higher education.

There are many for-profit businesses that provide supplemental educational services such as tutoring and test preparation, At CCH we are driven to create greater access to educational opportunity, regardless of people's income level. Revenues from class fees, donations, and grants increase our ability to serve more students in more communities across the state. In just a few years of existence, we've helped thousands of Hawaii students prepare for, attend and afford college.