International Day of Charity 2022: Adopting CHANGE and Supporting the Efforts of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation 

On September 5, 2022, individuals and communities around the world will observe the International Day of Charity. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, the International Day of Charity is intended to encourage all of us to turn our attention toward the needs in our world.

Here in Hawai’i, many children face challenging situations, families struggle with financial stability, communities reel from medical care shortages, our ocean and freshwater resources need preservation, and our forests need better protection. Through giving our time, money, or both, we can provide a boost for individuals in need, a catalyst for social change, and a lever for reform.

From philanthropic work to volunteering, there are many ways to celebrate the International Day of Charity on September 5th, one of which is helping to transform lives and improve Hawai’i’s communities by supporting the powerful efforts of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF).

The Heart of Hawai‘i Community Foundation

At the heart of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is a commitment to deliver meaningful impact that will benefit Hawai‘i. A steward of over 1,050 funds, including more than 300 scholarship funds, HCF inspires generosity, advocates for equity, and invests in community.

HCF tracks trends, commissions studies, organizes conferences and workshops, disperses information to our communities, and leverages social investments to solve the crucial issues that Hawai‘i faces. It accomplishes this by connecting philanthropic partners like Hawai’i Life with nonprofit, community, business and government leaders.

“HCF thinks long term, looking at what needs to happen over a scope of time,” says Matt Beall, Hawai’i Life’s chief executive officer and principal broker. “They’re not just … showing up to put a fire out, but thinking about when you plant the seeds to get the forest back.”

To plant these seeds and build a better Hawai’i, HCF connects communities to resources through the CHANGE Framework. The framework identifies six essential areas that impact the overall well-being of Hawaii’s islands and people: Community and Economy, Health and Wellness, Arts and Culture, Natural Environment, Government and Civics, and Education. Sustainable data points explain what is occurring within each area and identify needs that exist statewide.

The Core of Hawai’i Life’s Company Culture

For the past eight years, Hawai’i Life has been working to incorporate philanthropy into our corporate culture and support Hawaii’s people through the Hawai’i Life Charitable Fund (HLCF), a donor-advised fund at the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

Inspired by the way in which HCF addresses multi-dimensional challenges and utilizes CHANGE as a data-driven approach, Beall aligned Hawai’i Life’s grantmaking efforts with the CHANGE Framework last year. And working within this comprehensive set of statewide data has already enabled Hawai’i Life to better focus the philanthropic efforts that are at the core of our company culture.

In 2021 alone, Hawaiʻi Life’s brokers and agents used the CHANGE Framework to make $10,000 grants to Hui o Kuapā, Trees for Honolulu’s Future, Yes Education, Mālama Nā ʻApapa, Kilauea Point Natural History Association, Hui Aloha Kīholo, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Haleakalā Conservancy, Maui Nui Makai Network, and Sustainable Molokaʻi.

“As our working relationship with HCF has grown, we’ve really seen what they’re capable of and where they add so much value to their donors whose funds they administer,” affirms Beall.

Giving Back as a Lifestyle

While the International Day of Charity is an excellent opportunity to make a difference through philanthropic work, philanthropy should be much more than a decision we make once a year. At Hawai’i Life, we encourage everyone to make giving back a lifestyle.

“You don’t see trash on the beach and decide to pick it up just because you made a sale or had a good day at work,” says Beall. “You pick up trash because it’s the right thing to do. It’s the same with giving—we should do it by nature.”

Hawaiʻi Life has always been passionate about helping Hawai’i and its people, protecting the natural environment, and conservation of land through HLCF. Since anyone can make a donation, we invite you to consider joining the many agents and brokers who donate a portion of their commissions from escrow to HCF or other charities through the Hawaiʻi Life Charitable Fund (HLCF).

For more information about becoming a HLCF donor, please visit: Hawai’i Life Charitable Fund

For more information on helping the Hawai’i Community Foundation, please visit: Hawai’i Community Foundation