Hawai‘i’s National Philanthropy Day 2023

This year the AFP Aloha Chapter celebrates its 40th anniversary. More now than ever, we see the critical role our nonprofit organizations and partners play in the daily challenges of uplifting our community. In the face of tragedy and on the front lines of recovery, the devotion of our fundraisers and the passion of our generous donors are a kismet of opportunity. We are honored to have been witness to those stories. Our hearts and minds continue to be with Maui and to those who lost much more than many of us can comprehend.

Founded in Hawai‘i in 1983, the AFP Aloha Chapter is comprised of those mainly involved in nonprofit development, nonprofit management and fundraising consulting. The AFP is a chapter of the international organization Association of Fundraising Professionals, with members on O‘ahu, Maui County, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island.

Annually, the AFP Aloha Chapter celebrates the community’s inspiring and committed fundraisers on the frontlines, along with leaders in philanthropy who give not only their funding, but their time and talent as well, to make Hawai‘i thrive. Everyone can make a difference, whether with time, talent, or treasure.

The Chapter is delighted to welcome these outstanding awardees to a distinguished group of community leaders making a difference:

• Outstanding Corporation: Hawaii Dental Service
• Outstanding Foundation: Nuestro Futuro Foundation
• Outstanding Philanthropist: Lynne Johnson
• Paulette V. Maehara Community Leadership Award: Dr. Sulma Gandhi
• Outstanding Fundraising Professional: Keoni Vaughn
• President’s Award (Co-recipients): Aloha Shriners and The Garden Club of Honolulu

Paulette V. Maehara Community Leadership Award: Dr. Sulma Gandhi

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Sulma Gandhi

For more than two decades, Dr. Sulma Gandhi has been working to improve lives across Hawai‘i as a social entrepreneur and innovator dedicated to healthy outcomes.

Gandhi is the founder of Conscious Communities, which provides groundbreaking programs to empower individuals and organizations to practice collective responsibility toward eliminating violence and promoting safe and respectful environments.

With experience in health and human services in both nonprofit and public organizations, Gandhi has witnessed how barriers to health care for individuals can result in significant preexisting health conditions and inequitable representation, which can then extend to factors such as education, occupation, transportation, and housing.

In 2021, Gandhi joined the Stupski Foundation and serves as the health program officer, leading investments in Hawai‘i that are focused on critical areas of maximizing early brain development and improving serious illness care. Her passion, she says, is building diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities for a thriving Hawai‘i.

“Hawai‘i’s diverse cultures, community expertise, and lived experiences are critical to improving health outcomes and social equity,” Gandhi says. “I am grateful to find alignment in the Foundation’s vision that all people have the opportunity to enjoy a life marked by dignity, connectedness, and caring.”

Gandhi is also a reiki master, and holds a M.A. degree in science from the University of Victoria, Canada, and a Ph.D. in business with a focus in health care management and leadership.

Of her many community services, Gandhi serves on the Hilo Medical Center Foundation Board, Hawai‘i Suicide Prevention Taskforce, Safe Spaces and Workplaces Initiative, and the Early Childhood Action Strategy. She was also the recipient of the Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Award, which recognizes women’s contributions and leadership in business and community service. She was also chosen as an Omidyar Fellow through the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum.

Gandhi says she is the proud daughter of Indian immigrants, loves to travel, compose poetry, and delights in the authentic foods and art of diverse cultures. She and her partner are parents of twin young adults, and you can find her ‘ohana hiking at Volcano National Park and exploring the ‘āina and wai of Hawai‘i.

Outstanding Foundation: Nuestro Futuro Foundation

Photo: Aaron Yoshino

The origins of Nuestro Futuro Foundation began over twenty years ago when the founders, Peter Hagedorn and Miriam Trahan, created technology centers for youth in Bolivia. Since 2009, Nuestro Futuro has dedicated its philanthropic work to supporting Maui Nui, focusing on addiction recovery, education, community building, and food security. Abigail Perrin is the Executive Director of Nuestro Futuro Foundation, and in her role she emphasizes the importance of connection, collaboration, and belief in the catalytic possibilities of effective philanthropy. Abigail received her B.A. from UH Manoa and her M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy IUPUI. On behalf of the Nuestro Futuro Foundation, she serves on the Advisory Board for the Funder Hui and as co-chair for the Food and Farmer Funders Working Group.

At the very heart of Nuestro Futuro’s work is the importance of listening and supporting organizations that will have a multiplier effect in the community. Since 2021, Nuestro Futuro has partnered with Hawai‘i Public Health Institute to provide a 50% match for a full-time Maui County Food Access Coordinator tasked with improving the food system in Maui County and increasing access to fresh local foods, especially for populations experiencing food insecurity. This has proven so beneficial, that in 2023 the newly formed Maui Department of Agriculture is onboarding a full-time Food Access Coordinator to serve Maui County. This is a great example as to how philanthropy can provide the risk capital to support positions that can later be adopted by government if proven effective.

Through community feedback, Nuestro Futuro became acutely aware of many pressing issues Maui faced that were not receiving the exposure they deserved. To address this, the foundation initiated a funding partnership with Civil Beat to support a full time investigative reporter for Maui County. With all of the many events that have affected Maui over the last two years and specifically the most recent wildfires, this has been an enormous benefit to the Maui community as many voices are being heard and issues being brought to light that may have otherwise been ignored.

Outstanding Corporation: Hawaii Dental Service

Dr. Diane Paloma, President and CEO, Hawaii Dental Service | Photo: Aaron Yoshino

Hawaii Dental Service was founded in 1962 by 15 local, pioneering dentists who had a strong commitment to provide quality dental care to the community. It now serves nearly one million customers across Hawai‘i islands.

As a nonprofit dental service corporation, its customers represent the islands’ diverse residents, industries, companies, unions, associations, nonprofit organizations, Medicaid beneficiaries, and those enrolled in HDS individual plans.

HDS continues working to elevate oral health in the islands with philanthropy through its HDS Foundation and direct corporate gifts. Since 1975, HDS and the HDS Foundation have provided almost $5 million in philanthropic support to University of Hawai‘i programs, more than three quarters of that in the past two years alone. This includes a $2.25  Hawaii Dental Service million gift to establish an endowment for a new part-time faculty position at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Matthew Oishi, a public health dentist at Kōkua Kalihi Valley, is the inaugural oral health director, charged with developing an innovative oral health curriculum for aspiring physicians during their four years in medical school. The program includes lectures, workshops, and clinical training in JABSOM’s H.O.M.E. (Houseless Outreach and Medical Education) program where students learn about oral assessments, dental referral issues and management of acute dental problems.

In addition, HDS gave $1 million to endow a scholarship for students enrolled in dental hygiene programs at UH Mānoa, the UH Maui College Dental Hygiene Program and Oral Health Center, and the Kapi‘olani Community College Dental Assistant Program.

Outstanding Philanthropist: Lynne Johnson

Photo: Aaron Yoshino

Arts and music thrive in Honolulu today, thanks in part to the contributions of Dr. Lynne Johnson.

Serving as executive director of the Honolulu Academy of Art (an unpaid position) she helped steer merger discussions with the Academy and The Contemporary Museum in 2010, to join the two museums and create a financially strong museum for Hawai‘i.

As board chair of the Honolulu Symphony Society, Johnson also guided the society through a difficult period of financial challenge by managing to keep the Society afloat from 1994-1997, keeping musicians paid and the music going.

Johnson earned a Ph.D. in musicology from UH Mānoa in 2009, and now teaches music history. She is a board member at Manoa Heritage Center, was a recipient of the YWCA’s Leader Award in 1997, and was recognized as Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by AFP in 1998. In addition, Johnson co-produces “Chasing the Light,” a weekly inspirational column in MidWeek Magazine.

Along with keeping music in the community alive, playing music is Johnson’s other passion, and she says she plays piano every day.

Outstanding Fundraising Professional: Keoni Vaughn

Photo: Aaron Yoshino

At the lanai cat sanctuary, Keoni Vaughn has served as executive director since 2014, and oversees a staff of 12 who care for more than 650 cats on a daily basis. Under his direction, the Sanctuary is also positioned as the number one visitor attraction on the island. Vaughn specializes in finding common ground on opposing views regarding conservation efforts for native and endangered birds and feral cats. In addition, this past May, Vaughn started up a mobile veterinary clinic called Lanai Veterinary Care that provides the island’s only access to veterinary care for pets including a free spay and neutering program for all pets on island year-round.

Born and raised on O‘ahu, Vaughn has worked in animal welfare for nearly 20 years. Prior to joining the Sanctuary, he served as the Vice President and Director of Operations of the Hawaiian Humane Society where he oversaw a staff of 50, ran the admissions, shelter adoptions and partnerships, lost and found and animal care services at Hawai‘i’s largest shelter, where more than 30,000 animals would arrive in need every year. Before that, he served as head of the organization’s investigations and rescues division where he busted puppy mills, fought for stronger animal protection laws and worked with prosecutors and police to bring animal abusers to justice.

Vaughn has rallied a following to the Sanctuary’s social media platforms through innovative content and engagement, as well as working with media including The Dodo, Bored Panda, Los Angeles Times, Expedia.com, huffpost.com, BuzzFeed.com, People Magazine, CNN Travel, and CBS Sunday Morning to create videos that have gone viral with over 35 million views.

Vaughn also served on the Board of Directors (past-president) of CrimeStoppers Honolulu from 2009-2022 and is a board member of the Friends of Court Appointed Special Advocates for foster children, and a board member of the FBI Honolulu Citizens Academy Alumni Association, which helps the FBI support community outreach activities.

Born and raised in Waimānalo, he lives with his wife Jacque and son Hunter in Hawaii Kai.

President’s Award: The Garden Club of Honolulu

Jan Tucker, President of The Garden Club of Honolulu, and Kitty Wo, past President | Photos: Aaron Yoshino; Courtesy of Mark Leo and Mark Rubenstein

Malama aina is the prevailing principle of The Garden Club of Honolulu, which has consistently embraced this ethos for nearly a century.

In June, TGCH presented the “Beyond the Reef” Flower Show at the Honolulu Museum of Art, focusing on marine conservation. About 90 horticultural specialists flew in from across the country to judge spectacular displays of horticulture, flower arranging, photography, botanical jewelry, and needle arts.

TGCH was established in 1930 by a dedicated and passionate group of exclusively women garden enthusiasts. They began by visiting each other’s gardens and inviting specialists to share insights on things like fertilizers and tools, then created friendly competitions to showcase the most extraordinary hibiscus blooms and roses.

The inaugural TGCH Flower Show took place in 1931 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, now known as the Honolulu Museum of Art, and within a year gained membership in the national Garden Club of America.

Throughout the 1950s, the club’s activities grew along with Hawai‘i’s expanding global presence. Annual flower shows and public beautification initiatives enriched the beauty of O‘ahu while deepening horticultural knowledge.

In the 1960s and 1970s, membership in TGCH continued to grow, and it evolved into a community partner dedicated to preserving Hawai‘i’s natural splendor. The club continued to welcome expert speakers from both local and international backgrounds, educating its members and the community. It also invested in enhancing various public spaces through hardscape and landscape improvements.

In 1989, the flower show stood out by celebrating Hawai‘i’s cultural diversity through exhibits of horticulture, floral design, photography, and botanical arts. The Flower Shows have evolved to encompass showcases of sustainability and environmental protection efforts.

President’s Award: The Garden Club of Honolulu: Aloha Shriners

Marc Reubenstein, Potentate, Aloha Shriners

The Aloha Shriners Fraternity helps keiki worldwide receive much needed pediatric care from the team of professionals at Shriners Children’s Hawai‘i through its Patient Transportation Fund.

The 650-member fraternity contributes about $250,000 each year, which is used towards air and ground transportation for keiki and their chaperone to and from the neighbor islands, Pacific Basin countries and territories, and other faraway places.

With chapters on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island, as well as Guam, Japan, Korea, and American Samoa, Aloha Shriners hosts many fundraising events at its Shriners Beach Club in Waimānalo, which is the backbone of their extensive fundraising and community awareness activities.

Mark Leo, Chairman,
Hawai‘i Board of Governors, Shriners Children’s Hawai‘i

Many members of the fraternity also make additional personal donations in support of Shriners Children’s Hawai‘i’s mission, which helps keiki with specialized orthopedic conditions live their best lives regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Shriners International is a worldwide fraternal organization of men dedicated to brotherhood, compassion and service to others, and is known for its philanthropic efforts. In Hawai‘i, Shriners’ roots date back to King Kalākaua who became a Shriner in San Francisco just days before his passing in 1891.

Internationally, more than 200 Shriners Centers across North America, South America, Europe, and Southeast Asia host a wide array of fundraising events throughout the year — all in support of Shriners Children’s, a network of 20 healthcare facilities in the US, Mexico, and Canada.