The sluggish economy hasn’t slowed down First Hawaiian Bank’s charitable giving.
Bolstered by a record $605,000 raised by its employees and retirees, the state’s largest bank contributed more than $2.5 million to 400 nonprofits in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan this year and has pledged to donate $2.5 million again in 2013 to achieve its goal of $10 million for charity in four years. First Hawaiian has donated $7.5 million to nonprofits over the past three years.
"First Hawaiian takes seriously our role in investing in the communities in which we do business," First Hawaiian President and CEO Bob Harrison said. "We’ve been supporting Hawaii’s charities for over 154 years. These past few years have been especially challenging, and we’re glad that we have been able to sustain a consistent level of giving each year. I’m very proud of our foundation’s support as well as the generosity of our 2,200 employees who give from the heart every year to help our community."
The bank’s annual Kokua Mai employee-giving program, founded in 2007, had a 98 percent participation rate this year from its employees, up from 96 percent participation a year ago.
The bank also received donations from some of its 789 retirees. The $605,000 raised by the bank’s employees and retirees was designated for 37 local nonprofits and was 23 percent above the campaign’s goal of $492,000.
Since its inception, the Kokua Mai program has donated nearly $3.5 million to charities in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.
This year’s four-week campaign ran Oct. 1-31 with employees conducting department fundraisers throughout that period.
"We have some of the most generous employees who not only donate money, but they also volunteer their time and talents in the community throughout the year," said Iris Matsumoto, First Hawaiian executive vice president of human resources. "Our employees had a lot of fun coming up with some very creative fundraisers for our Kokua Mai campaign. They held Zumba-thons, HI-5 recycling drives, country store sales, and donated items for silent auctions."
Robin Johnson, CEO of HUGS (Help, Understanding & Group Support), said First Hawaiian’s donation will aid seriously ill keiki.
"Kokua Mai helps to provide hospital visits, respite nights, a summer siblings camp and emergency medical airfare," Johnson said. "We’re so grateful that First Hawaiian Bank has joined us in embracing Hawaii’s children with life-threatening illnesses and their families in HUGS."
Jerry Rauckhorst, president and CEO of Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, said the bank’s contributions help support the nonprofit’s 30 programs and services statewide which benefited more than 40,000 individuals in need last year.
The donations also help with disasters.
"We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of First Hawaiian Bank employees to help further our mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors," said American Red Cross CEO Coralie Matayoshi.
First Hawaiian, with $16.1 billion in assets, was founded in 1858 and is the state’s oldest bank. It operates 58 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan.
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LENDING A HAND
First Hawaiian Bank’s 2012 Kokua Mai agencies that
received $605,000 from employees and retirees:
>> Aloha Harvest
>> Aloha United Way
>> American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter
>> Ayuda Foundation, CNMI
>> Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council
>> Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii
>> Catholic Charities Hawai‘i
>> Child & Family Service
>> Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement
>> Domestic Violence Action Center
>> Easter Seals Hawaii
>> Family Programs Hawaii
>> Girl Scout Council of Hawaii
>> Goodwill Industries of Hawaii
>> Hale Kipa
>> Hale Makua
>> Hawaii Foodbank
>> Hawaii Island United Way
>> Hawaii Nature Center
>> Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation
>> HUGS (Help, Understanding & Group Support)
>> Imua Family Services
>> Kama‘aina Kids
>> Kauai Hospice
>> Kauai United Way
>> Lanai Community Association
>> MADD Hawaii or MADD Guam
>> Make-a-Wish Foundation of Hawaii or Make-a-Wish Foundation of Guam
>> Maui United Way
>> PACT (Parents and Children Together)
>> PATCH (People Attentive to Children)
>> Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii
>> Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands
>> Special Olympics Hawaii
>> Teach for America
>> The Arc in Hawaii
>> Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
