While we look ahead to the relaunch of the Pilina Fund Grant to build community resiliency in Windward Oʻahu, it seems an appropriate time to look back and celebrate the good work achieved by committed groups throughout the region during the first-year pilot of the fund.
The Castle Foundation, like many other similar organizations, grappled with how best to serve the community during the pandemic. In addition to the work supported across the state, the Foundation had a specific kuleana to the Koʻolau ʻohana and made it an immediate goal to identify the greatest needs for our Windward communities.
To facilitate this, Harold K.L. Castle Foundation cohosted a listening tour across Windward Oʻahu with Aʻaliʻi Alliance to hear directly from community members. One of the themes lifted up was that strong relationships helped to create resilient communities, particularly when and where public programs failed them. Community members also agreed that grassroots groups where trust was greatest were the most successful in responding to needs during the pandemic. That guidance coupled with the understanding that communities have the wisdom and abilty to solve challenges affecting their kaiāulu helped to inspire the Pilina Fund, a participatory grantmaking endeavor supported by the Foundation and Kamehameha Schools.
Through an open application process, eight diverse community leaders from across Windward Oʻahu answered the call to help make decisions around funding for pandemic-related projects that could also help build capacity in organizations and strengthen relationships across the region. With their lived experience and connections, they had a first person view of what needs were most pressing and the organizations, people and ideas that could address them most effectively.
The committee first centered on articulating these values for the fund to help guide their decisions:
- Pono: As much as possible, we desire to be pono and strive for balance across the Koʻolau region. Our goal is to spread the funding equitably, while also working to ensure the funding is reaching projects that best represent the purposes of this fund.
- Pilina: We believe in the Pilina Fund going beyond alleviating immediate needs from COVID-19 to building long-term community wellbeing. We hope to invest in pilina or building the relationship among community members to ensure longer term resiliency.
- Ola Ka ʻĀina, Ola Ke Kānaka: It is important that these funds support both healthy people and healthy lands. If our land thrives, so do we as a Koʻolau community.
- Aloha Koʻolau: All projects must be specific to the unique needs of our Koʻolau communities. We want to support projects that understand the unique needs of our neighbors and find creative solutions to meet these needs.
Grounded by these shared values, the committee then identified priority areas that needed support in response to the pandemic:
- Family strengthening
- ‘Āina, farming, and food security
- Health and health care
- Education and learning
As a result of their outreach and efforts, the Pilina Fund committee was able to distribute $641,270 to support 64 projects in the region. In addition, 5 new grassroots organization and 1 new nonprofit organization in the region were born from the support of the Pilina Fund.
The early success of the initial Pilina Fund resulted in the initiative being extended for an additional three years. As the program matures, fostering pilina across the Koʻolau region will continue to be its focus. The Foundation is excited to continue this community partnership to provide support for the Koʻolau community and to better learn of issues and response opportunities. With strong leadership from the committee, the Foundation hopes to learn together how to deploy resources with equity, transparency, and accountability.
Mahalo to the Pilina Fund Grantees for Their Support of the Community:
After-School All-Stars Hawaii
ʻAikahi Elementary School
Aloha Harvest
Azariah May Academy
Bright Beginning Preschool
Castle High School
COVID Pau
EPIC Training 808
Hawaii Foodbank
Friends of Waimānalo
Hakipuʻu Academy
Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono
Hoʻola Music and Cultural Arts
Hui Kōkua Waiāhole
Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina
Hui Mālama O Ke Kai
Hui Mauli Ola
Hui o Hauʻula
Kahuku Elementary School
Kahumana Youth Services
Kailua Elementary School
Kainalu Elementary School
Ke ʻIke Mau Loa o Ke Kai Hohonu
Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo
Kinai ʻEha
Koʻolau Foundation
Koʻolauloa Community Health Center
Koʻolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club
Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club
Kupa ʻĀina Farm
Lāhui Foundation
Mālama Football Club
North Shore Basketball Club
Nurture Cultivate, Inc
O Wai ʻOe Nāpuʻumalei
Olomana School
Our Kūpuna
Papahana Aloha ʻĀina Hawaiʻi
Pasefika Rugby Club
Pop-Up Sustainability Labs
RYSE
Waimānalo Elementary and Intermediate School
Waimanalo Hawaiian Homes Association
Waimānalo Health Center
Windward Zero Waste School Hui
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