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Gift Impact

No major university can grow and excel without a healthy mix of public and private funds. Private contributions leverage public funds and maximize taxpayer dollars. Through partnering with philanthropic investors, our university can sustain excellence and enhance the student experience, making our campuses learning destinations of choice.

Many of the donors who give major gifts to the University of Hawaiʻi do so to support a program, school, or area of study that they believe in. Without exception, their gift has a major impact on our students, faculty and campus community as a whole.

Celebrating Hilo High School’s Class of 1940

Since 1990, the Hilo High School Class of 1940 has provided scholarships for more than 50 students, including NASA intern Christina Cauley. Read about the vibrant donors behind the endowment that is opening doors for Hawai‘i Island students.

Shidler College of Business awards 290 scholarships

"This scholarship relieves the burden of being deeply in debt. I am better able to manage financially, allowing me to keep balance in my life as a businessperson, parent, partner and student.” Moving sentiments from A. Eunny Cook and more about the scholarship program at the Shidler College of Business.

Healthy Hydration

With help from Kaiser Permanente and HICORE, the Kaneohe Elementary School unveiled a water bottle filling station and water bottles for every child. The project is part of strategy to help reduce health disparities and childhood obesity.

Henry Renteria

Perseverance and the utmost confidence to succeed were the core values in my life decisions and professional goals, which I imparted to my students.

Barbara Cox Anthony Chair in Aging

Hawaiʻi residents have the longest life expectancy out of all 50 U.S. states. The Barbara Cox Anthony Co-Chairs in Aging have a vision.

Supporting culture & students for 70 years

During World War II, the 121 private Japanese language schools in Hawai‘i were mandated to disband. Robert Kiyoichi Murakami resisted losing his school’s property. He organized the Hawai‘i Veterans Memorial Fund to which he invited the schools to donate their assets. Since then, HVMF has assisted thousands of Hawai‘i students of diverse ethnicities to attend college.

40 Years and $2M of Support

For 40 years, a group of Hawai‘i women have been quietly working to keep America competitive by supporting some of the University of Hawai‘i’s brightest graduate students. Meet inspiring students and learn about the innovative research benefiting from the ARCS Foundation’s dedication.

Dr. Colette Browne Named First Takasaki Professor

Dr. Colette Browne, the first Takasaki Endowed Professor of Social Policy, is determined to fulfill Richard & Rose Takasaki’s legacy to advance social justice and social policy in ways that benefit our world.

Violet Sato

After she retired, a friend suggested that she continue her service to students by funding a scholarship. With the help of UH Foundation, she established the Violet S. Sato Endowed Scholarship Trust in 2006.