Hawai‘i Community Foundation CEO to Step Down

Kelvin Taketa has announced that he intends to step down after leading the Hawai‘i Community Foundation since 1998. The Board of Governors has established a Search Committee and hired Inkinen & Associates to commence the process to replace Mr. Taketa whose resignation will become effective when the new CEO is in place.

Mr. Taketa has accepted the Board’s invitation to stay on in a part-time role as senior fellow under the new CEO.

Kelvin Taketa has led the Hawai‘i Community Foundation since 1998. Photo Courtesy

“It has been an incredible honor for me to lead HCF for nearly two decades. I am deeply grateful for the confidence that the Board has placed in me as well as for the amazing donors and colleagues I have had the privilege to work with over the years,” said Kelvin Taketa. “I have loved every minute of it but I believe that institutions like ours need fresh leadership from time to time and it’s a great time for this transition as we celebrate the centennial anniversary of our founding and begin our second century of work.”

Deborah K. Berger, chair of the Board of Governors said: “It has been a remarkable 19 years with Kelvin and we are grateful for the leadership, judgment and skills that he has brought to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and its work. While we are naturally sorry to see Kelvin step away from his day-to-day responsibilities, we are delighted that he has agreed to remain with us as a senior fellow to assist in the transition.”

“Thanks to Kelvin and the talented management teams he has assembled over the years, HCF has become the leader in facilitating charitable investments in Hawai‘i and has earned distinction as a trusted community resource on philanthropic trends and best practices in Hawai‘i. In addition, HCF has launched several highly impactful initiatives to develop programmatic work around critical community issues through a coalition of local and national funders in partnership with government agencies. This work has received national recognition,” Ms. Berger continued.

Mr. Taketa joined HCF as president and CEO in 1998. Under his leadership, HCF more than tripled its annual distributions into the community on behalf of its clients and donors to over $47 million in 2016, along with increasing its assets from $230 million to $615 million.

A national leader and commentator about philanthropy and nonprofit organizations, Taketa has been recognized by The NonProfit Times as one of the “50 most powerful and influential people” in the sector.

Since graduating from law school in 1980, he spent his entire career as a nonprofit executive. Prior to joining HCF, Mr. Taketa held several leadership positions with The Nature Conservancy, including serving as the executive director of its Hawai‘i Chapter and the founding executive of its Asia/Pacific Region, and managing the fundraising, government relations and communications functions at its headquarters in Washington, DC.

Taketa serves on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards including Hawaiian Electric Industries, Hawaiian Electric Company, the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum, Feeding America, and the Stupski Foundation. He previously served on the board of Independent Sector, Grove Farm (Kaua‘i) and the founding boards of two other national organizations, Sustainable Conservation and Civic Ventures, now Encore.org.