High-Performing Nonprofits to Receive Unrestricted Funds

Through the FLEX Grant Program at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), 189 nonprofits across the state were awarded a total of $4.4 million in unrestricted funds for calendar year 2019. Unrestricted funds allow an organization to prioritize its needs and respond to unforeseen circumstances or opportunities. FLEX Grants may be used for a variety of purposes including administrative costs, capacity building, program expenses, evaluations or salaries.

“FLEX Grants are highly valued by nonprofit leaders,” said Micah Kāne, HCF president and CEO. “They have complete discretion on the best use of their award to sustain or strengthen their programs to better serve our community. And that’s our goal—to support nonprofits with the resources they need. When nonprofits are strong, we all benefit.”

HCF’s FLEX Grants Program, was created in 2013 as part of the foundation’s Advancing Nonprofit Excellence Initiative, which is designed to strengthen the nonprofit sector in Hawai‘i through leadership development, strategic networks, and other supports. Since its inception, FLEX has distributed more than $25.8 million on behalf of more than 100 current and past donors.

“FLEX Grant announcements are always bittersweet because every high-performing organization deserves this kind of support, but resources are limited,” Kāne added. “We have to make tough decisions based on the funding available.”

All 189 FLEX grantees have been notified about the coming award. “As a nonprofit community health center, we adhere to a strict budget that sets the course of action for all our programs and services we provide for the year,” said Richard Taffe, CEO of the West Hawai‘i Community Health Center on Hawai‘i Island. “As life and circumstances go, sometimes things happen that require unplanned financial attention—equipment unexpectedly breaks down, programs require materials and supplies to better serve patients’ needs, and unexpected opportunities for teaching, training and outreach arise. The Hawai‘i Community Foundation FLEX Grant has allowed us to be responsive to the challenges, needs, and opportunities that manifest over the course of the year. The result of this open approach to allocating funds has ultimately resulted in better patient care as staff know there are resources they can use to be pro-active and innovative in attending to the needs of our patients.”

A full list of the organizations receiving 2018 FLEX Grants can be downloaded here.

For individuals or organizations interested in supporting high-performing nonprofits, call (888) 731-3863 or flex@hcf-hawaii.org. For nonprofit organizations interested in applying for a 2019 FLEX grant, visit the HCF’s website for deadlines and application guidelines.