HANO Recognizes Big Island B&G Club CEO

Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island CEO Chad MK Cabral

Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island CEO Chad MK Cabral will receive an award from the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (HANO).

Cabral was named HANO’s 2018 Emerging Leader Awardee and will be honored at this year’s annual nonprofit association conference taking place on O‘ahu on Oct. 5.

Each year, HANO considers nonprofit executive leadership candidates throughout the State of Hawai‘i and selects one individual that embodies exceptional qualities for aspiring nonprofit professionals. The Emerging Leader Award recognizes a standout community leader in the nonprofit industry who has exemplified organizational and professional excellence, community spirit, innovation, personal integrity and has made an impressive impact in supporting communities.

HANO has selected Cabral to receive this year’s statewide honor.

Keene Fujinaka and the Bank of Hawaii nominated Cabral.

In the short two-plus years Cabral has been at BGCBI’s helm, the organization has been transformed, the BGCBI organization stated in its press release.

Many club members come from families that need BGCBI’s services most. Recognizing hunger as a major problem, BGCBI opened a commercial certified kitchen on Hilo Club grounds in May 2016, which has provided over 60,000 healthy meals and snacks to community youth.

Cabral realized that West Hawai‘i youth are critically underserved and in September 2017, opened the first West Hawai‘i youth program in Kealakehe. This site is in close proximity to Hawaiian Homelands and several low-come housing projects and very quickly had more member applications than could be accommodated in the available space, necessitating a waiting list.

These immense achievements were accomplished while turning around a $500,000 budget deficit that preceded Cabral.

BGCBI said that Cabral’s “profound aloha for Hawai‘i Island youth and communities is at the heart of Chad’s ability to connect with and forge strong partnerships with the passionate, community-minded public and private funders who have been instrumental in bringing about these much-needed changes.”

BGCBI services approximately 1,000 youth each year, providing weekday after-school activities for community youth ages 6 to 18 for just $10 a year.

Current site locations include Hilo, Kea‘au, Pāhoa, Pahala, Ocean View and Kealakehe.

If you would like to support BGCBI’s efforts, go online or contact BGCBI administration office at (808) 961-5536.