LIHU‘E — To kick off the new school year, the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) has committed more than $330,000 in unrestricted funds to support Kaua‘i’s 16 public schools, seven public charter schools and Kumu’s Cupboard, a nonprofit that provides free supplies to teachers and other educational support staff year-round through its store in Lihu‘e.

“Unrestricted or flexible grants empower our school leaders to direct resources exactly where they are needed most,” said Leila Maeda-Kobayashi, Hawai‘i Department of Education Kaua‘i Complex Area superintendent. “This generous donation from the Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund ensures we can provide a more equitable and supportive learning environment for every student, while also helping Kaua‘i teachers access the supplies they need to help our keiki thrive.”

The Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund founders Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg also joined local donors in sponsoring Kukui Grove’s Back to School Bash — Kaua‘i‘s largest free school supplies giveaway for students in grades K-12, which provided more than 3,000 backpacks filled with required classroom supplies this year.

“Creating a safe, inclusive classroom environment isn’t only about providing school supplies,” said Marissa Sandblom, HCF program director. “Every student learns differently and deserves the opportunity to succeed. By addressing resource disparities and financial pressures facing students, families and educators, we can help remove barriers and cultivate the necessary conditions for meaningful engagement in learning. Through the generosity of donors like Priscilla and Mark, we are helping build a stronger, more resilient education system for Hawai‘i.”

The Chan Zuckerberg Kaua‘i Community Fund was established in 2019 by Chan and Zuckerberg. Their giving is driven and informed by ongoing conversations with local residents, leaders, and service providers.

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg’s family giving is grounded in the places they call home and care deeply about. In 2010, they signed the Giving Pledge, a promise to give away the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. Since 2016, they have committed more than $100 million to more than 100 Hawai‘i nonprofit organizations.

The Chan Zuckerberg Kauaʻi Community Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is guided by ongoing dialogue with Kaua‘i residents, community leaders, and service providers and supports affordable housing, workforce development, food security, education and youth, health and mental health, conservation, Native Hawaiian causes, and emergency relief.

The vision of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation is to create an equitable and vibrant Hawai‘i in which all our island communities thrive. With our 110-year history, our trusted expertise, and the generous support of donors, we are working to address the root causes of our state’s most difficult challenges, including expanding access to affordable housing, conserving freshwater resources, and ensuring the healthy development of Hawaiʻi’s young children.

We focus our efforts through the CHANGE Framework, which identifies six essential sectors affecting the overall well-being of these islands and their people. HCF works in communities across Hawaiʻi, with offices and staff located statewide. In 2025, HCF stewarded more than 1,175 funds, established by individuals, businesses, and organizations committed to building a better Hawaiʻi.

Through these funds, along with contracts and private foundations, we’ve distributed over $116 million in grants statewide so far this year, including scholarships assisting more than 1,400 Hawaiʻi students.