Description
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) has been serving the people of Hawaii for over 100 years, focusing on inspiring generosity, advocating for equity, and fostering connections between the community, donors, nonprofits, and leaders across various sectors. Established as a statewide public foundation, HCF expertly manages more than 1,160 funds and 300 scholarships, stewarding resources from individuals, businesses, and families to address a wide range of community needs. With a dedicated team of over 90 employees statewide, HCF plays a pivotal role in addressing key social issues and driving positive change in Hawaii. By partnering with community organizations, businesses, and government, the foundation strives to create lasting impacts, aiming to enhance the quality of life for all residents through thoughtful investments and collaborative efforts in Hawaii’s future.
HCF is a cornerstone of philanthropy across the Hawaiian Islands, dedicated to improving the lives of the community through strategic giving and community partnerships. With total assets under management of over $1.0 billion and over $100 million in annual grants and contracts, HCF is not only a funding resource but also a leader in convening nonprofit, business, and government entities to drive positive, systemic change.
Through its commitment to innovation and impact, HCF acts as a trusted partner for donors, offering expert philanthropic guidance and connecting them with meaningful opportunities to make a difference. Beyond grantmaking, the organization serves as a knowledge hub, providing valuable insights on pressing social issues, advancing sector-wide best practices, and fostering collaboration to create lasting community change.
As an example, HCF played a pivotal leadership role in the response to the Lahaina fires, acting as a strategic convener and grant-maker to coordinate relief efforts across nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations. HCF quickly activated the Maui Strong Fund, raising $200 million from over 240,000 donors worldwide. It has strategically distributed $173 million across 372 grants to support immediate relief, interim stability, and long-term recovery efforts, prioritizing housing, financial assistance, food, mental health services, and environmental restoration. By fostering collaboration and ensuring equitable access to aid, HCF not only provided urgent assistance, but also laid the groundwork to invest the balance of the Maui Strong Fund in the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Maui community.
With a focus on fostering systemic change through philanthropy, HCF’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan aims to elevate community voices, address key societal challenges, and enhance donor engagement. The plan identifies three focus areas for philanthropy: traditional donor-centered giving, giving based on community need, and disaster preparedness and recovery. The plan emphasizes four strategic goals: improving operational efficiency and donor experience, developing internal expertise for equitable community outcomes, strengthening disaster response capabilities, and ensuring a sustainable infrastructure to support these initiatives. HCF acknowledges evolving social and economic trends, aiming to adapt by leveraging trust-based philanthropy, impact investing, and cross-sector collaboration.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
This is a pivotal and exciting time to join Hawaii Community Foundation as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. As HCF enters the final year of its current three-year strategic plan, the organization is preparing to launch a new strategy with a three-year horizon. During this period of transition and growth, HCF continues to operate at significant scale and complexity, managing substantial financial flows, rigorous reporting requirements, strong investment performance, and increasing demands related to disaster response, impact measurement, and community-centered philanthropy. The CFO will play a critical role in supporting this next phase by ensuring financial strength, operational stability, and managing risk across the organization. The CFO will serve as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO and Board of Directors.
This role presents a unique opportunity to lead finance and administrative functions within a complex mission-driven organization. Immediate priorities include implementing a new accounting and financial reporting system, strengthening internal controls and enterprise risk management, and supporting the continued expansion of HCF’s social impact investing efforts. As the organization increasingly deploys revolving loans and other forms of catalytic capital alongside traditional grantmaking, the CFO will help ensure the financial infrastructure and oversight required to support these evolving strategies.
The ideal candidate is a strategic finance leader who combines deep technical expertise with humility, empathy, and a genuine commitment to serving Hawaii. HCF seeks a CFO with strong experience in accounting, financial systems, and internal controls, ideally gained within complex organizations. This leader will be both hands-on and highly collaborative, comfortable engaging in operational detail while serving as a strategic advisor to the CEO, Board, and executive leadership team. Success in the role will require calm, steady leadership during moments of urgency, sound judgment in complex situations, strong team leadership, and the ability to communicate clearly and credibly with donors, community partners, and governance leaders. Above all, the CFO must demonstrate the highest levels of integrity, and alignment with HCF’s mission and values.
Requirements
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit the following, addressed to Hawaii Community Foundation Search Committee, c/o Inkinen Executive Search, via email to executives@inkinen.com by May 4, 2026:
- Cover Letter – expressing the reason for your interest in Hawaii Community Foundation, and how your skills and experience match the Senior Vice President-Chief Financial Officer role.
- Resume
