NEW! Former California Hotel & Lodging Association CEO Jim Abrams to lead California-wide rollout of Hotels That Help! Details
Our Purpose
Kohala Foundation is a private operating (registered 501c3) operating foundation that develops and promotes business solutions for social issues. We help businesses form genuine and meaningful partnerships with local nonprofit organizations
Kohala Foundation creates industry-specific systems for business leaders to catalyze support and accountability for community safety net projects. Our solutions leverage business assets, employees, and customers to raise awareness of-and support for-the needs of the community.
Our Origin
Kohala Foundation was created by social entrepreneur Dave Levenson (see bio below), and is supported by our partners and funders.
Our Funding
Our first-year and second-year funding is complete. We have one program launched, piloted, and ready for California-wide rollout in 2009, and we seek $250,000 for this purpose.
Our Successes
In 2007-2008, with about $75,000, we developed, incubated, and launched our Hotels that Help program. . Thanks to the efforts of more than 25 pioneering hotels, $25,000 is being raised every month (see our Partnersfor a list of hotels and beneficiaries in this movement). Now that we have a proven model and a growing network of partners and supporters, we expect our rollout will be able to generate many more multiples of self-sustaining funding. For 2009, we have budgeted $250,000 for this program, and have targeted 1,000 hotels in California, which we project would trigger $20 million in "net new monies" flowing into local nonprofits every year! (Please see "Successes" for other stories from our Partners.)
Our Advantage
Although the Kohala Foundation supports the creation and launch of self-sustaining programs, we have purposefully not integrated our own foundation into this self-sustaining model. We have found we can best play our role as "honest broker" if we do not take any "cut" of the funds generated by the programs we help to launch. We respect and admire models those type of models, but we hope to follow our own path. Therefore, we seek relationships with funders who want to leverage their contributions into multiples of long-term impact (and new funds raised) by supporting Kohala Foundation as an incubator. The Kohala Foundation advantage, as we see it, is the leverage we generate from donations.
Our Current Needs
Additional funding and staff for expanded rollout of Kohala Foundation's mission, and experience-based revision of existing programs. Access to key influencers in targeted business sectors.
Our Founder
Dave Levenson, a budding social entrepreneur, launched the Kohala Foundation in 2004 to demonstrate how businesses and business leaders could be true partners in creating positive social change. Inspired by examples from Social Venture Network and Positive Deviant Network, Dave envisions Kohala Foundation launching a variety of successful forprofit-nonprofit ventures.
Married to Cheri for over 30 years and a father of four, Dave now resides in San Anselmo, California. He grew up In Los Angeles; graduated from UCSD in 1974 with Highest Honors and a degree in psychology, which has been very useful in the collaborations he has assembled over 35 years.
Dave moved to the Big Island of Hawai'i with Cheri in 1978 and explored several fields for short periods. He was a line cook, wood carver, and a radio DJ at KKON in Kona. After the dabbling, Dave eventually developed his first real estate project, Kawaihae Center, at the north tip of the now famous Kohala Coast.
While taking personal growth courses like "Business and You," based on the philosophy of Bucky Fuller, Dave decided to begin experimenting with "social philanthropy." After building and owning a restaurant and an ice cream parlor, while also managing daily operations of his business, Dave decided to also volunteer at the Local Transitional Housing cabins (homeless shelter), located halfway between his office and the famous Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Inspired by the challenges facing homeless people, including the shocking discovery that a previous client was now living at the shelter, Dave set out to leverage his talents for leveraging. In addition to raising money, Dave wanted to involve the hotel industry in creating solutions to homelessness. After striking out in its initial rollout in Hawai'i, the "Hotels that Help" project was refined, and in 2005, had its first hotel pilot with Chip Conley's Joie de Vivre Hospitality.
That same week, after seeing an "Adopt A Highway" sign on the way home, Dave conceived of another business-driven program: Realtors driving the local business community to "Adopt A Classroom." After a long learning period, the "Stock Our Schools - Adopt A Classroom" program became the largest classroom fundraiser in Hawai'i's history - while just in a pilot phase working with only four schools on the Big Island.
Dave continues this work with Kohala Foundation, set up to run these programs through pilot phase, and into rollout.
"I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and beheld that service was joy." - Rabindranath Tagore
Our Board
Dave Levenson
David Palmer
Rick Boyce
Our Tax Filings
You can see our latest 990-PF and related documents by clicking here (opens a 20-page .pdf document), or by contacting us by phone, fax, or e-mail.
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