Mahalo (Hawaiian for “thank you”) for making it to this page! By visiting the Big Island and choosing to spend your money at local businesses you are helping to preserve our little piece of paradise.
If you want to leave another lasting imprint on the Big Island, please consider donating to one of our favorite local charities:
Charities with a focus on the preservation of Hawaiian nature
- The Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative [link to their donations page] is a non-profit organization that manages a forest preserve and restoration project near Waikoloa Village on Hawai‘i Island. You can adopt a tree for as little as $10, but larger donations are of course also welcome.
- Malama O Puna [link to the donations page] Protects and assures critical habitat for native species and open space for future generations through environmental education, hands-on projects, etc. One of their very important projects is the restoration of the Keauʻohana Native Rainforest in the Puna district. This is the largest and most intact lowland wet forest remaining in the entire state! Read more about this important project
- The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park [link to their “support us” page] can always use your support. Your donations will go to preserving and improving the park for the generations to come.
- The Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center [More about the center, link to their donations page] educates visitors on proper reef etiquette and ecosystem stewardship. This is critical to the bay’s survival and the region’s economic health. They also offer volunteer programs such as ReefTeach and Citizen Science.
- The Pacific Whale Foundation [link to their donations page] is a non-profit organization founded in 1980 to save whales from extinction. Their mission is to protect our oceans through science and advocacy.
- The Hawaii Wildlife Fund [link to their donations page] leads research, monitoring and conservation efforts to help protect Hawaiʻi’s fragile marine ecosystem by actively engaging the community in research, education and conservation projects.
- The Kohala Center [link to the donations page] is an independent, community-based center for research, conservation, and education. Their main areas of interest are energy self-reliance, food self-reliance, and ecosystem health.
- AdvoCATS [website] is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the well-being of Hawaii Islands’s homeless cat population. They support the Trap-Neuter-Return “TNR” program as the humane way to reduce the number of unwanted cats and prevent the spread of feline diseases.
Charities with a focus on improving the lives of the local children
- The mission of “Project Hawaii” (link to their webpage) is to enhance the lives of homeless keiki (Hawaiian for “baby” or “child”. Literally, “keiki” means “the little one”) while helping them to escape the cycle of poverty. You can make the difference through donations, sponsorships, volunteering and supporting their efforts to continue those programs.
- Habitat for Humanity Hawaiʻi Island (website) is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.
- Humanity Hale (website) offers free trauma based support programs to the keiki and ‘ōpio of Big Island. These programs include Hawaiian arts and culture, group and individual therapy, art therapy, life skills, and abuse prevention/diversity training.
If you feel that we have forgotten about a charity that deserves our attention, please let us know by getting in touch.
How to support the Love Big Island website
The creation and maintenance of this website is a work of love. We do not ask or accept donations, but there are a few easy ways in which you can support us if you feel inclined to do so :)