Hawaii’s nonprofits need benefactors’ help By Kristen Consillio Jan. 22, 2019 “We’re isolated out here in our community, so we have to take care of each other. If another recession happens, which it will, we want to make sure our community is cared for.” Karen Tan President and CEO, Child & Family Service More than a third of Hawaii’s human services nonprofits are operating on little to no charitable donations. Of the state’s 300 community- based organizations, 35 percent report revenue of 1 percent or less from philanthropy, according to a recent study commissioned by Child & Family Service. That is affecting their ability to invest in their staff and technology, advocacy and social services that help lift people out of poverty, improve their education and the overall health of the community. “There’s no margin for error. They’re heavily dependent on grants and contracts, so any singular change in those grants and contracts could be highly disruptive for them financially,” said Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, a Washington, D.C., network of 450 human services organizations. Dreyfus is speaking today at the first Hawaii conference convened by Child & Family Service to discuss ways to improve financial stability for nonprofits, which she recommends should generate at least 30 percent of revenue from charitable giving. “It’s those unrestricted dollars that create the margins that give organizations the ability to make investments in capacity and be able to withstand changes in the fluctuations of grants and contracts.” Nationally there are 218,000 organizations that spend about $200 billion annually on services that affect an estimated 1 in 5 Americans. Of that total, 300 local agencies spend roughly $650