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No major university can grow and excel without a healthy mix of public and private funds. Private contributions leverage public funds and maximize taxpayer dollars. Through partnering with philanthropic investors, our university can sustain excellence and enhance the student experience, making our campuses learning destinations of choice.

Many of the donors who give major gifts to the University of Hawaiʻi do so to support a program, school, or area of study that they believe in. Without exception, their gift has a major impact on our students, faculty and campus community as a whole.

Life skills, determination lead to special gift for Hawai‘i students
“What makes you think you can go to medical school?” asked a neighbor. “People from this town rarely go to college, let alone medical school. And you’re a girl!”
Discovering treasure during a lockdown
“On a Google search,” says Mary Lynn Marrs, “my late grandmother’s scholarship appeared. It was like discovering buried treasure!”
Scholarship encourages future Hawaiʻi STEM leaders in education
The Jodean Marie Behner-Schneider Dela Cruz Endowed Scholarship was established by Romel Dela Cruz in memory of his wife for education students studying STEM at the UH Mānoa College of Education.
Notes of gratitude from Mānoa music major
"We are facing family financial problems, such as pondering how to pay for my college expenses, but your generosity gives me an opportunity to gain more knowledge and skills."
Challenged and motivated — by my English teacher
"I would like to promote an interest in healthcare careers in students from public high schools, to help encourage rural students to become physicians, as it took me many years to realize this was my calling."
Pūlama Lānaʻi gift strengthens JABSOM medical student training on Lānaʻi
A gift from Pūlama Lānaʻi to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine allows second-year medical students to participate in the Lānaʻi program for two full months, giving them valuable first-hand experience serving in a rural community.
$700K in industry contributions to upgrade UH Mānoa engineering labs
Six civil and environmental engineering labs at the UH Mānoa College of Engineering have been officially renamed to reflect their industry sponsors. A targeted campaign recently raised more than $700,000 from more than 80 individuals and corporate donors to provide much-needed upgrades to the facilities.
Improving health in the CNMI
"Scholarships have allowed me to conduct my dissertation research to understand influences of childhood diet and physical activity behaviors in my home islands of the Northern Marianas."
Scholarships helped me pursue my passion
"I was on the phone with the counselor of the program every day, and he helped me transfer my transcripts from my four-year college. Two weeks later, I got an acceptance letter from the program, saying, “Congratulations, and welcome to the Fire Science Program at HCC.”'