Changemakers Community and Economic Development

Changemakers Community and Economic Development Changemakers Community Economic Development Corporation is committed to ending poverty by supporting

Our Mission: Changemakers Hawaiʻi is working to end poverty by championing economic equity and justice by promoting economic development that engages communities, creates access to financial resources, and supports passion professions.

Your nonprofit’s work is powerful.But sometimes, the hardest part is explaining it clearly.You know your programs matter...
06/04/2026

Your nonprofit’s work is powerful.
But sometimes, the hardest part is explaining it clearly.

You know your programs matter. You see the impact every day. You can tell stories about the people, communities, and organizations you serve.

But when it’s time to write a grant proposal, prepare for a donor meeting, update your website, or explain your work to a funder, the language can start to feel scattered.

The need statement says one thing.
The activities point in another direction.
The outcomes sound good, but don’t quite match the depth of the work.
The evaluation plan measures participation, but not meaningful change.

That’s where a Theory of Change can make a major difference.

A strong Theory of Change helps nonprofit teams create a clear, connected story of impact. It gives fundraisers, program staff, and leaders a shared map for explaining the problem, root causes, activities, outcomes, and long-term change.

It helps make your work easier to understand — and easier to fund.

We’re sharing more in our latest blog, plus inviting nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and program teams to join our upcoming Theory of Change Workshop with Yisroel Quint.

Ready to turn complexity into clarity?
Read the blog or register for the workshop here:
https://changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/powerfulwork

No act of kindness goes unrewarded.Let's celebrate leaders who spreads aloha. Tag them below. 🤝💫
06/01/2026

No act of kindness goes unrewarded.
Let's celebrate leaders who spreads aloha. Tag them below. 🤝💫

What happens when generosity sits still?Our latest blog explores the 5% rule in philanthropy, the reality facing commun...
05/28/2026

What happens when generosity sits still?

Our latest blog explores the 5% rule in philanthropy, the reality facing community-rooted nonprofits, and why resources need to move with greater urgency into the hands of people doing the work.

When the minimum becomes the norm, who pays the price?
This is not about blame. It is about responsibility, urgency, and reimagining how resources can move more directly into the hands of the people and organizations closest to community need.

Read the full blog here: https://changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/generosityneedstomove

Like coral that becomes land, your efforts matter.Share one way you’re making a difference this week. 🐚🤩
05/25/2026

Like coral that becomes land, your efforts matter.
Share one way you’re making a difference this week. 🐚🤩

05/21/2026

Supporting small business in Hawaiʻi is personal.

In this sneak peek from our upcoming podcast, Zachere Camara-Andrade says it best: when you support a local small business, you’re supporting your neighbor. You’re supporting someone’s kids, their household, their dreams, and their ability to keep contributing to the community they call home.

Rebecca Corby adds another important reminder: local business owners are personally invested here. They live with the same beauty, challenges, responsibilities, and realities that come with life in Hawaiʻi.

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that buying local is more than a transaction — it’s a way to care for the people beside us.

🎧 Watch the sneak peek now and stay tuned for the full podcast episode dropping on May 26.

What if the next big step for your business or organization is not something you build alone?For years, entrepreneurs an...
05/20/2026

What if the next big step for your business or organization is not something you build alone?

For years, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders have been told that success means moving faster, competing harder, and carrying the weight by themselves. But across Hawaiʻi, a different kind of growth is taking root — one built on relationship, shared responsibility, and community strength.

In our latest blog, we explore how the ʻĀinapreneur Network is helping mission-driven businesses, Indigenous-led ventures, nonprofits, and community leaders move from competition to kuleana.

This shift matters.
Competition asks: How do I win?
Kuleana asks: How do we serve?

Through shared resources, collective knowledge, mentorship, and culturally grounded support, entrepreneurs are finding new ways to grow without losing sight of their values.

Because scaling is not just about getting bigger. It is about getting stronger together.

Read the full blog to learn how the ʻĀinapreneur Network is helping build a more collaborative, values-aligned future for Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurs and mission-driven leaders.

🔗https://ow.ly/C9jG50Z2tFV

Build with purpose. When our foundation is rooted in culture, everything we create stands strong. 🧱🌿
05/18/2026

Build with purpose. When our foundation is rooted in culture, everything we create stands strong. 🧱🌿

05/14/2026

Are we building systems that reflect our values?

In this clip from our Braiding Sweetgrass Book Club podcast, Doris offers a powerful reflection on how the teachings in the book can serve as a moral compass for the next chapter of Changemakers.

This conversation invites us to ask deeper questions about the way we work, lead, partner, and care for one another.

Are our relationships in right relationship?
Are our partnerships rooted in reciprocity?
Are our programs taking care of people?
Are our finances aligned with our values?
Are we over-harvesting from our team, our community, or the land?

These questions matter because systems change is not only about what we build. It is about how we build it.

Braiding Sweetgrass reminds us that reciprocity must move beyond inspiration and become practice. Being a good relative means caring for the relationships that make our work possible — with land, community, partners, co-creators, and one another.

Watch the clip and reflect with us: Where in your life or work are you being invited to recalibrate?

What if the future of Hawaiʻi’s food system depends not only on what we grow, but on how we organize?Across our islands,...
05/12/2026

What if the future of Hawaiʻi’s food system depends not only on what we grow, but on how we organize?

Across our islands, ʻāina-based entrepreneurs are growing food, making products, caring for land, creating jobs, and strengthening local economies. But too often, they are expected to do this work alone — without enough infrastructure, without flexible capital, and without legal tools that make cooperation easier.

Our latest article explores why cooperative power is essential to Hawaiʻi’s food sovereignty.
At Changemakers Hawaiʻi, our ʻĀinapreneur Small Business Program supports farmers, makers, food producers, cultural practitioners, and land-based entrepreneurs with culturally grounded business support, technical assistance, coaching, and access to emerging community capital pathways.

This work is about more than business growth.
It is about shared ownership.
Shared infrastructure.
Shared resilience.
And a local economy rooted in ʻāina and community.

Read the full article to learn why Hawaiʻi cannot build food sovereignty without cooperative power.
https://ow.ly/RNbq50YXUac

Gratitude opens the heart. What are you thankful for in your ʻohana or community today? 🌺🙏
05/11/2026

Gratitude opens the heart. What are you thankful for in your ʻohana or community today? 🌺🙏

Address

120 Keawe Street, Suite 202
Hilo, HI
96720

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 12pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 12pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18083006630

Website

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