The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) aims to benefit the communities and people of Hawai‘i through project or program-based funding. It leverages specific community funds, supported by various donors and estates, to cater to the diverse needs and aspirations of the Hawaiian population with an emphasis on fostering positive change and development within these communities.
The Medical Research program by HCF annually provides grants to back both basic and clinical research in Hawai‘i with an overarching aim to cultivate a strong medical research sector for the benefit of Hawai‘i's residents. It targets an array of health issues such as cancer, aging-related diseases, heart disease, immunology, genetics, type I diabetes, and efforts towards blindness prevention. Besides funding specific research projects, the program is designed to bolster research infrastructure, enhancing the local capacity for conducting significant medical research.