News Release

First Hawaiian Bank Employees and Retirees Give Big with $886,449 Raised for Charity through Annual Kōkua Mai Campaign

Honolulu, December 17, 2025 - First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) announced that employees and retirees have made a major impact this holiday season by contributing a remarkable donation of $886,449.79 to 36 charities in Hawai‘i, Guam, and Saipan as part of its annual Kōkua Mai employee giving campaign. Since its inception in 2007, FHB employees and retirees have donated nearly $14 million through the program, benefitting thousands of people who receive assistance from non-profit organizations.  

The program is run completely by employees, with the bank covering all program costs so that 100% of every employee contribution goes directly to the local charity of their choice. While the majority of funds came from individual employee donations, many teams also rallied together to support the effort through fun activities like shave ice sales, book sales, and online auctions. This year, Aloha United Way was the top recipient, receiving $256,696, followed by Hawai‘i Foodbank with $77,128 and Make-A-Wish Hawaii with $57,035.

“Our employees and retirees once again stepped up to support nonprofits through our annual Kōkua Mai giving program,” said Bob Harrison, First Hawaiian Bank Chairman, President and CEO. “Seeing over 99 percent participation this year says a lot about our culture and how deeply our team cares for the community.”

This year, Kōkua Mai ran from October 1 through October 31. FHB employees and retirees are committed to helping local non-profit agencies, which struggled to keep up with community demands, particularly the needs of vulnerable kūpuna and keiki as well as the growing number of hungry families. Over the course of the month, 99% of the bank’s employees made financial donations to Kōkua Mai, which exceeded this year’s total contribution goal of $725,000. In addition, 262 Leadership Givers stepped forward with contributions of $1,000 or more.

In 2025, Kōkua Mai benefited the following organizations that focus on health, education, self-sufficiency and life-sustaining services:

  1. American Red Cross, Hawaii, Guam & Northern Mariana Islands Chapters
  2. Aloha Harvest
  3. Aloha United Way
  4. Ayuda Foundation
  5. Big Brothers, Big Sisters Hawaii
  6. Blood Bank of Hawaii
  7. Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii
  8. Catholic Charities Hawaii
  9. Child and Family Service
  10. Domestic Violence Action Center
  11. Easter Seals Hawaii
  12. Family Programs Hawaii
  13. Goodwill Industries of Hawaii, Inc.
  14. Hale Makua Health Services
  15. Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation
  16. Hawaii Foodbank
  17. Hawaii Island United Way
  18. Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation
  19. HUGS (Help, Understanding and Group Support)
  20. Imua Family Services
  21. Kama`aina Kids
  22. Kauai Hospice
  23. Kauai United Way
  24. Keiki Circles of Love Hawaii
  25. Make-A-Wish Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan
  26. Maui Foodbank
  27. Maui United Way
  28. Palama Settlement
  29. Partners in Development
  30. Pali Momi Women’s Center (Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment)
  31. Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation
  32. Salvation Army Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan Corps
  33. Special Olympics Hawaii, Inc.
  34. Teach for America
  35. Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
  36. YWCA - Oahu
     

Other ways First Hawaiian Bank and its employees gave back to the community in 2025:

  • First Hawaiian Bank partnered with Hawaii Theatre to host comedian Ronny Chieng for two nights of laughter with 100 percent of proceeds from ticket sales directly benefitting the Hawaii Theatre.
  • First Hawaiian Bank donated $125,000 to Child & Family Service to support and sustain the nonprofit’s youth programs in the Waianae community. Distributed over five years, this funding will provide $25,000 annually to support prevention, intervention, and advocacy services tailored specifically for O‘ahu West Side youth.
  • Caring is a core value at FHB and hundreds of employees demonstrate they care by serving on non-profit boards throughout the community and by volunteering their personal time on the weekends through the bank’s Community Care program, in which employees support non-profits through community activities like assisting communities, families and youth through the Maui Foodbank, Catholic Charities Hawaii and Residential Youth Services and Empowerment (RYSE).