Hawaii Community Foundation honors nonprofit leaders

HONOLULU — Christine Richardson, executive director of North Kohala Community Resource Center (NKCRC), was among five recipients of this year’s annual Ho’okele award, presented at an awards ceremony last Thursday in Honolulu by Hawaii Community Foundation.

This year marks the Foundation’s centennial anniversary and 15th year honoring Hawaii’s nonprofit leaders for their commitment to making Hawaii a better place through their respective organizations. Richardson received $10,000 to be used for her professional development and personal renewal.

The Ho’okele Awards, created and funded in partnership with the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, pays tribute to the leadership in the state’s nonprofit sector lives. Since 2002, $600,000 has been awarded to 63 nonprofit leaders statewide, the majority of which remain in the nonprofit and public sectors.

Richardson has served North Kohala for more than 22 years as a nurse and nonprofit manager. She has been the executive director of NKCRC since 2005, where she provides coaching and support to organizers for 90 grassroots projects that benefit the North Kohala community. As a fiscal sponsor, organizers can learn at the Center how to build budgets, create a funding plan and write grant proposals, as well as providing access to funding sources under a 501(c)3 umbrella. Since its beginning in 2002, the Center has raised more than $11.3 million for the community.

“I was very humbled and honored to be recognized for the hard work we’ve done,” Richardson said. “It was great to be among so many people in the nonprofit sector that are doing such good work. I extend my gratitude to the Foundation for this acknowledgement.”

The Ho’okele honorees are nominated by members of the community for their ability to think strategically, bring different groups of people together, inspire others, enthusiastically share their knowledge and make a difference in Hawaii.