Who We Are - Earth Foundation Summary for Funders, Grants, and Foundations

EF has a strong focus on educating the general public on issues affecting the State of Hawaii’s and Maui’s ecology, native cultures, environment, and sustainability in agriculture, energy and water.
EF’s Board is representative of broad public interests. Further, the board members have special expertise in the organization’s particular mission or focus of Earth Foundation. EF’s board members are extremely well-versed specialists in the television, film, and magazine fields (particularly in the area of news, and feature & documentary films). These board members are well aware of how to utilize appropriate media to educate the public on conservation and preservation issues. These board members are not serving because they are significant donors. They are serving to build ties to various media organizations and outlets, for the overall benefit of EF.
EF’s programs are available to the general public. EF has given direct provision of educational materials to the public. EF has a strong focus on educating the general public on issues affecting the State of Hawaii’s and Maui’s ecology, native cultures, environment, and sustainability in agriculture, energy and water.

For example:

EF has taken steps to notify all local residents (natives and non-islanders) about particular development projects that may pose a threat to the local ecology and environment.
Some of EF’s eco/education projects were initiated to educate the public on some local Maui preservation issues, such as in 2008 with EF's and save Makena's "Save Wailea and Makena" eco/education preservation project, and in 2002 with EF’s successful, Save Makena and Wailea eco/education preservation project, and in 2000 with EF’s successful "Save Paia and Baldwin Beach" eco/education preservation project.
EF has also attempted to directly educate the Hawaiian, Pacific, and U.S. public about radioactive nuclear waste dumping on Johnston Island – it undertook media campaigns designed to directly educate the general public (and even legislators) on the issue.
Some eco/education projects were initiated to demonstrate Hawaii-wide conservation/preservation issues, such as in 2002 and 2003 the Johnston Island Nuclear Waste Burial. As part of EF’s efforts to help protect international public health of Hawaii, U.S., and the Pacific from nuclear waste dangers, Earth Foundation worked in 2002 and 2003 in collaboration with the New York Times for a January 27, 2003 New York Times article that nationally and internationally publicized and gave substantial credibility to the significant danger to Hawaii, the Pacific, and parts of the U.S. West Coast posed by the Johnston Island nuclear waste burial near Hawaii.
EF significantly helps with Water Preservation for Maui. EF continues to safeguard and preserve Maui’s water resources. In 2003 Earth Foundation and another party provided the long missing, definitive water study on Maui water that is rare and hard to find and was not at that time in libraries or in the county government -- the “1942 Maui Water Geological Study” -- in CD-Rom and hard copy to the Maui County government and libraries, Mayor Arakawa, the Maui County Council, and to The Maui News.

The Earth Foundation Academy Awards of Native Culture, Sustainability, and Conservation for Maui and the State of Hawaii. It is advertised as a special event and guests are invited. Public officials and community leaders attend, including council members of the Maui County Council; Native Hawaiian leaders; presidents, heads, and members of environmental organizations; and leaders of the business community. It is planned for over 100 attendees. The event significantly helps increase public awareness of EF’s mission and activities of protection and preservation.
A similar event is also well received: the Earth Foundation Mayor’s Award Ceremony.
EF has appeal to a broad-based segment of the public. Members of the general public, public officials and community leaders participate in or support the organization’s activities. EF is very strong in this area. EF has an ongoing and direct educational program designed to involve not only Maui and Hawaii residents, but also local politicians and international professionals at the U.N. dealing with preservation of indigenous peoples, sustainability, and environment in the nations of the world.
Native Hawaiians. In 2001, EF formed a special coalition with a group of Native Hawaiian elders, and that coalition continues today. The purpose of the coalition is to unite the entire Hawaiian community so ongoing cultural and environmental concerns can properly be addressed.
Hispanics. Since the year 2000, EF has helped provide television communications and programming to Hispanics on Hawaii’s most populated island of Oahu where 73% of the state population resides and the capital city of Honolulu is located. Hispanics are nearly 10% of Oahu’s population.
EF has communicated with and even presented awards to community and civic leaders and public officials (including politicians) who have been instrumental in supporting EF’s overall mission of protection and preservation. EF is not conducting its activities in a shell or vacuum – it has involved and continues to involve a broad segment of the overall Maui and State of Hawaii population in its activities.