Fees for some social services can be win-win

It is no secret that the old model of doing things will not work in Hawaii’s nonprofit community.

With funding cutbacks in the government sector and budget considerations in the private sector, nonprofits across our community are seeking innovative ways to continue to provide vital services to Hawaii’s families.

Social enterprise — the practice of using the methods and disciplines of business and the power of the marketplace to advance social, environmental and human services needs — represents an opportunity for organizations to fulfill their missions, and as important, to create a sustainable future.

Child & Family Service is a private, nonprofit organization that has been serving Hawaii’s families for more than 100 years, providing our state’s most comprehensive range of health and human services. We offer more than 30 culturally relevant programs dedicated to our mission of strength- ening families and the healthy development of our community, from keiki to kupuna.

Those programs include an experienced and credentialed Child & Family Service gerontology staff trained in the aging process and the specific needs of the senior population. With the aging of baby boomers, projections indicate that by the year 2030, one in four individuals will be an older adult. That is creating pressure on our nonprofit delivery system, but it has also enabled us to develop an innovative model of social enterprise called Kupuna Concierge.

Kupuna Concierge is a fee-for-service program that provides a range of health and wellness services to Hawaii seniors by utilizing the services of a personal assistant. It fills a void in current elderly services by offering a variety of personal assistant and wellness programs designed to help seniors benefit from a vibrant, social and active daily life. Clients choose services ranging from social activities such as arranging health and exercise and computer classes or golf tee times, to transportation and home maintenance and repair, as well as chore services.

Medical research increasingly is showing a clear scientific correlation between staying active and keeping mentally fit. Kupuna Concierge offers islandwide service that is flexible, convenient and mission-driven — and it has established quality-assurance standards from the national Council on Accreditation.

Kupuna Concierge matches our senior-care service mission and focus. It is also an important complement to our fundraising program and strategies. It helps to diversify our revenue stream and create funds for other Child & Family Service programs, as well as offset the costs of providing needed health and human services in current economic times. It builds on our organizational strengths and track record for quality-care services and expertise in the delivery of health and human services in the local community.

Social enterprise ventures like this are an investment in the health and well-being of our community as well as the financial health and vitality of Hawaii’s nonprofit sector. By planning ahead and looking around the corner before we get there, we and many other nonprofits in our state can continue to provide the services our children, adults and seniors need to provide a sustainable future for all of us.