Bank of Hawaii gave away $570,913 to 24 nonprofits Wednesday — just in time for the holidays.
The state’s second-largest bank said its employees and retirees raised a record amount that surpassed the company’s goal of $525,000.
Donations for each beneficiary organization, based on employee designations, ranged from $2,935 to the $120,043 given to the top recipient, Aloha United Way. The organizations received the donations at a luncheon at the Plaza Club.
"This campaign is special because it’s driven by our employees," said Peter Ho, chairman, president and CEO of Bank of Hawaii. "They choose the organizations and they can allocate their donations among multiple beneficiaries. They do an amazing job, and this year far exceeded the goal that was set."
Ho said the bank also had more than three dozen internal fundraisers, "some of which were creative and some that were high in calories."
"It was fun for the employees and a great result for the community," he said.
The bank’s annual Employee Giving Campaign, which began in 2010, has raised a total of $1.56 million for 33 organizations since its inception. The campaign ran for five weeks from Sept. 10 through Oct. 12.
Altogether, Bank of Hawaii gave $2.5 million to the community throughout this year, and the bank’s employees participated in more than 50 community events.
In addition to the Employee Giving Campaign, Bankoh also created its own annual Community Walk in 2007 to help nonprofit organizations that lack resources to conduct fundraising walks on their own. This year, employees and retirees raised $158,000. Since its inception, nearly $900,000 has been raised for local nonprofits through the Community Walk.