Not too late to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan

Done with taxes? The FilCom hopes maybe not, and that maybe one more tax-deductible charitable donation for a worthy cause would sound good to some looking to cut their IRS bill.

At FilCom — a.k.a. the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu — few causes seem as worthy as continuing to support victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Because of the federal Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act, those gifts can count against 2013 taxes if they’re made by the April 15 deadline. Details on how to give are online (filcom.org/donate-2).

Those who’d like to first know where the money is going can hear a briefing at 10 a.m. Saturday at the center (RSVP at 680-0451). Those who do give will know their funds will compound: The Consuelo Foundation will match the center’s relief funds up to $2 million.

Get me to the graduation on time

It’s estimated that four years from now, 65 percent of the jobs in Hawaii will require some college education. Today, only 42 percent of Hawaii adults hold a two- or four-year degree, and 25- to 34-year-olds are not as well educated as their parents and grandparents, according to David Lassner, the interim president of the University of Hawaii.

UH is part of the statewide P-20 Partnerships for Education, committed to having 55 percent of Hawaii’s working adults hold a college degree by 2025. A new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the UH Foundation furthers that goal, allowing UH to create tools providing real-time information on students’ academic progress. This should help students graduate on time — a challenge for colleges nationwide.