AN INVESTIGATION OF THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES FROM ENTREPRENEURIAL ECONOMIC MODELS FOR HAWAI‘I ‘ĀINA-BASED NONPROFITS

Abstract

‘Āina-based education supports biocultural land restoration efforts in Hawai‘i and involves place-based and spiritual learning. Nonprofits across the state facilitate this effort; however, most do not currently have adequate resources to maintain and expand their mission (Johnson et al., 2020). Nonprofits face difficulties when they are not generating sufficient revenue (Andersson et al., 2012), and while substantial aid has been made available to many organizations during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, for many, the pandemic has further exacerbated the difficulties they face in obtaining resources (Johnson et al., 2020). The majority of Hawai‘i nonprofit stewardship groups have recently reported a decrease in volunteer participation and losses in funding in the months following the onset of the pandemic (Dacks et al., 2021). The objective of this study was to investigate how ‘āina-based nonprofits can begin to use their existing resources to attain and maximize long-term nonmarket and market benefits associated with ‘āina-based food production. A case study was conducted to address the question: “What are the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurial economic models for ‘āina-based nonprofit organizations in Hawai‘i?” A logic model was then constructed to identify the benefits. Strategies for maximizing the net benefits of entrepreneurship were identified to assist ‘āina-based nonprofits with their service-oriented missions.