Community-Centered Partnership (CCP) is an initiative sponsored by Early Childhood Action Strategy (ECAS) Hawai‘i. CCP is the practice of working closely with affected community members on priorities that get elevated, funded, and worked on at different levels. In practice, it means placing affected communities at the center of voice and decision-making. As Caitlin Stanton from GrantCraft says, “If you’re on board with the idea that the people who are closest to the issues probably have some good ideas about how to solve them—and that they are to be respected and compensated for their time to help with that process—you’re probably on your way to incorporating a participatory ethos.” 

CCP launched in March 2024. Selected communities are determined based on the number of keiki age five and under living in poverty in Hawai‘i County, Maui County, and Kaua‘i County. A CCP Lead, U‘ilani Corr-Yorkman was hired on to carry out the initiative in these three counties. Contracted facilitators will work in selected communities with a panel of community members to collect and dissect data and utilize their findings to make decisions on where philanthropic dollars should be allocated. Through this initiative, ECAS hopes to create lasting changes for keiki from prenatal to age 5 in the areas of health, well-being, safety, and education.

Facilitators and community panel members will be paid for their time, using a “lived expertise” rate. To support identified/non-systems level needs, Hawai‘i County communities will receive $350,000, Maui County communities will receive $250,000 and Kaua‘i County communities will receive $150,000 (based on population numbers).

The first communities ECAS has identified to bring this initiative to are Ka‘u on Hawai‘i Island and the island of Moloka‘i. ECAS is working to identify facilitators and panel members in these communities. Once they have been identified and trained, ECAS will begin soliciting data/feedback from members of these communities.

Draft design values include:

• REDUCE the distance between those most impacted, proposed solutions and funding;
• GIVE voice and power to communities and families with the least amount of agency;
• STRENTHEN community leadership;
• SUPPORT effective government and philanthropic investments; and,
• PROMOTE social justice and equity.

Systems-level changes will also be identified and supported as ECAS understands that there are some changes that philanthropic dollars cannot change.