National Five & Rising Movement Launches Today;
Hawaiʻi’s ChangeMakers Selected as Inaugural Community
Anchored in kuleana, ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi will advance a new model of balance and accountability as part of the Five & Rising movement.
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press release
Hilo, HI, September 16, 2025 — A bold new national movement called Five & Rising launches today to unleash the full economic power of the social sector, and ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi, a Hilo-based nonprofit and an emerging Native CDFI, has been chosen as one of three inaugural pilot communities to lead the way.
Launched by Social Current, a strategic partner to more than 1,800 human and social service organizations in the U.S., Canada, and beyond, Five & Rising seeks to rewrite the rules for how the social sector is funded, valued, and supported. The initiative takes its name from the sector’s 5.2% share of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a reminder of its vast economic force and a signal that this is just the beginning.
Across the U.S., outdated systems, myths, and restrictive funding models limit the potential of a sector that powers 12.5 million jobs and contributes $1.4 trillion annually to the economy. Five & Rising aims to challenge these broken norms, elevate local leadership, and build scalable strategies that will transform how communities tackle their greatest challenges.
“The launch of Five & Rising marks a turning point for the social sector,” said Dr. Jody Levison-Johnson, President and CEO of Social Current. “This movement is about rewriting the rules and proving what’s possible when we invest in communities that are ready to lead. ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi embodies that vision. Their work to elevate Indigenous-led solutions and reimagine philanthropy from a place of responsibility and cultural wisdom is exactly the kind of leadership our country needs right now.”
Inspired by the documentary UnCharitable, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, which challenges conventional thinking about how the social sector should operate, Five & Rising will work with communities across the country to co-create systems that match the sector’s true scale and unleash its ability to deliver lasting impact.
“I’ve seen firsthand how the stories we’ve told about charity have limited what’s possible,” said Gyllenhaal. “It’s time we rewrite the narrative—one that reflects the truth: the social sector is a force of innovation, impact, and economic power. Five & Rising is how we break the old frame and finally fund real change.”
ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi champions economic equity and justice for Native Hawaiian and underserved communities. Through Philanthropono, a capacity-building initiative grounded in Indigenous knowledge, ChangeMakers equips Indigenous nonprofits with the training and resources to secure sustainable funding, strengthen organizational resilience, and amplify their impact. At the same time, they are working with funders to redesign philanthropy itself, advocating for multi-year, unrestricted dollars and building more authentic, accountable partnerships.
As part of Five & Rising, ChangeMakers will expand its Philanthropono program, while also advancing KanakaMob, weaving together Native nonprofits and philanthropic partners into a collective to co-create a trust-based model of philanthropy that can take root in Hawaiʻi and spread across the nation.
This work is anchored in kuleana—a deep sense of responsibility to people, place, and purpose— and demonstrates how Indigenous wisdom can guide more balanced and sustainable systems.
“Being chosen as part of this national launch is a profound recognition of Hawaiʻi’s leadership,” said Olani Lilly, Founder and Board President of ChangeMakers. “For too long, Indigenous organizations have been underfunded, overburdened, and undervalued even as they provide the most innovative and culturally grounded solutions. Five & Rising allows us to show the nation that when communities like ours are trusted and resourced, we can build models of equity, balance, and justice that inspire lasting change.”
In their first year, ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi and the other pilot communities—Progressive Life Center in Maryland and the Center for Community Impact in Northwest Ohio—will participate in a yearlong curriculum to strengthen organizational resilience, reframe harmful narratives, and expand their influence. This knowledge will fuel cross-sector solutions that bring philanthropy, government, business, and community members together to confront local challenges and build collective action plans, creating a playbook that can be scaled nationally.
As one of just three inaugural communities, ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi will not only strengthen Hawaiʻi’s Indigenous-led nonprofits but also help shape a national movement that redefines how communities are resourced and supported. What begins in Hawaiʻi will ripple across the country.
About ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi
ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi is a Hilo-based nonprofit organization and an emerging Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that champions economic equity and justice for Native Hawaiian and underserved communities. Through initiatives such as Philanthropono and KanakaMob, ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi equips Indigenous nonprofits and entrepreneurs with the tools, resources, and partnerships they need to thrive, while advancing a scalable model of trust-based philanthropy rooted in Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsibility.
About Five & Rising
Five & Rising is a national movement led by Social Current to unleash the social sector from the restrictions that limit its impact. Working with communities across the country, Five & Rising co-creates bold funding models, challenges broken norms, and builds the infrastructure needed for systemic change. Five & Rising is more than a campaign; it’s a call to rethink how the social sector is funded, valued, and supported. Learn more and join the movement at FiveAndRising.org.
About Social Current
Social Current is the premier partner and solutions provider to a diverse network of more than 1,800 human and social service organizations. Together with our network, we are activating the power of the social sector to effect broader systemic change that is needed to achieve our vision of an equitable society where all people can thrive. We support, strengthen, and amplify the work of the social sector in five core integrated areas including brain science and trauma-informed approaches; COA Accreditation; child, family, and community well-being; government affairs and advocacy; and leadership and organizational development.
For more information please contact Ms. Jennifer Boyette at 808-769-0730 or at jenny@changemakershawaii.org. Mahalo nui.