Mission

The Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation is committed to providing resources to improve the life of Hawaii’s children and families by improving the quality and quantity of early education. Our efforts are concentrated on creating greater social equality and opportunity through improving access to high quality pre-K education. Secondarily, the foundation provides limited support for the arts, health, historical and cultural projects, where these projects serve children 0-5.

A subsidiary mission of the Foundation is to support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. This is congruent with the Foundation’s numerous efforts to support developmentally appropriate early education. The first 0-36 months of age are critical for healthy child development, and low-income children are often at risk of missing developmental milestones. Investments in infants and toddlers provide a greater chance of equitable good beginnings.

Core Values

Our core values emerge from the Foundation’s long history and are reflected in the grants made in over a century of grant making. They include the following:

• We welcome strategic alliances with public and private funders and entities to accomplish tasks consistent with the mission of the Foundation;
• We value modesty, courtesy, honesty, compassion and mutual respect among grant makers and grantees;
• We value the basic tenets of liberal democracy, Christian universalism, inclusiveness and equal opportunity. The Foundation cannot support organizations which practice religious, racial, cultural, ethnic or gender discrimination;
• We value stewardship, and the trustees and staff are committed to balancing the needs and opportunities of today with the needs and opportunities of tomorrow. Because we are a permanent charitable corporation, our trustees are committed to prudent and responsible use of charitable assets for charitable purposes, so that we can be of service to Hawaii’s children for generations to come. The trustees value and give grantmaking preference to programs and projects that increase the wellbeing of low and moderate income children and families;
• The Foundation values grants and programs that benefit children and families in the entire state of Hawaii;
• The Foundation strives for high quality in everything it does so that the Foundation is synonymous with quality, transparency and responsiveness;
• The human dignity and worth of all children and individuals affected by the Foundation and its grant programs will be respected and protected;
• The Foundation values high quality early education and believes positive change can occur within a liberal democracy and free market economy if all children are provided with basic health, nutrition and education. The end goal is a more equitable Hawaii with children as life-long learners and active participants in democracy. The development of a more competitive workforce is a secondary but important byproduct of the Foundation’s work;
• The Castle Foundation has been an advocate and supporter of Native Hawaiian language restoration and cultural-based early education and care for all families who choose it. The intricate nexus of early education, culture and equity is powerful;
• The Foundation values the many historical contributions of its 19th century founders, Samuel N. & Mary Castle, and takes extraordinary efforts to study, preserve and share that history with grantees, historians and the general public;
• The trustees and staff value delivering the best possible grants at the lowest reasonable costs. In addition to seeking funding partners and strategic opportunities to increase charitable resources, the trustees and staff will evaluate the effectiveness of grant making strategies and tactics. Generally, proven, quantified and validated models in grantee projects and programs are preferred. The Foundation takes a long-term view and makes long-term commitments as required for maximum effectiveness.