Having first fallen in love with the islands as a child, Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff has long held a deep appreciation for the state of Hawai’i. Marc and his wife, Lynne, have been giving philanthropically there for more than two decades. In the last few months, they have taken their biggest steps yet with major donations toward health care and affordable housing in the state.
In 2024, the Benioffs announced a $150 million donation in Hawai’i to increase health care access, address critical infrastructure gaps, and help ensure excellent and continuous care for communities in the state. They’ve also purchased and given away more than 440 acres of land to a local nonprofit focused on building affordable housing on the island of Hawai’i.
Why these donations in Hawai’i are important: The healthcare donation, one of the largest private donations in Hawai’i’s history, will enable two centers, renamed Hilo Benioff Medical Center and Straub Benioff Medical Center, to expand access and build out critical areas of care. It will also support a continuum of care partnership with the University of California San Francisco Health system, where the Benioffs have also been major donors over the years. The Hawai’i land donation, along with a cash gift to facilitate planning and infrastructure development, was made to Hilo-based Hawai’i Island Community Development Corp., which over the past 30 years has developed nearly 900 affordable housing units on Hawai’i Island.
The Salesforce perspective: Marc Benioff pioneered Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model, which commits 1% of the company’s equity, technology, and employees’ time to build a more equitable and sustainable world.
What Marc is saying:
- “Our philosophy has always been to give locally and to give through experts who deeply understand local needs, and we are so pleased to have found that with the wonderful, lifesaving teams at Hilo Medical Center, Hawai’i Pacific Health, and UCSF Health. We feel fortunate to have been part of the Hawai’i community for many decades and to be able to support our Ohana in this way. Nothing is more important than the health of our community, and access to care for all who need it.” (Hilo Benioff Medical Center)
- “The shared sense of purpose and meaning is why Salesforce’s culture has come to embody the Hawaiian concept of Ohana. It means ‘family,’ but it applies to an extended family, including those not even related by blood. I first learned about Ohana as a child during family vacations to Hawai’i, a place where I always felt happy and peaceful. As an adult, Ohana came to mean any group of people bound by a responsibility for one another, and by their shared values. That was the culture I wanted for Salesforce from the beginning — one that was inclusive of everyone and would underlie everything we do.“ (Trailblazer, Chapter 7)
We feel fortunate to have been part of the Hawai’i community for many decades and to be able to support our Ohana in this way. Nothing is more important than the health of our community, and access to care for all who need it.
Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce
Fast facts on Marc and Hawai’i:
- As of June 2024, the Benioffs’ total philanthropy in the state exceeds $250 million.
- In 2024, in one of the largest private donations in Hawai’i’s history, the Benioffs announced $150 million in gifts to medical centers on the islands of Hawai’i and on O’ahu.
- The 440 acres given to HICDC for affordable housing represent most of their land purchases in Hawai’i over the years. They have also donated additional properties for teachers and health care workers in the state.
- Announced in 2024, Benioff’s donations, dating back to 2017, provided half the funding for Hawai’i fire departments to purchase two new helicopters.
- In 2024, the Benioffs donated $1 million to the West Maui Improvement Foundation to buy a modular fire station for Olowalu.
- The Benioffs also partnered with the Sayre Foundation to bring a rescue boat and more than a dozen firetrucks.
- In 2023, Marc and Lynne Benioff committed $5 million to the Hawai’i Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program to alleviate student loan debt for medical professionals working in Hawai’i.
Go deeper:
- Hear from Marc about the importance of his philanthropic efforts in Hawa’ii here
- Watch clips of the groundbreaking ceremonies of Hilo Benioff Medical Center and Straub Benioff Medical Center
- Learn more about Salesforce’s Annual Giving Back initiatives
