Giving Without Borders

AT THE EAST-WEST CENTER, GENEROSITY IS MORE THAN A TRANSACTION—it is a way of caring for people, ideas, and relationships. Especially in times of uncertainty, unrestricted giving allows the \Center to respond with compassion and agility, ensuring students feel supported, connected, and seen. In fiscal year 2025, that kind of generosity made a meaningful difference.

One powerful example is the Rosemary Janson-Wong Legacy Fund, an unrestricted endowment that supports the East-West Center’s Education Program and Pacific Islands Development Program. Established by Rosemary’s family in her honor, the fund reflects both gratitude and hope—a desire to give back to the institution that helped shape her life, and to create opportunity for others to follow— and the family’s deep commitment to trust-based philanthropy.

Rosemary Janson-Wong was a 1966 East-West Center alumna whose journey began with a scholarship that allowed her to study hotel and restaurant management in Hawai‘i. Raised in Fiji, she had already learned the importance of hospitality while helping to run her family’s restaurant. At EWC, she found more than an education; she found confidence, cross-cultural understanding, and a sense of belonging that stayed with her throughout her life.

After leaving Hawai‘i, Rosemary built a career in hospitality at the Royal Hawaiian and later became an entrepreneur, founding businesses in catering, childcare, and elder care. Yet it was her everyday kindness that defined her most. She was known for welcoming strangers to her table, inviting people into her home for Thanksgiving, volunteering in her community, and advocating for women and cultural exchange. Her generosity was quiet, consistent, and deeply felt—and the Legacy Fund created in her name carries that spirit forward.

Because the Rosemary Janson- Wong Legacy Fund provides unrestricted support, the East-West Center is able to direct resources where they are needed most. That flexibility is important as unrestricted funds allow the Center to sustain essential programs, respond to emerging needs, and ensure students continue to have meaningful, uninterrupted experiences.

Incoming EWC students at ʻIolani Palace hearing from Dr. Ronald Williams Jr., Hawaiʻi State Archives.

That same sense of shared responsibility was reflected across the institution in FY 2025, when 100 percent of the East-West Center Foundation Board of Directors made philanthropic contributions to support the Center’s priorities and strategic initiatives. This milestone speaks to more than participation— it reflects trust. The people closest to the Center, who understand its mission and challenges most intimately, came together in support.

In doing so, the board demonstrated the power of collective giving. “We wanted to send a clear message with our commitment: that the work of the East-West Center matters, and its impact is worth investing in. And we wanted to lead by example,” shared AJ Halagao, the EWC Foundation Chair.

Unrestricted generosity also played a vital role through the support of the Alaka‘ina Foundation, whose Educational Support Fund provided the much-needed flexible student program support to ensure that students’ experiences remained rich, connected, and whole.

EWC students Fernando Lopez Oggier, Violet King & Ernest Bethe on a huakaʻi trip for place-based learning.

Through this support, the Education Program was able to offer initiatives such as the Spring 2025 Exchange, a weekly seminar series that brought together more than 100 first-year students through conversation, cultural performance, shared meals, and dialogue with regional leaders. Funds also supported the Community Building Institute, a two-week, place-based orientation that helped new students from over 30 countries and territories build early connections—to one another, to Hawai‘i, and to the values of the Center.

Together, the Rosemary Janson- Wong Legacy Fund, the unified leadership of the Board, and the flexible support of partners like the Alaka‘ina Foundation illustrate what is possible when generosity is guided by trust and care. Giving without borders means meeting people where they are, responding with heart, and creating space for connection—even in uncertain times.