• The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $682,982 grant to the Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Program at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo.

The money will be used for the planning and design of the proposed Center for Pacific Islander Education and Retention. UH-Hilo will renovate a campus facility to establish the center.

• The Family Violence Prevention Fund has awarded $10,000 to Na Loio in recognition of its strong work to prevent violence and keep women and children safe.

It is one of nine awards the Family Violence Prevention Fund is giving to violence prevention and victim service agencies around the country. The awards are made possible by Macy's West, a longtime, generous donor to violence prevention efforts.

• Koga Engineering & Construction Inc. recently donated a $15,000 upgrade project to The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific for the hospital's outdated parking lot. With the help of other local companies including Concrete Coring of Hawaii Inc., B&C Trucking and Ameron Hawaii Inc., Koga Engineering & Construction reconstructed the opening to the hospital's old parking lot, making it easier for drivers to enter.

• Group 70 Foundation has awarded a total of $107,230 to 21 local community organizations. Group 70 Foundation was established in 2002 by the individual employees of Group 70 International Inc., a Hawai'i-based firm specializing in sustainable development, architecture, planning and environmental services, interior design and assets management.

• Lyon Arboretum has been awarded $150,000 by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife to enhance the arboretum's infrastructure for the management of rare plant seeds in Hawai'i and for restoration of rare species native to O'ahu.

Half of all known native Hawaiian plants are classified as threatened or endangered, or are considered by specialists to be potentially threatened.

• The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded grants to two Hawai'i museums.

A $125,400 grant has been awarded to the Laupahoehoe Train Museum on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. The money will be used to strengthen its educational outreach and community awareness through projects which will include programming on railroad, plantation and cultural history, and a production of a short DVD.

A $52,783 grant was awarded to the Waioli Corp. in Lihu'e, Kaua'i, to fund a digital equipment and archiving project which will digitize all the museums' historical records. Included among these are missionary, sugar plantation, Wilcox family, Kauai Public Health nursing and Hawaiian government documents.

• The Children's Alliance of Hawaii's eighth annual Mahealani event raised more than $175,000 for the nonprofit organization, which helps sexually abused children. The money was raised through a combination of table sponsorships and live and silent auctions. Alice Robinson chaired this year's event, the most successful for Mahealani to date.

Alfred Herrera, president of the alliance, has expressed his gratitude to individuals and companies responsible for making the event such a success. He also is grateful to the event's keynote speaker, Thalia Murphy, for her dedication and commitment to prosecuting sexual predators in Hawai'i for more than 20 years.

• Hawaii State Federal Credit Union has raised $50,150 for the American Cancer Society through a yearlong fundraising campaign of employee activities and member donations.

Most recently, a team of more than 170 credit union employees, family and friends attended the all-night Relay For Life event. The credit union hosted a free keiki movie tent and a boxing ring at the event.

• Hale Kipa has been chosen to receive a $500,000 grant from the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The money will be used to help build a new facility in 'Ewa.

When completed, the new Hale Kipa Services Center and Residential Shelter complex will serve as the headquarters for the organization and its outreach and support staff. The new location will offer an on-site educational program, as well as residential shelter programs.