• Organization: Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice

• Reports To: Deputy Director

• Location: Honolulu, HI (with options for hybrid work)

• Position Type: Full-time, Salary ($80,000–$90,000)

• Submission Instructions: To apply, send a cover letter and resume to jobs@hiappleseed.org. Priority will be given to applications received before June 30, 2026, but may be extended.

About Hawaiʻi Appleseed

Hawaiʻi Appleseed (HA) is committed to a more socially and economically just Hawaiʻi, where everyone has genuine opportunities to achieve economic security and fulfill their potential. We change policies, systems, and narratives by conducting data analysis and research, educating policymakers and the public, engaging in collaborative problem solving and coalition building, and building community leaders.

The issues we work on—housing, food, fair wages and taxation, transportation, and racial and indigenous equity—are important because they ensure the people of Hawaiʻi have the basics necessary to thrive individually and collectively. Our public benefits work prioritizes ensuring people in Hawaiʻi have access to affordable, quality healthcare and enough healthy, culturally relevant food to live an active and healthy life. 

Position Overview

The Director of Food and Healthcare Equity leads HA’s research, administrative, and legislative advocacy to strengthen the state’s core public benefits stack. Operating at the intersection of economic justice, public health, and food security, this position focuses on maximizing access to foundational safety net programs for low-income Hawaiʻi residents, and maintaining HA’s reputation as a trusted source of food and healthcare policy expertise in Hawaiʻi.

The Director oversees a comprehensive portfolio that integrates nutrition assistance (SNAP, child/senior nutrition, emergency feeding), economic security (TANF), and healthcare access (Medicaid/Med-QUEST and affordable healthcare initiatives).

Key Responsibilities

Policy Analysis & Research

• Conduct and oversee the production of high-quality, data-driven research products, including policy briefs, reports, and fact sheets that illustrate the impact of safety net programs on economic justice in Hawaiʻi 

• Monitor and interpret federal, state, and county legislative, regulatory, and administrative changes affecting SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid/Med-QUEST.

• Identify administrative barriers at state and county agencies to eligibility and enrollment systems and develop actionable, systemic solutions.

Legislative & Administrative Advocacy

• Develop and execute HA’s annual legislative agenda regarding food equity, cash assistance, and healthcare affordability.

• Draft legislative testimony, lobby lawmakers, and cultivate champions for safety net programs within the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and four county councils

• Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with state and county agency officials (e.g., DHS, Med-QUEST Division) to advocate for administrative improvements and rule changes.

• Ensure Hawaiʻi’s voice is included in national conversations by engaging with the state’s congressional delegates, and weighing in on federal rule changes.

Partnership Development & Community Engagement

• Convene and participate in coalitions or working groups dedicated to anti-hunger, healthcare access, and poverty alleviation.

• Represent Hawaiʻi in national partnerships and advocacy groups to stay up-to-date on federal changes and national policy trends.

• Partner with grassroots organizations, community health centers, and impact-affected individuals to ensure policy priorities are grounded in the lived experiences of Hawaii's community.

• Serve as an organizational spokesperson on health, nutrition, and safety net policy with the media, funders, and public stakeholders.

Other Responsibilities 

• Working with HA communications staff, develop external-facing communications content including infographics, op-eds, social media content, and blog posts.

• Working with the Development Director, pursue funding that supports HA’s food and healthcare equity staff and agenda. This work includes: identifying new funding opportunities, assisting with writing grants and grant reports, building relationships with current and potential local and national funders, and providing oversight of HA’s budget and expenses for its food and healthcare equity work. 

• Working closely with HA's community engagement staff, develop and offer opportunities for meaningful engagement of community leaders in the legislative process and other initiatives.

The Director of Food and Healthcare Equity reports directly to the Deputy Director.

Position Qualifications

The right candidate will have the following strengths and qualifications:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong desire and ability to build lasting relationships with all kinds of people

• Strong small-team management skills 

• Strong commitment to equity and inclusion and the mission to ensure that all Hawaiʻi residents have opportunities to thrive economically and socially

• Strong commitment to helping strengthen HA and its staff to effectively pursue HA’s mission and vision

• Knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s unique social, political, cultural, and systemic issues that affect policy and the well-being of marginalized communities

• Strong knowledge of food and healthcare policy and Hawai‘i’s local housing system

• Excellent research skills

• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing

• Good computer skills

• Self-directed, while also being able to work well in teams and with coalition partners

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, year-round position. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, within the range of $80,000 to $90,000. The position also provides comprehensive benefits including health care, paid holidays and personal leave and a 401(k) plan.

Download a PDF of this position description.

• Issued By: Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

• Deadline to Apply: July 31, 2026

• Project Budget: $35,000

• Contract Term: ASAP – July 31, 2027; potential to extend on an annual basis

1. The Opportunity

The Hawai‘i Hunger Action Network (HHAN) is a statewide, member-led network dedicated to ensuring all people in Hawai‘i have access to quality food to live healthy, dignified lives. We are seeking a contractor to serve as our Network Coordinator—a role that acts as the "connective tissue" for the network.

We are not looking for a project manager to execute tasks; we are looking for a facilitator and strategist who can help us live out the commitments made in our Network Charter.

2. Our Philosophy

Before proposing, you must review the HHAN Network Charter, noting in particular these guiding principles:

• The network does the work: Your role is to support members, not direct them.

• Action over discussion: Our meetings are not for updates; they are for moving initiatives forward.

• Asset-based: We connect people to resources rather than starting from "what's missing."

3. Objectives & Deliverables

Objective A: High-Engagement Network Gatherings

Our quarterly, in-person gatherings are the primary engine for the network’s collective learning and action planning. This is where collaborative initiatives are often generated.

• Deliverables: Plan and facilitate four (4) interactive, full-day, in-person meetings. This includes agenda development, identifying guest speakers, and driving member attendance.

Objective B: Empowered Leadership & Effective Governance

The HHAN Leadership Team (LT) is a small, volunteer steering committee responsible for monitoring the current partnership landscape, identifying topics for discussion at the quarterly full-network gatherings, and supporting the continued development of the Network Charter.

• Deliverables: Liaise closely with LT members, including hosting and facilitating a minimum of four (4) virtual LT meetings per year. Actively ensure Network Charter is kept up-to-date.

Objective C: Network Vitality & Collective Action

We strive for a network that does more than just learn–we take collective action. Members stay connected and engaged through collective projects and initiatives even between quarterly gatherings. 

• Deliverables: Incubate and support emerging, actionable ideas and collective initiatives that come out of the network’s quarterly gatherings. This may include assisting members with coordinating or facilitating project-based meetings outside of regular meetings.

4. Evaluation, Tracking, and Reporting

The Network Coordinator is expected to maintain regular communication with the Hawaiʻi Appleseed team and the Leadership Team to ensure transparency and progress toward the objectives. Key reporting and tracking requirements include:

• Quarterly Progress Reports: Provide a quarterly report after each Network gathering that includes a synopsis of the meeting (attendance, key takeaways, member evaluations), major activities that occurred since the prior meeting, challenges encountered, and upcoming priorities.

• Annual Network Health Assessment: We administer a membership survey annually in the late Summer/early Fall. Last year’s membership survey is provided for reference, here. You are welcome (though not required) to use or modify it and expand upon it to measure indicators of network health and vitality, such as connectivity, value, governance effectiveness, and member satisfaction. 

• Final Project Summary: At the conclusion of the contract term, submit a comprehensive summary report documenting all deliverables, key achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations for future network development.

5. Appleseed Support

Food equity is a key issue area for Hawaiʻi Appleseed, and our partnership role with HHAN is critical to our strategy. As a policy advocacy institute, we are primarily dedicated to assisting HHAN with identifying and championing state and county legislation to advance our respective priorities. As the backbone organization for HHAN, Hawaiʻi Appleseed can provide in-kind and financial support in the following areas:

• Funding for quarterly gatherings: The Network Coordinator is not responsible for the costs of quarterly gatherings. We have a modest budget that can accommodate venue fees, catering, neighbor island member travel, and materials for these meetings.

• Legislative strategy & support: Our staff will work closely with the Network Coordinator to integrate the Network’s annual policy prioritization process into the quarterly gatherings, as well as continue coordinating the Policy Working Group (as outlined in Appendix A of the Network Charter).

• Network external communications: Staff will continue to maintain the HHAN website, social media, and e-newsletter. The Network Coordinator will have administrator status on the HHAN Google Group, and may be provided with a dedicated email address, if desired.

6. Proposal Sections

Please submit a proposal (maximum 5 pages) that describes the services you could provide given the project budget. If you are unable to include a particular objective or it would require additional resources, please note this in your proposal.

1. (Optional) Overview of Approach: If not captured in any of the sections below, feel free to provide an overview or framework of your strategic approach to network coordination and development.

2. Approach to Achieving Specific Objectives

   1. Objective A (Gatherings): Explain your methodology for facilitating interactive meetings that drive collective learning and action planning, and create value that members cannot find elsewhere. Include in your response the level of logistics support you can provide, and whether you would need support from Appleseed staff.

   2. Objective B (Governance): Describe how you would guide and support the Leadership Team in their mission to steward network health, set strategy, and ensure our operations remain aligned with the Network Charter.

   3. Objective C (Network Vitality): Detail your plan for strengthening the "connective tissue" between members. Include any plans to support and nurture future member-led projects that support our broader goals. 

3. (Optional) Other Outcomes: Based on our Charter, do you see any other opportunities for HHAN in the next 12 months, and how would your coordination role help realize it?

4. Tracking and Evaluation: Please describe your proposed approach to measuring the objectives in this RFP. Be sure to include basic metrics, such as member participation and satisfaction, as well as deeper analysis such as network strengths and opportunities for improvement. Please describe any changes or alternative tools that you propose.

5. Budget: Please provide a simple budget for this project. Please note any in-kind or matching support, and whether any subcontractors will be hired. An optional sample template is provided in the downloadable version of this RFP linked below.

6. Qualifications & References: Please provide the following with your application:

   • Certificate of Good Standing from DCCA.

   • Examples of relevant prior experience.

   • Contact information for two professional references.

7. Questions & Submission

We welcome questions ahead of the proposal deadline. Please feel free to contact daniela@hiappleseed.org if you would like clarification on anything before submitting.

Please submit proposals via email to: daniela@hiappleseed.org by July 31, 2026.

Download a PDF of this RFP