Network Health Dashboard 2026
Executive Summary
Overview: Members remain confident in what HHAN does together: all 12 who rated it agree that "we achieve more together than individually." The network health score slipped from to , mostly because of a sharp drop in agreement that HHAN's membership is representative.
Where Agreement Fell
- Representation: agree HHAN has sufficient representation from diverse groups and communities, down from , the largest drop of any item. One neighbor-island respondent described full-day, fly-in meetings as a barrier and asked whether HHAN is mainly for food banks; another asked for more neighbor-island meetings.
- Policy contributions: agree HHAN has made meaningful contributions to anti-hunger policy, down from . Everyone else was neutral; no one disagreed.
- Strength of member value: most members still agree HHAN builds relationships and skills, but far fewer agree strongly: → for relationships and → for skills and knowledge.
- Governance clarity: The Charter revision is the place to address this.
Energy for Member-Led Work
SNAP, Food Gardens, and emergency food preparedness drew the most working-group interest, and two respondents volunteered to co-convene.
Leadership Strengths and Development Opportunities
Overview: Confidence in HHAN's leadership holds steady, and agreement on role clarity is about the same as 2025. Representation is the clearest gap.
Leadership: % Who Agree
*Reverse-worded: agreeing that HHAN needs more leadership pathways signals a gap, so lower is better. This item will be reworded in 2027.
Leadership: How Members Answered
Understanding of HHAN Governance
"How well do you understand HHAN's current governance structure (leadership, decision-making processes, member roles)?"
2025 offered a "Not sure" option; 2026 did not.
Implications & Next Steps
- Make it possible to take part without flying in: the Leadership Team could decide on a virtual or async option for quarterly meetings and priority-setting, consider rotating meetings to neighbor islands, and give smaller community-based groups a clear way to shape priorities.
- Clarify member roles: pair the revised Charter with a one-page "How HHAN Works" guide.
Shared Purpose and Strategic Alignment
Overview: Agreement on shared purpose remains high and largely unchanged. The one clear drop is in policy contributions, where those who didn't agree were neutral rather than disagreeing.
Purpose & Cohesion: % Who Agree
Purpose & Cohesion: How Members Answered
Implications & Next Steps
- Make policy wins visible: after each session, share what passed and the part members played in it.
- Make goals visible: use the revised Charter's issue areas to communicate strategic goals and progress.
Network Operations and Member Benefits
Overview: Most members still agree HHAN's operations work and that membership brings value. Agreement fell 13 points each on communication systems and on skills and knowledge; other changes in % agree are within about one respondent. The bigger shift is in strength of agreement: far fewer members strongly agree that HHAN builds relationships or skills. Adequate resources remains the lowest-rated operations item.
Operations & Benefits: % Who Agree
Operations & Benefits: How Members Answered
Implications & Next Steps
- Build relationships and skills into every meeting: structured cross-island introductions, small-group time, and expert briefings before group discussion.
- Be open about resources: share the backbone's capacity and funding picture with members, and explore diversified support.
Working Group Interest
Overview: New in 2026. SNAP and Food Gardens drew the most interest, with emergency food preparedness one respondent behind. One respondent checked every group but noted that their organization already does this work and asked what HHAN would add.
Would Take Part
Respondents could choose more than one.
Willing to Co-Convene?
The two "Yes" respondents named SNAP and Hui Mālama ʻAi, the statewide food garden network (so, presumably, Food Gardens).
Implications & Next Steps
- Launch where leads exist: start SNAP and Food Gardens with their volunteer co-conveners and at least one collaborator each, and follow up with the three "maybes."
- Define value up front: each group should say what members gain from joining that they don't get on their own.
Network Composition: Who Responded
Overview: Half as many people responded as in 2025, and fewer were nonprofits, so differences between years partly reflect who took the survey. Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County are thinly represented, consistent with the low representation score. Bars show each year's share of respondents; organization type and island allowed more than one answer.
Member Tenure
Network Connectivity
Organization Types
Geographic Coverage
What Drives Member Engagement
Overview: Members value action and staying informed, especially on SNAP during a year of major federal change.
What Members Mentioned
- Staying informed: several respondents valued SNAP updates, the SNAP timeline, and blog posts
- Building momentum before session: getting the network aligned so partners can mobilize when advocacy opportunities arise
Opportunities for Strengthening the Network
Overview: Suggestions from the open responses, paraphrased to protect anonymity. Most come from one or two respondents.
Access & Inclusion
- Remote options, 1:1 check-ins, on-island site visits, and ways to vote on priorities without attending the Policy Working Group
- Include and uplift the voices of neighbors experiencing food insecurity
Governance & Onboarding
- Share (or create) a process for onboarding new members
- Share a breakdown of network membership by sector (government, nonprofit, individual, youth)
- Balance broad member input with focusing on the highest-impact priorities
County & Data Connections
- Help each county identify its policy priorities, and connect local food-access groups to the policy conversation
- Convene food banks, BRFSS, and Food is Medicine partners on how food insecurity is measured statewide