League of Women Voters of Honolulu Education Fund
PO Box 235026
Honolulu HI 96823-3500

Donald and Astrid Monson Annual Award

Astrid & Donald Monson were experts in city planning who moved to Hawaii in 1973 to retire. They were well-educated, well-traveled individuals who worked in different countries in prestigious positions. They both published frequently in academic journals during their professional careers.

During their retirement in Hawaii they were well known as volunteers and citizen activists in the local community. Astrid, in particular, joined the League of Women Voters of Honolulu (“League”) and became a mentor to many people and Leaguers who are active in the local political scene today. Astrid also helped found Hawaii’s Thousand Friends and the Consumers’ Housing Task Force. She was the Chairperson for the League’s Planning & Zoning Committee for a number of years. Astrid wrote columns for the two Honolulu newspapers on planning issues and was primarily known for her advocacy in formulating land use policy. Her participation in the political life of Honolulu was widely recognized and the political positions that she supported were regarded as well researched and even-handed. In 2003, Astrid was recognized by the Honolulu City Council for her advocacy of land use policy.

In 2006, Astrid passed away. In her will, Astrid left instructions that an annual award of $5,000 be given to an organization or individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward or involving public interest planning, housing, or environmental issues during the past year. This was the inception of the Annual Donald and Astrid Monson Award.

Beginning in 2008, the LWVHEF has given the Annual Donald and Astrid Monson Award to seven well-deserving recipients. The seven previous recipients of the annual awards include: Jeff Mikulina of Blue Planet, Donna Wong of Hawaii’s Thousand Friends, the Save Sandy Beach/Ka Iwi Coalition, Henry Curtis of Life of the Land, Suzanne Frazer and Dean Otsuki of Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaiʻi (B.E.A.C.H.), Honolulu Habitat for Humanity, and the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center.

LWVHEF is responsible for choosing the recipient of the award. If you wish to nominate an individual or organization for this award that has performed these deeds on Oahu, or to request it for yourself, please complete the Annual Donald and Astrid Monson Award Nomination form below. Click "Submit" to create and open an email from you containing this information, which you can then check and send. (If your email application doesn't open, please copy the below information and email it to EdBoard@lwvedfund.org.)