To support Native Hawaiians through the preservation and promotion of the Hawaiian language, culture, and history, and to provide specific support for individual needs including medical care.
A defining feature of the Abigail K K Kawananakoa Foundation is its mix of cultural preservation and practical support. In the 2025 grant list, the largest award went to Lunalilo Home for unrestricted support, followed by Honolulu Civil Beat Inc for unrestricted support and St Andrew's Schools for financial aid for Native Hawaiian students. That combination shows a funder that backs institutions serving Native Hawaiian communities while also supporting education and community needs directly. The foundation’s stated purpose centers on Native Hawaiians, especially the preservation and promotion of Hawaiian language, culture, and history, alongside support for individual needs including medical care. Its recent grants reflect that mission across schools, hospitals, museums, archives, civic clubs, and community organizations. Some awards are broad and flexible, while others are tied to specific programs such as bilingual access to Hawaii’s history, a dental clinic, an ultrasound machine, and a diabetic foot clinic. The grant list also shows attention to cultural continuity through support for events, historical collections, and institutions tied to Hawaiian identity. Groups such as Hawaii State Archives, Bishop Museum, Friends of Iolani Palace, and Mauna Ala - Royal Mausoleum appear alongside local nonprofits and schools, indicating a foundation that funds both heritage preservation and day-to-day community services.
Native Hawaiian education appears in several forms. The foundation gave $150,000 to St Andrew's Schools for financial aid for Native Hawaiian students, $50,000 to Awaiaulu Inc for bilingual access to Hawaii’s history, and $60,000 to Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation for Good Idea Teacher Grants. Health support is another clear strand. It awarded $131,969 to Aloha Medical Mission for a dental clinic, $83,188 to Molokai General Hospital for an ultrasound machine, and $50,000 to Gary B Pitt DPM Inc for the MKK Diabetic Foot Clinic Grant. These grants connect medical care with specific equipment and clinic-based services. Youth and family-focused work also appears in the 2025 list. Na Kama Kai received $50,000 for keiki swim lessons, and Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii received $50,000 for Waianae outreach. Cultural programming is visible through $56,300 to The Hawaiian Legacy Foundation for the Eddie Kamae Song Book and $3,000 to Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu for the 2024 Holoku Ball Sponsorship.
$1.7M
$5.6M
$7.1M
$2M
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Grant sizes range from $1,648 to $467,852 in the 2025 list. Several awards cluster at $50,000, with additional grants at $10,000 and below, while a few larger unrestricted gifts stand out at the top end. The foundation’s filings and grant descriptions show a mix of unrestricted support, event sponsorship, project-specific grants, and capital or equipment funding. The recent record includes many recipients in 2025, with multiple organizations appearing in that year’s list and no recipient repeated across years in the data provided. The foundation is a residual beneficiary foundation, and it does not accept unsolicited applications. It also does not make program-related investments and does not fund individuals directly, despite its stated mission including individual medical care support.
Giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in Hawaii: all 25 recent grants in the dataset went to US recipients, and the recipient city list is dominated by Honolulu, with additional awards in Kaunakakai, Wahiawa, Waianae, Hoolehua, Lihue, Waimanalo, Kaneohe, and Olympia, WA. Honolulu recipients include museums, schools, archives, civic clubs, and medical and community organizations. Outside Honolulu, the foundation’s grants reach community-serving organizations on Molokai, in Waianae, and on other islands, showing a statewide pattern rather than a single-city focus. One recipient, Mokuaina A Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club, is located in Olympia, Washington, making it the only non-Hawaii recipient city in the recent list.
No. The foundation’s active grant program states that it does not accept unsolicited applications. Its recent giving is shown through foundation-directed awards to named organizations rather than an open application pool.
It supports Native Hawaiian language, culture, and history, plus medical and individual needs. Recent grants include financial aid for Native Hawaiian students, bilingual access to Hawaii’s history, dental clinic support, an ultrasound machine, and cultural sponsorships tied to Hawaiian heritage.
In the 2025 list, grants ranged from $1,648 to $467,852. Several awards were set at $50,000, and there were also larger unrestricted gifts at $100,000, $150,000, $200,000, and $467,852.
Yes. All 25 recent grants in the dataset went to US recipients, and nearly all were in Hawaii. Honolulu appears most often, with additional Hawaii recipients in Kaunakakai, Waianae, Wahiawa, Hoolehua, Lihue, Waimanalo, and Kaneohe.
No. The foundation’s profile marks funds individuals as false, and its recent grants are made to organizations such as schools, hospitals, museums, civic clubs, and community nonprofits.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunalilo Home | Honolulu, HI | $467,852 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Honolulu Civil Beat Inc | Honolulu, HI | $200,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| St Andrew's Schools | Honolulu, HI | $150,000 | 2025 | For Financial Aid NH Students |
| Aloha Medical Mission | Honolulu, HI | $131,969 | 2025 | For dental clinic |
| Hawaii Executive Collaborative | Honolulu, HI | $100,000 | 2025 | For ceded lands |
| Molokai General Hospital | Kaunakakai, HI | $83,188 | 2025 | For Ultrasound Machine |
| Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $60,000 | 2025 | For Good Idea Teacher Grants |
| The Hawaiian Legacy Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $56,300 | 2025 | For Eddie Kamae Song Book |
| Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii | Honolulu, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | For Waianae outreach |
| Gary B Pitt DPM Inc | Wahiawa, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | For MKK Diabetic Foot Clinic Grant |
| Na Kama Kai | Waianae, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | For Keiki Swim Lessons |
| Awaiaulu Inc | Honolulu, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | For bilingual acess to Hawaii's history |
| Henry Maunakea Center for Discernment and Church Development | Honolulu, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Hawaii State Archives | Honolulu, HI | $28,500 | 2025 | For Archives |
| Friends of Iolani Palace | Honolulu, HI | $27,363 | 2025 | For various sponsorship |
| Bishop Museum | Honolulu, HI | $25,000 | 2025 | For Ulu Sponsorship |
| Mauna Ala - Royal Mausoleum | Honolulu, HI | $19,476 | 2025 | For maintenance |
| Residential Youth Services & Empowerment | Honolulu, HI | $15,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Mokuaina A Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club | Olympia, WA | $11,200 | 2025 | For Malama I Ka Ohana Sponsorship |
| Molokai High School | Hoolehua, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | For culinary and WIN classes |
| Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School | Lihue, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Blanche Pope Elementary School | Waimanalo, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Nanakuli Elementary School | Waianae, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted |
| Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu | Honolulu, HI | $3,000 | 2025 | For 2024 Holoku Ball Sponsorship |
| Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club | Kaneohe, HI | $1,648 | 2025 | For Thanksgiving Parade Sponsorship |
Lunalilo Home
$467,852Unrestricted
Honolulu Civil Beat Inc
$200,000Unrestricted
St Andrew's Schools
$150,000For Financial Aid NH Students
Aloha Medical Mission
$131,969For dental clinic
Hawaii Executive Collaborative
$100,000For ceded lands
Molokai General Hospital
$83,188For Ultrasound Machine
Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation
For Good Idea Teacher Grants
The Hawaiian Legacy Foundation
$56,300For Eddie Kamae Song Book
Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii
$50,000For Waianae outreach
Gary B Pitt DPM Inc
$50,000For MKK Diabetic Foot Clinic Grant
Na Kama Kai
$50,000For Keiki Swim Lessons
Awaiaulu Inc
$50,000For bilingual acess to Hawaii's history
Henry Maunakea Center for Discernment and Church Development
$50,000Unrestricted
Hawaii State Archives
$28,500For Archives
Friends of Iolani Palace
$27,363For various sponsorship
Bishop Museum
$25,000For Ulu Sponsorship
Mauna Ala - Royal Mausoleum
$19,476For maintenance
Residential Youth Services & Empowerment
$15,000Unrestricted
Mokuaina A Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club
$11,200For Malama I Ka Ohana Sponsorship
Molokai High School
$10,000For culinary and WIN classes
Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School
$10,000Unrestricted
Blanche Pope Elementary School
$10,000Unrestricted
Nanakuli Elementary School
$10,000Unrestricted
Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu
$3,000For 2024 Holoku Ball Sponsorship
Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club
$1,648For Thanksgiving Parade Sponsorship