The Hilo Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on climate-focused public engagement through the arts, providing repeated, substantial support to The Climate Museum in New York. Its funding is targeted and programmatic, backing an organization that uses cultural programming and exhibitions to advance climate leadership and civic engagement.
Highly concentrated giving: a small number of large, repeat grants to a single grantee rather than distributed funding across many organizations.
Heidi & Lola Loening Foundation Dba Hilo Foundation’s largest recent grants all go to The Climate Museum in New York, including $500,000 in 2023 and $400,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for the museum to serve as a hub for climate engagement and leadership. That repeated support shows a long-running, programmatic relationship rather than one-off giving. The foundation also backs a mix of arts, civic, and community-based projects with much smaller grants, including support for public arts programming, youth choir work, and grassroots democracy organizing. The pattern is locally centered and highly concentrated in New York City and nearby Long Island communities. Alongside the museum funding, the foundation has given to organizations such as Arts Center at Duck Creek Inc., Tatter Blue Archives Institute, Amber Waves, Every Voice Choir, Project Most, and Edge and Center Inc. Across the recent grants list, the foundation favors operating or program support with explicit purposes tied to public engagement, education, and creative practice.
Climate engagement is the clearest throughline. The foundation gave $500,000 to The Climate Museum in 2023 and $400,000 in both 2024 and 2025, each time to serve as a hub for climate engagement and leadership. Its arts funding extends beyond that central climate focus. In 2023 and 2024, it gave $50,000 to Arts Center at Duck Creek Inc. to develop and operate fine arts programming, and it supported Tatter Blue Archives Institute with $50,000 in 2023 for an interactive art-installation and academic research library of textiles. The foundation also supports education and youth enrichment. It gave $50,000 to Amber Waves in 2023 for educational opportunities in agriculture, $20,000 to Every Voice Choir in 2025 for a youth choir fund, and $5,000 to Project Most in 2024 for year-round extracurricular enrichment programs for children and families.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. That distribution reflects a structure with a few large anchor grants and many smaller awards. The Climate Museum appears in three consecutive years, and Every Voice Choir and Project Most also recur across multiple years, showing repeat support rather than isolated gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent record points to operating support and program delivery, often tied to named projects or functions.
$1.2M
$740K
$2.4M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Notable grantees: The Climate Museum
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local: 87% of grants go to recipients in New York, and the listed recipients are all in the US. New York City appears repeatedly through The Climate Museum, Every Voice Choir, and several other grantees. Long Island communities also show up often, including East Hampton, Amagansett, and Sag Harbor. Outside New York, the only listed recent recipient is Movement Voter Fund in Northampton, Massachusetts, with another grant to Institute for Freedoms Inc. in Altadena, California.
The foundation’s recent giving centers on climate engagement and public-facing cultural work. The Climate Museum received $500,000 in 2023 and $400,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for climate engagement and leadership, and other grants support fine arts programming, textiles research, youth choir activities, and community enrichment.
Yes. The Climate Museum appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with major awards. Every Voice Choir appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Project Most appears in 2023 and 2024. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with selected grantees.
The grant-size distribution centers on $50,000 awards: p25 is $10,000, the median is $50,000, and p75 is also $50,000. The list also includes much larger anchor grants, including $500,000 and $400,000 awards to The Climate Museum.
Its giving is highly concentrated in New York, which accounts for 87% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients in New York include organizations in New York City, East Hampton, Amagansett, Brooklyn, and Sag Harbor.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grant record instead shows organizational support, often labeled for operating, program, or project purposes.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CLIMATE MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD |
| ORGANIZACION LATINO AMERICANA OF EASTERN LONG ISLAND | SAGAPONACK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE LATINO POPULATION |
| PACT DONATION COLLECTIVE | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | NYC-BASED COMMUNITY IMPACT NETWORK THAT EXISTS TO SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD-LED PROJECTS |
| AMBER WAVES | AMAGANSETT, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | PROVIDE RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE |
| THE TATTER BLUE ARCHIVES INSTITUTE | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | INTERACTIVE, ONGOING ART-INSTALLATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARY OF TEXTILES |
| NIAMUCK LAND TRUST | SOUTHAMPTON, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | LAND TRUST DEDICATED TO PURCHASING, PRESERVING, AND PROTECTING LANDS ON LONG ISLAND. |
| EVERY VOICE CHOIR | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR |
| VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES | BOLINAS, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | SHARE PROVEN STRATEGIES TO BUILD VISUAL LITERACY |
| THE CLIMATE MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2025 | TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD |
| MOVEMENT VOTER FUND | NORTHAMPTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | HELPS DEPLOY RESOURCES BY INVESTING IN GRASSROOTS GROUPS WORKING TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY |
| EVERY VOICE CHOIR | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR |
| INSTITUTE FOR FREEDOMS INC | ALTADENA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | WORKS WITH ARTISTS TO PRESENT NEW AND EXISTING WORK IN THE PUBLIC SPHEREWORKS WITH ARTISTS TO PRESENT NEW AND EXISTING WORK IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE, |
| EDGE AND CENTER INC | SAG HARBOR, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT/PROMOTE THE VISUAL & CREATIVE ARTS |
| THE CLIMATE MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2024 | TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD |
| ARTS CENTER AT DUCK CREEK INC | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | DEVELOPS AND OPERATES FINE ARTS PROGRAMMING |
| EVERY VOICE CHOIR | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR |
| PROJECT MOST | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | YEAR-ROUND EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES |
| THE CLIMATE MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2023 | TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD |
| AMBER WAVES | AMAGANSETT, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | PROVIDE RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE |
| TATTER BLUE ARCHIVES INSTITUTE | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | INTERACTIVE, ONGOING ART-INSTALLATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARY OF TEXTILES |
| ARTS CENTER AT DUCK CREEK INC | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | DEVELOPS AND OPERATES FINE ARTS PROGRAMMING |
| EVERY VOICE CHOIR | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR |
| PROJECT MOST | EAST HAMPTON, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | YEAR-ROUND EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES |
TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD
ORGANIZACION LATINO AMERICANA OF EASTERN LONG ISLAND
$50,000ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE LATINO POPULATION
PACT DONATION COLLECTIVE
$50,000NYC-BASED COMMUNITY IMPACT NETWORK THAT EXISTS TO SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD-LED PROJECTS
AMBER WAVES
$50,000PROVIDE RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE
THE TATTER BLUE ARCHIVES INSTITUTE
$20,000INTERACTIVE, ONGOING ART-INSTALLATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARY OF TEXTILES
NIAMUCK LAND TRUST
LAND TRUST DEDICATED TO PURCHASING, PRESERVING, AND PROTECTING LANDS ON LONG ISLAND.
EVERY VOICE CHOIR
$20,000FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR
VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES
$20,000SHARE PROVEN STRATEGIES TO BUILD VISUAL LITERACY
TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD
HELPS DEPLOY RESOURCES BY INVESTING IN GRASSROOTS GROUPS WORKING TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY
EVERY VOICE CHOIR
$20,000FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR
INSTITUTE FOR FREEDOMS INC
$10,000WORKS WITH ARTISTS TO PRESENT NEW AND EXISTING WORK IN THE PUBLIC SPHEREWORKS WITH ARTISTS TO PRESENT NEW AND EXISTING WORK IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE,
EDGE AND CENTER INC
$2,000SUPPORT PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT/PROMOTE THE VISUAL & CREATIVE ARTS
TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD
ARTS CENTER AT DUCK CREEK INC
$50,000DEVELOPS AND OPERATES FINE ARTS PROGRAMMING
EVERY VOICE CHOIR
$10,000FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR
YEAR-ROUND EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES
TO SERVE AS A HUB FOR CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN A CHALLENGING WORLD
AMBER WAVES
$50,000PROVIDE RICH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE
TATTER BLUE ARCHIVES INSTITUTE
$50,000INTERACTIVE, ONGOING ART-INSTALLATION AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH LIBRARY OF TEXTILES
ARTS CENTER AT DUCK CREEK INC
$50,000DEVELOPS AND OPERATES FINE ARTS PROGRAMMING
EVERY VOICE CHOIR
$10,000FUND FOR YOUTH CHOIR
YEAR-ROUND EXTRACURRICULAR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES