The GIFT Foundation of Hawaii’s mission is to encourage young adults to participate in philanthropic giving.
The Gift Foundation of Hawaii centers its grantmaking on a youth-led model: its annual beneficiary programs are tied to encouraging young adults to participate in philanthropic giving, while funding Hawaii-based nonprofits selected through the foundation’s annual process. Recent grants show a strong preference for operating and expansion support rather than one-time project awards. The largest grant on file is $125,000 to Maui Youth & Family Services in Makawao for expansion of operations, followed by $75,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Maui in Kahului for the same purpose. That pattern suggests an emphasis on strengthening organizations already serving local communities rather than seeding entirely new entities. The foundation’s 2025 grantmaking also included $50,000 to Lele Aloha in Kahului for expansion of operations and $25,800 to Ma'i Movement Hawaii Inc. in Honolulu for the same kind of support. Across the recent awards, the foundation backed groups working in youth development, community services, disability and adaptive programs, substance use prevention and intervention, disaster recovery, food distribution, workforce training, housing, and therapy services. Its grants are consistently concentrated in Hawaii and appear to support organizations with direct community-facing services.
Youth development is a recurring theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $50,000 to Women Speaking Out in Kaneohe for a new program to support youth, and in 2025 it awarded $75,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Maui in Kahului for expansion of operations. Community service and basic needs also appear in the portfolio. Aloha Harvest in Honolulu received $80,000 in 2023 to expand its food distribution platform, while Institute for Human Services in Honolulu received $55,000 the same year to launch a new job training program. The foundation has also funded health- and recovery-related work. In 2023, Uvsc Foundation Hawaii in Haiku received $70,000 to expand existing programs supporting cancer patients, and Let Grace In in Honolulu received $20,000 in 2024 for a new therapy program. Housing and disaster resilience show up as well: Dynamic Community Solutions in Waianae received $50,000 in 2024 for a capital campaign for housing.
The Gift Foundation of Hawaii’s typical grant size sits in a fairly tight band: p25 is $43,950, median is $52,500, and p75 is $61,750. Recent awards range from $20,000 to $125,000, with several grants clustered around $50,000 to $59,000. The pattern leans toward expansion of operations, new program support, and capital support. The foundation is a public charity, and its annual beneficiary programs are open to unsolicited applications. The recent grants list spans 2023 through 2025, showing awards in multiple years to Hawaii nonprofits, with no grants outside the state.
$250K
$218K
$377K
$323K
Most grants fall between $44K and $62K, with a median of $53K.
25th Percentile
$44K
Median
$53K
75th Percentile
$62K
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All recent grants went to recipients in Hawaii, and 100% of grants in the dataset were given to the HQ state. The strongest recipient cities in the recent list are Honolulu, Kahului, and Kaneohe, with additional awards in Makawao, Haiku, and Waianae. Honolulu appears multiple times, including awards to Aloha Harvest, Institute for Human Services, Ma'i Movement Hawaii Inc., and Let Grace In. The geographic scope of giving is local, with grants distributed across Oʻahu, Maui, and other Hawaii locations.
The recent grants show support for Hawaii nonprofits working in youth development, community services, disability and adaptive programs, substance use prevention and intervention, disaster recovery, food distribution, job training, housing, cancer patient support, and therapy services. Awards were made to organizations such as Maui Youth & Family Services, Aloha Harvest, Uvsc Foundation Hawaii, and Dynamic Community Solutions.
The foundation’s grant sizes are fairly clustered: p25 is $43,950, median is $52,500, and p75 is $61,750. In the recent grants list, awards ranged from $20,000 to $125,000.
Yes. The active Annual Beneficiary Grant Program and related annual beneficiary grant programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications. They are tied to the foundation’s annual fundraising process and select Hawaii-based nonprofit beneficiaries each year.
No grants in the provided dataset went outside the United States, and all recent grants were made to Hawaii recipients. The recipient country distribution shows 11 grants, all in the US, and the foundation’s giving is described as local.
Both appear in the recent grants. Several awards funded expansion of operations, while others supported a new job training program, a new youth program, a new therapy program, a capital campaign for housing, and expanded services for cancer patients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Gift Foundation of Hawaii that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Hawaii-based nonprofit organizations; applicants are typically previous or prospective beneficiaries of the Foundation’s annual fundraiser. Specific eligibility details are provided on the application form.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAUI YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES | MAKAWAO, HI | $125,000 | 2025 | FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF MAUI | KAHULUI, HI | $75,000 | 2025 | FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS |
| LELE ALOHA | KAHULUI, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS |
| KAKO'O OIWI | KANEOHE, HI | $59,000 | 2024 | FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS. |
| WOMEN SPEAKING OUT | KANEOHE, HI | $50,000 | 2024 | FUND NEW PROGRAM TO SUPPORT YOUTH. |
| DYNAMIC COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS | WAIANAE, HI | $50,000 | 2024 | FUND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR HOUSING. |
| MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAII INC | HONOLULU, HI | $25,800 | 2024 | FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS. |
| LET GRACE IN | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2024 | FUND NEW THERAPY PROGRAM. |
| ALOHA HARVEST | HONOLULU, HI | $80,000 | 2023 | FUND EXPANSION PLATFORM FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION NETWORK. |
| UVSC FOUNDATION HAWAII | HAIKU, HI | $70,000 | 2023 | EXPAND EXISTING PROGRAMS SUPPORTING CANCER PATIENTS. |
| INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN SERVICES | HONOLULU, HI | $55,000 | 2023 | FUND NEW JOB TRAINING PROGRAM. |
MAUI YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES
$125,000FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS
LELE ALOHA
$50,000FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS
WOMEN SPEAKING OUT
$50,000FUND NEW PROGRAM TO SUPPORT YOUTH.
FUND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR HOUSING.
MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAII INC
$25,800FUND EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS.
LET GRACE IN
$20,000FUND NEW THERAPY PROGRAM.
ALOHA HARVEST
$80,000FUND EXPANSION PLATFORM FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION NETWORK.
UVSC FOUNDATION HAWAII
$70,000EXPAND EXISTING PROGRAMS SUPPORTING CANCER PATIENTS.
