The Hawaii Pacific Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in Hawaii with a clear emphasis on education at all levels and on Native Hawaiian cultural and community development. Its largest single commitment is to the University of Hawai‘i system, while many mid- and small-sized grants support K–12 STEM/out-of-school programs, cultural preservation, food/land stewardship, and local economic capacity building. Grantees are overwhelmingly Hawaii-based and include both statewide institutions and neighborhood-level nonprofits. The foundation appears to prioritize culturally grounded education, workforce readiness, and place-based conservation efforts.
The Hawaii Pacific Foundation Inc’s largest recent commitment went to the University of Hawaii Foundation, including a $1,370,500 award for Education Program Support and a $437,500 award for Higher Education Program Support in 2024. That scale frames a grantmaker that concentrates heavily on education while also supporting Native Hawaiian cultural and community development, workforce readiness, and place-based stewardship across Hawaii. The pattern is not limited to one institution: the foundation also backed Council for Native Hawaiian Advance with $204,500 for Economic & Community Development and funded East West Center Foundation with $200,000 for Education & Goodwill Promotion. The grant list shows a mix of statewide systems and neighborhood organizations, with many awards centered on Honolulu, Kapolei, Kaneohe, Waimanalo, Waianae, Hilo, and other Hawaii communities. Recent awards reach into K–12 STEM, at-risk youth services, cultural awareness, food sustainability, and land resources education. Several grants are tied to Native Hawaiian-focused organizations, suggesting that cultural continuity and locally rooted development are part of the foundation’s giving approach alongside higher education support.
Education appears in multiple forms. In 2024, the foundation gave $150,000 to Partners in Development Foundation for an Education Program, $100,000 to Paphana Aloha Aina Hawaii for an Education Program, and $90,000 to Hakipuu Academy for an Education Program. It also supported Kauluwao Inc with $35,000 for an Education Program and Malama Honua Public Charter School with $6,000 for an Education Program. Youth and STEM programming is another visible thread. Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation received $25,000 in 2024 for At Risk Youth & Stem Education, and DOD Starbase Hawaii received $15,000 in 2023 for Elementary Stem Program Support. The foundation also made a $23,500 grant to The Heartbeat Movement for Performing Arts Education, showing support beyond core academic programming. Place-based stewardship and community development round out the portfolio. Friends of Waimanalo received $75,000 for Workforce Development, Hui Mahial Aina received $60,000 for Food Sustainability & Education, and The Trust for Public Land received $50,000 for Land Resources.
$2.2M
$192.7M
$173.7M
$73.7M
Most grants fall between $14K and $95K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$95K
Edwin Vincent
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A hybrid approach: one dominant, multi-grant flagship commitment to a major state institution alongside numerous medium and smaller program grants to recurring local nonprofits. Funding is heavily Hawaii‑focused, often repeat awards, and ranges from large institutional gifts to targeted project support for community and cultural organizations.
Notable grantees: University of Hawaii Foundation, Partners In Development Foundation, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, East–West Center Foundation, Friends of Waimanalo
Typical grants cluster in the mid-range, with a p25 of $13,500, a median of $35,000, and a p75 of $95,000. The recent list also includes a few much larger awards, led by the University of Hawaii Foundation commitments in 2024. The foundation’s grantmaking is local in scope and overwhelmingly concentrated in Hawaii, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the state. The record shows repeat support to the same organizations across years, including Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation, Partners In Development Foundation, and the University of Hawaii Foundation. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals.
Grant recipients are concentrated in Hawaii cities and towns, especially Honolulu, Kaneohe, Waimanalo, Waianae, Kapolei, and Hilo. Honolulu appears frequently through the University of Hawaii Foundation, East West Center Foundation, Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation, and others. Outside Hawaii, only a small number of grants went to recipients in San Francisco, Beverly Hills, and Alexandria, with the full recent-country distribution staying within the US.
The foundation gives across higher education, Native Hawaiian cultural preservation, K–12 STEM and youth development, food sustainability and land resources, and local economic and workforce development. Recent grants include support for university programs, Native Hawaiian community organizations, and place-based stewardship work in Hawaii communities.
The middle of the distribution is $35,000, with a p25 of $13,500 and a p75 of $95,000. That profile suggests many grants are relatively modest, while a smaller number of awards reach well above the typical range.
Yes. The recent record shows repeat grants to several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including the University of Hawaii Foundation, Partners In Development Foundation, and Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation. That indicates ongoing relationships rather than only one-time awards.
Its grantmaking is centered in Hawaii. The data shows 83% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is HI.
Yes. The grant list includes K–12 and youth-focused awards such as an Elementary Stem Program Support grant to DOD Starbase Hawaii, At Risk Youth & Stem Education support for Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation, and education program grants to schools and community organizations in Kaneohe, Waimanalo, Waianae, and Hilo.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Hawaii Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $658,500 | 2026 | Education Program Support |
| Council for Native Hawaiian Advance | Kapolei, HI | $180,000 | 2026 | Economic & Community Development |
| Kukolu | Kaneohe, HI | $160,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Friends of Waimanalo | Waimanalo, HI | $155,000 | 2026 | Workforce Development |
| Partners in Development Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $150,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| East West Center Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $132,000 | 2026 | Education & Goodwill Promotion |
| The Native Imaginative | Honolulu, HI | $109,000 | 2026 | Cultural Awareness |
| Papahana Aloha Aina Hawaii | Kaneohe, HI | $100,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Hoomau Ke Ola | Waianae, HI | $84,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Hui Mahiai Aina | Waimanalo, HI | $58,000 | 2026 | Food Sustainability & Education |
| Kulaniakea | Kaneohe, HI | $55,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Hui O Koolaupoko | Kailua, HI | $52,500 | 2026 | Land |
| The Trust for Public Land | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | Land Resources |
| Pua Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $30,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| The Derek Sakaguchi Foundation | Kailua, HI | $30,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Hoomahua Foundation | Waianae, HI | $25,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| HFD Explorers Program | Honolulu, HI | $25,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Metro Church | Honolulu, HI | $25,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Makee Pono Lahui | Honolulu, HI | $22,000 | 2026 | Education |
| HPAG | Kapolei, HI | $20,536 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $12,500 | 2026 | At Risk Youth & Stem Education |
| Na Pualei O Likeolehua | Honolulu, HI | $10,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| The Heartbeat Movement | Kaneohe, HI | $10,000 | 2026 | Performing Arts Education |
| Hokupaa Club at Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Na Haumana o Hawaii - Pacific U | Forest Grove, OR | $5,500 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| YWCA Laniakea | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Malama Honua Public Charter School | Waimanalo, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Halau Nohona Hawaii | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Liliuokalani Protestant Church | Haleiwa, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Friends of Iolani Palace | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Koa Ike | Waianae, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Polynesian Voyaging Society | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| The Queens Medical Center | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Domestic Violence Action Center | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Hui Malama o ke Kai | Waimanalo, HI | $5,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Waianae Coast Comprehensive | Waianae, HI | $3,500 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Nanaikapono Civic Club | Waianae, HI | $3,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Women Speak Out | Kaneohe, HI | $2,500 | 2026 | Social Support |
| Monoalua Athletics | Honolulu, HI | $2,500 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| The Pantry | Honolulu, HI | $2,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| Aha Punana Leo Inc | Hilo, HI | $2,000 | 2026 | Health Social & Cultural Support |
| Kauluwao Inc | Hilo, HI | $2,000 | 2026 | Education Program |
| Keiki O Ka Learning Center | Honolulu, HI | $1,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Hawaiian Islands Land Trust | Honolulu, HI | $1,000 | 2026 | Land Resources |
| Pencils to People | Kaneohe, HI | $1,000 | 2026 | Economic Development |
| University of Hawaii Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $1,370,500 | 2024 | Education Program Support |
| University of Hawaii Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $437,500 | 2024 | Higher Education Program Support |
| Council for Native Hawaiian Advance | Kapolei, HI | $204,500 | 2024 | Economic & Community Development |
| East West Center Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $200,000 | 2024 | Education & Goodwill Promotion |
University of Hawaii Foundation
$658,500Education Program Support
Kukolu
$160,000Economic Development
Friends of Waimanalo
$155,000Workforce Development
Education & Goodwill Promotion
The Native Imaginative
$109,000Cultural Awareness
Papahana Aloha Aina Hawaii
$100,000Education Program
Hoomau Ke Ola
$84,000Education Program
Kulaniakea
$55,000Education Program
Hui O Koolaupoko
$52,500Land
Pua Foundation
$30,000Health Social & Cultural Support
The Derek Sakaguchi Foundation
$30,000Economic Development
Hoomahua Foundation
$25,000Education Program
HFD Explorers Program
$25,000Education
Metro Church
$25,000Education Program
Makee Pono Lahui
$22,000Education
HPAG
$20,536Economic Development
Hawaii Youth Challenge Foundation
$12,500At Risk Youth & Stem Education
Na Pualei O Likeolehua
$10,000Education Program
The Heartbeat Movement
$10,000Performing Arts Education
Na Haumana o Hawaii - Pacific U
$5,500Health Social & Cultural Support
YWCA Laniakea
$5,000Education
Malama Honua Public Charter School
$5,000Education Program
Halau Nohona Hawaii
$5,000Health Social & Cultural Support
Liliuokalani Protestant Church
$5,000Economic Development
Friends of Iolani Palace
$5,000Health Social & Cultural Support
Koa Ike
$5,000Education
Hui Malama o ke Kai
$5,000Education
Nanaikapono Civic Club
$3,000Health Social & Cultural Support
Women Speak Out
$2,500Social Support
Monoalua Athletics
$2,500Health Social & Cultural Support
Kauluwao Inc
$2,000Education Program
Hawaiian Islands Land Trust
$1,000Land Resources
Pencils to People
$1,000Economic Development
University of Hawaii Foundation
$1,370,500Education Program Support
University of Hawaii Foundation
$437,500Higher Education Program Support