The Karena Lee Adler Foundation focuses largely on supporting vulnerable and transitional youth — especially programs addressing youth homelessness, foster youth transition, residential services, and youth-centered health/housing in Hawaii. Grants are typically general operating or unrestricted, suggesting a preference for flexible support to trusted service providers, and the foundation supports both small specialty schools and national intermediaries that mobilize resources quickly.
A defining pattern of The Karena Lee Adler Foundation is its concentration on vulnerable and transitional youth, especially organizations working in youth homelessness, foster youth transition, and residential or drop-in services. The largest recent grant in the data was $80,000 to Residential Youth Services & Empowerment in Honolulu for general support, which fits a broader preference for flexible funding to service providers. Several other sizable grants point to the same emphasis, including $50,000 to Waymakers in Irvine and $50,000 to Youthcare in Seattle, both for general and unrestricted support. The foundation also backs youth-serving organizations tied to housing and health, such as Waikiki Health for the YO house on Keoniana Street in Waikiki and Child and Family Service in Ewa Beach. Its giving extends beyond direct service delivery to intermediaries and institutions that support youth systems, including GlobalGiving Foundation and Chapin Hall Center for Children. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is consistent: support for youth-facing nonprofits, often with unrestricted terms, and a mix of place-based Hawaii grants and broader national awards.
Youth homelessness and residential support are central to the foundation’s giving. In 2025, it awarded $80,000 to Residential Youth Services & Empowerment in Honolulu for general and unrestricted support, and $50,000 to Fred Finch Youth Center in Oakland for the same purpose. Foster youth and transition-to-independence programs also appear regularly: the foundation gave $40,000 to First Place for Youth in Oakland and $30,000 to Washington Kids in Transition in Lynnwood. It also supports youth-centered health and housing work in Hawaii, including $50,000 to Waikiki Health for the YO house on Keoniana Street in Waikiki and $45,000 to Hale Kipa Inc in Ewa Beach. Education-oriented grants include $55,000 to Montessori Community School and $40,000 to ASSETS School, both in Honolulu.
Typical grant size sits at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $22,500 at the median, and $37,500 at the 75th percentile, showing a spread from modest awards to larger operating grants. The recent list includes repeat support for several recipients across 2024 and 2025, such as Residential Youth Services & Empowerment, Montessori Community School, Battle Scarred Motorsports, and GlobalGiving Foundation, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Most grants in the recent set are labeled general or unrestricted, with a smaller number tied to a named place or facility.
$905K
$19M
$1.4M
$1.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $38K, with a median of $23K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$23K
75th Percentile
$38K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in HI.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated toward youth-serving organizations with multiple sizable gifts (several repeat grantees), a preference for general/unrestricted support, and a mix of place-based (notably Hawaii) and national recipients rather than many very small one-off donations.
Notable grantees: Residential Youth Services & Empowerment, GlobalGiving Foundation, Waikiki Health, Hale Kipa, Montessori Community School
The grant map is national, but the strongest concentration is in Washington, DC by recipient count. Hawaii also receives a sizable share of awards, with Honolulu, Ewa Beach, and Waikiki appearing repeatedly among recipient locations. Outside those hubs, the foundation’s recent awards reach cities including Irvine and Oakland in California, Seattle and Lynnwood in Washington, and Decatur in Georgia. All of the recent grants listed are to US recipients.
The recent grants show a focus on youth-serving nonprofits, especially organizations working with homeless, runaway, foster, and transitioning youth. The foundation also funds youth-centered health and housing work in Hawaii and makes some grants to schools and intermediaries that support youth systems.
Most recent awards are listed as general and unrestricted support. Examples in the record include grants to youth service providers, schools, and national intermediaries, along with a few grants tied to a specific facility or place.
Yes. Several organizations appear in more than one year, including Residential Youth Services & Empowerment, Montessori Community School, Battle Scarred Motorsports, and GlobalGiving Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated grants.
By recipient count, the top state is DC. Hawaii is also a major destination for grants, with recurring awards to organizations in Honolulu, Ewa Beach, and Waikiki.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RESIDENTIAL YOUTH SERVICES & EMPOWERMENT | HONOLULU, HI | $80,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $55,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICE | EWA BEACH, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BATTLE SCARRED MOTORSPORTS | BILOXI, MS | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRED FINCH YOUTH CENTER | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GLOBALGIVING FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUTHCARE | SEATTLE, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WAYMAKERS | IRVINE, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WAIKIKI HEALTH | HONOLULU, HI | $50,000 | 2025 | YO house on Keoniana Street in Waikiki |
| HALE KIPA INC | EWA BEACH, HI | $45,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ASSETS SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $40,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIRST PLACE FOR YOUTH | OAKLAND, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| VARIETY SCHOOL OF HAWAII | HONOLULU, HI | $35,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CASA DE AMPARO | SAN MARCOS, CA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WASHINGTON KIDS IN TRANSITION | LYNNWOOD, WA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHAPIN HALL CENTER FOR CHILDREN | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ELLIPSIS INC | JOHNSTON, IA | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MOCKINGBIRD SOCIETY | SEATTLE, WA | $23,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SMALL HOUSE INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRIENDS OF YOUTH | KIRKLAND, WA | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARENTS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUTH FUTURES | OGDEN, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW HORIZONS MINISTRIES | SEATTLE, WA | $15,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MID-PACIFIC INSTITUTE | HONOLULU, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOS CHILDRENS VILLAGE USA INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,100 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HOMEAID AMERICA INC | IRVINE, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BATTLE SCARRED MOTORSPORTS | BILOXI, MS | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| RESIDENTIAL YOUTH SERVICES & EMPOWERMENT | HONOLULU, HI | $40,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| STANDUP FOR KIDS | DECATUR, GA | $30,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| GLOBALGIVING FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2024 | Terra Renaissance fund |
| MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL | HONOLULU, HI | $15,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHAPIN HALL CENTER FOR CHILDREN | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| PROJECT HAWAII INC | KEAAU, HI | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE PEOPLE CONCERN | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $2,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL
$55,000General & Unrestricted
BATTLE SCARRED MOTORSPORTS
$50,000General & Unrestricted
General & Unrestricted
YOUTHCARE
$50,000General & Unrestricted
VARIETY SCHOOL OF HAWAII
$35,000General & Unrestricted
WASHINGTON KIDS IN TRANSITION
$30,000General & Unrestricted
SMALL HOUSE INC
$20,000General & Unrestricted
FRIENDS OF YOUTH
$20,000General & Unrestricted
MID-PACIFIC INSTITUTE
$10,000General & Unrestricted
BATTLE SCARRED MOTORSPORTS
$50,000General & Unrestricted
STANDUP FOR KIDS
$30,000General & Unrestricted
MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL
$15,000General & Unrestricted
PROJECT HAWAII INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted