The Haigo & Irene Shen Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on higher education and education-related programs, primarily through repeat, sizable gifts to a small group of institutions. Grants emphasize campus facilities, program support, and regional education and exchange initiatives—with a clear Hawaii and Asia–Pacific orientation. The foundation prefers making multiple grants to the same organizations rather than scattering many small awards.
Concentrated giving: a small number of medium-to-large grants, often repeated to the same grantees across years, focused on capital and program support rather than many one-off gifts.
A defining feature of the Haigo & Irene Shen Foundation is its repeated support for education infrastructure, including a three-year pattern of $30,000 grants to St John's University for education building renovation. That kind of recurring, project-specific funding also appears in its Hawaii-centered education portfolio, where the foundation has backed university and exchange programs through grants to the University of Hawaii Foundation and the East-west Center Foundation. Rather than spreading small amounts across many organizations, it returns to a limited set of grantees with education-focused awards. The foundation’s recent grants point to a clear preference for higher education and related programs. Its support includes campus improvements, institutional education funding, and international education ties that connect Hawaii with the Asia–Pacific region. Grantees in the recent list include Soar Foundation in Union City, California, and Plus Charitable Trust Inc in Carlisle, Massachusetts, alongside institutions in Honolulu and Taiwan. The pattern suggests a funder that favors repeated, named projects and ongoing institutional relationships over broad, open-ended grantmaking.
Higher education capital work is a visible part of the foundation’s portfolio. It awarded $30,000 to St John's University for education building renovation in 2025, following the same amount for that project in 2024 and 2023. Institutional support in Hawaii is another recurring thread. The foundation gave $20,000 to the University of Hawaii Foundation in 2025 for education, matching the same amount in 2024 and 2023. Asia–Pacific educational exchange also appears in the grant record. East-west Center Foundation received $20,000 in 2025 for education, after the same level of support in 2024 and 2023. Outside Hawaii, the foundation also backed education work at Soar Foundation in Union City, California, and Plus Charitable Trust Inc in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
Typical grants cluster in a narrow band: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $17,500, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including three-year sequences for multiple grantees. That pattern fits a foundation that prefers short-term, project-specific support rather than many one-off awards. It funds organizations, not individuals, and there is no program-related investing in the profile data.
$300K
$2.3M
$108K
$130K
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 40% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Haigo & Irene Shen Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 15 | $210K | 83.3% |
| 2 | Taiwan | 3 | $90K |
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Notable grantees: St. John's University, East–West Center Foundation, University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, SOAR Foundation
Giving is regional, with most grants landing in California by count, while 40% of grants go to recipients in Hawaii. The recent recipient list also includes Taiwan, where St John's University in Tanshui, Taipei County received repeated support. In Hawaii, grants went to Honolulu-based recipients, including the University of Hawaii Foundation and East-west Center Foundation. California recipients include Union City and Lafayette, showing a mix of local Hawaii support and mainland education grantees.
It concentrates on higher education and education-related programs. Recent grants include campus facilities work, institutional education support, scholarships and student aid, and Asia–Pacific educational exchange. The award pattern centers on a small set of education-focused organizations rather than a broad mix of cause areas.
Yes. The recent record shows three consecutive years of support for several recipients, including St John's University at $30,000 a year from 2023 through 2025, and multiple $20,000 or $15,000 awards across 2023–2025 to other education organizations.
Its grants are usually in the five-figure range. The 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $17,500, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. Recent awards also include $30,000 grants for a building renovation project.
By grant count, California is the top state, while 40% of grants go to recipients in Hawaii. The recipient list also includes Taiwan, reflecting a regional pattern that reaches beyond the mainland U.S. and Hawaii.
St John's University received $30,000 in 2025 for education building renovation, and East-west Center Foundation received $20,000 in 2025 for education. Those awards fit the foundation’s pattern of supporting campus facilities, higher education, and Asia–Pacific educational exchange.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
16.7% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY | TANSHUI TAIPEI COUNTY | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SOAR FOUNDATION | UNION CITY, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC | CARLISLE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| RENEWAL FOUNDATION | LAFAYETTE, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY | TANSHUI TAIPEI COUNTY | $30,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| SOAR FOUNDATION | UNION CITY, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC | CARLISLE, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| RENEWAL FOUNDATION | LAFAYETTE, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY | TANSHUI TAIPEI COUNTY | $30,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| SOAR FOUNDATION | UNION CITY, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC | CARLISLE, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| RENEWAL FOUNDATION | LAFAYETTE, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
$30,000EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
SOAR FOUNDATION
$15,000EDUCATION
PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC
$10,000EDUCATION
RENEWAL FOUNDATION
$5,000EDUCATION
ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
SOAR FOUNDATION
$15,000EDUCATION
PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC
$10,000EDUCATION
RENEWAL FOUNDATION
$5,000EDUCATION
ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
$30,000EDUCATION BUILDING RENOVATION
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
EAST-WEST CENTER FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
SOAR FOUNDATION
$15,000EDUCATION
PLUS CHARITABLE TRUST INC
$10,000EDUCATION
RENEWAL FOUNDATION
$5,000EDUCATION