The Hawaii Foundation for the Blind concentrates its giving exclusively on supporting blind and visually impaired people in Hawaii, channeling its funds to the state-level advocacy and service organization. Its grants are directed to operational and program support for the Hawaii Association of the Blind, indicating a focused, mission-aligned approach rather than broad philanthropic diversification.
Highly concentrated giving: all documented funds went to a single grantee (two grants), indicating repeat, targeted support to a core local partner rather than many small or geographically diverse grants.
A defining feature of Hawaii Foundation for the Blind is how directly it connects funding to blind and visually impaired people in Hawaii, including individual assistance alongside support for a statewide blindness organization. The foundation’s recent grants show that pattern clearly: a $208,880 grant in 2024 and a $126,000 grant in 2023 both went to the Hawaii Association of the Blind in Ewa Beach for its charitable missions. Alongside those larger awards, the foundation also made smaller, case-by-case grants to individuals facing specific vision- and hearing-related needs. In 2023, Desiree Lacewell of Mililani received $4,000 as a visually impaired licensed blind vendor needing financial assistance for her vending business. Nora Ota-burrows of Honolulu received $3,025 for a hearing aid and device, reflecting the foundation’s support for people with combined vision and hearing impairments. The pattern points to a funder that mixes organizational support with direct aid for acute needs, all within a tightly defined service area.
The foundation’s giving centers on blindness and vision loss, but the grant descriptions show several related needs within that mission. For statewide services, it gave $208,880 to Hawaii Association of the Blind in Ewa Beach to support the organization’s charitable missions. It returned to that same grantee with a $126,000 award the prior year for the same purpose, reinforcing support for a state-level service provider. Individual assistance is another clear theme. Norman Ota of Honolulu received $2,933 for hearing aids, and Hilarion Kamaka of Honolulu received $2,702 for hearing aids as a visually impaired and deaf individual. The grant to Nora Ota-burrows was also for a hearing aid and device, showing that the foundation funds assistive equipment when vision loss is paired with hearing impairment.
The typical grant size is small at the lower end, with a p25 of $2,956 and a median of $3,512, but the upper quartile rises to $95,500, reflecting a mix of modest individual aid and much larger organizational support. The foundation funds individuals directly, and the recent record includes case-by-case assistance tied to specific needs such as assistive devices and licensed blind vendor support. Grantmaking appears recurring rather than one-off: Hawaii Association of the Blind received awards in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation does not make program-related investments.
$503K
$3.8M
$767K
$162K
Most grants fall between $3K and $96K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$96K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in HI.
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Notable grantees: Hawaii Association of the Blind
Grantmaking is entirely local and entirely within Hawaii. All recent grants in the record went to recipients in the U.S., with 100% of grants to recipients in Hawaii. The largest organizational awards went to Ewa Beach, while individual assistance reached Honolulu and Mililani. That distribution shows a statewide pattern concentrated in Hawaii communities rather than a broad multi-state footprint.
The foundation supports blindness- and vision-loss-related needs, including direct aid for individuals and operating support for a statewide blindness organization. Recent grants include help with hearing aids and devices, financial assistance for a licensed blind vendor, and support for the charitable missions of Hawaii Association of the Blind.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals directly, and the recent record includes grants to people in Mililani and Honolulu for needs such as a licensed blind vendor’s financial assistance and hearing aids or devices.
Yes. The geographic scope of giving is local, and 100% of grants in the recent record went to recipients in Hawaii. Recent recipients include Ewa Beach, Honolulu, and Mililani.
The grant-size distribution is weighted toward smaller awards: p25 is $2,956 and the median is $3,512, while p75 is $95,500. That pattern matches a mix of small individual grants and larger support for organizational missions.
The recent record shows recurring support for Hawaii Association of the Blind, which received grants in both 2023 and 2024. Individual assistance also appears on a case-by-case basis for specific needs such as hearing aids or vendor-related financial help.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND | EWA BEACH, HI | $150,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND. |
| RANDOLPH SHEPPARD VENDORS OF AMERICA | MARRERO, LA | $5,000 | 2026 | DONATION, TO HELP ASSIST PAYING EXPENSES FOR SAGE BRUSH CONFERENCE 2025. |
| HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND | EWA BEACH, HI | $208,880 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND. |
| NORMAN OTA | HONOLULU, HI | $2,933 | 2024 | MR. NORMAN OTA HAS BEEN WEARING HEARING AIDS SINCE 2014. HE HAS A NERVE HEARING LOSS, COMPOUNDED BY FREQUENT EAR INFECTIONS AND EAR DRAINING. THE RECOMMENDED COST OF THE HEARING AIDS CAME OUT TO $2,932.77, WHICH WILL ASSIST HIS ABILITY TO HEAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETTER. |
| HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND | EWA BEACH, HI | $126,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND. |
| DESIREE LACEWELL | MILILANI, HI | $4,000 | 2023 | UPON THE BOARD'S APPROVAL, A GRANT OF $4,000 WAS PROVIDED TO MS. LACEWELL, A VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUAL WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A LICENSED BLIND VENDOR NEEDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS HER VENDING FACILITY HAS NOT BEEN MAKING ANY PROFIT AS A RESULT OF EFFECTS OF COVID, AND WHO ALSO NEEDED FINANCIAL HELP FOR THE HUSBAND'S FUNERAL EXPENSES. THIS MONETARY SUPPORT IS PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S PURPOSES IN HELPING THE BLIND. |
| NORA OTA-BURROWS | HONOLULU, HI | $3,025 | 2023 | MS. OTA-BURROWS IS A BLIND INDIVIDUAL WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO HAVE HEARING IMPAIRMENT. SHE REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN PAYING FOR HER MUCHNEEDED HEARING AID AND DEVICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,025, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER HER MEDICARE INSURANCE. THE PROVISION OF THIS HEARING DEVICE HAS GREATLY ASSISTED IN HER DAILY LIFE OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH DOCTORS, FAMILY MEMBERS, COWORKERS AND FRIENDS. |
| HILARION KAMAKA | HONOLULU, HI | $2,702 | 2023 | MR. HILARION KAMAKA, A VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND DEAF INDIVIDUAL, WITH THE HELP OF HIS BROTHER, LANCE KAMAKA, ANOTHER BLIND INDIVIDUAL, REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE PURCHASE OF HEARING AIDS FROM COSTCO BASED ON THE QUOTATION AND RECEIPT IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,701.53. MR. KAMAKA'S OLD HEARING AIDS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE 2 BROTHERS FALLING INTO A DITCH. THIS DEVICE IS CRUCIAL TO MR. KAMAKA'S COMMUNICATIONS DAILY ACTIVITIES AND SAFETY AS HE NAVIGATES THROUGH LIFE'S BASIC FUNCTIONS. THE FOUNDATION TREASURER WORKED WITH THE COSTCO HEARING AID CENTER AND ARRANGED TO PAY FOR THE HEARING AIDS AND SUBSEQUENTLY GOT REIMBURSED. |
HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND
$150,000TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND.
RANDOLPH SHEPPARD VENDORS OF AMERICA
$5,000DONATION, TO HELP ASSIST PAYING EXPENSES FOR SAGE BRUSH CONFERENCE 2025.
HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND
$208,880TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND.
NORMAN OTA
$2,933MR. NORMAN OTA HAS BEEN WEARING HEARING AIDS SINCE 2014. HE HAS A NERVE HEARING LOSS, COMPOUNDED BY FREQUENT EAR INFECTIONS AND EAR DRAINING. THE RECOMMENDED COST OF THE HEARING AIDS CAME OUT TO $2,932.77, WHICH WILL ASSIST HIS ABILITY TO HEAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS BETTER.
HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND
$126,000TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSIONS OF HAWAII ASSOCIATION OF THE BLIND.
DESIREE LACEWELL
UPON THE BOARD'S APPROVAL, A GRANT OF $4,000 WAS PROVIDED TO MS. LACEWELL, A VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUAL WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A LICENSED BLIND VENDOR NEEDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AS HER VENDING FACILITY HAS NOT BEEN MAKING ANY PROFIT AS A RESULT OF EFFECTS OF COVID, AND WHO ALSO NEEDED FINANCIAL HELP FOR THE HUSBAND'S FUNERAL EXPENSES. THIS MONETARY SUPPORT IS PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S PURPOSES IN HELPING THE BLIND.
NORA OTA-BURROWS
$3,025MS. OTA-BURROWS IS A BLIND INDIVIDUAL WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO HAVE HEARING IMPAIRMENT. SHE REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN PAYING FOR HER MUCHNEEDED HEARING AID AND DEVICE IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,025, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER HER MEDICARE INSURANCE. THE PROVISION OF THIS HEARING DEVICE HAS GREATLY ASSISTED IN HER DAILY LIFE OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH DOCTORS, FAMILY MEMBERS, COWORKERS AND FRIENDS.
HILARION KAMAKA
$2,702MR. HILARION KAMAKA, A VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND DEAF INDIVIDUAL, WITH THE HELP OF HIS BROTHER, LANCE KAMAKA, ANOTHER BLIND INDIVIDUAL, REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE PURCHASE OF HEARING AIDS FROM COSTCO BASED ON THE QUOTATION AND RECEIPT IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,701.53. MR. KAMAKA'S OLD HEARING AIDS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE 2 BROTHERS FALLING INTO A DITCH. THIS DEVICE IS CRUCIAL TO MR. KAMAKA'S COMMUNICATIONS DAILY ACTIVITIES AND SAFETY AS HE NAVIGATES THROUGH LIFE'S BASIC FUNCTIONS. THE FOUNDATION TREASURER WORKED WITH THE COSTCO HEARING AID CENTER AND ARRANGED TO PAY FOR THE HEARING AIDS AND SUBSEQUENTLY GOT REIMBURSED.