To advance the University of Hawaiʻi by raising and stewarding philanthropic support for student success, research, faculty, facilities and community needs across the UH system.
The University of Hawaii Foundation’s largest recent grant was a $14,824,909 award to the University of Hawaii for university support, research, scholarships, and awards. That single grant sets the tone for a funder that primarily channels philanthropic support into the University of Hawaiʻi system while also backing statewide education and workforce-related work in Hawaiʻi. In the latest grants, the foundation combined very large institutional support with smaller awards for student networking, small farm startup and expansion, and entrepreneurship prizes. The foundation’s giving is tightly linked to higher education and to programs that support students, faculty, and research across the UH system. A $12,592,877 grant to the University of Hawaii in the prior year continued that same pattern of institutional support, research, and scholarship funding. Beyond the university itself, the foundation also funded the State of Hawaii Dept of Education for pipeline-strengthening work and FAFSA completion efforts, showing a broader interest in education access from K–12 through postsecondary transition. Smaller grants reached community partners working on student networks, farm development, and startup support.
Higher education is the clearest theme in the recent record. The foundation gave $258,300 to the State of Hawaii Dept of Education to support HIDOE schools and students, strengthen the education pipeline, and assist with postsecondary education. Student access shows up again in a separate grant of $13,300 to the State of Hawaii Dept of Education for the Cash for College 808 Challenge, which aims to increase FAFSA completion rates among high school seniors across the state. The foundation also funded $25,000 grants to Adult Friends for Youth, Kupu, Hawaii Workforce Pipeline Inc, and Center for Tomorrow's Leaders for work to implement and adapt strategies, tools, and metrics that build and strengthen students’ networks. Outside education, it supported agriculture with matching grants of $25,000 each to Big Tree Farm LLC, Old Koloa Regenerative Farm, and Ahiki Acres LLC to help small farmers start or expand operations.
Typical grants cluster around a $25,000 median, with a p25 of $25,000 and a p75 of $83,325. The distribution is mixed: a few very large institutional awards sit alongside many grants at the same modest level, suggesting a blend of major university support and targeted program grants. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recent awards appear in consecutive years, including major grants in both 2023 and 2024, which points to recurring support rather than isolated one-time giving.
$15.3M
$893.5M
$123.1M
$68.5M
Most grants fall between $25K and $83K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$83K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in HI.
JOHN HAN
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Giving is local and fully in-state: 100% of grants went to recipients in Hawaiʻi. Honolulu appears frequently, including grants to the University of Hawaii, the State of Hawaii Dept of Education, Adult Friends for Youth, Kupu, Center for Tomorrow's Leaders, and Goall LLC. Other recipient cities in the recent record include Waialua, Koloa, and Kailua, showing some spread beyond Honolulu while remaining entirely within Hawaiʻi.
Its recent grants go to the University of Hawaii, the State of Hawaii Dept of Education, community organizations, farms, and startup-related entities. The named recipients include university units, education agencies, youth-serving groups, and small farm businesses, all within Hawaiʻi.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at both the 25th percentile and the median, with the 75th percentile at $83,325. That pattern indicates many awards are made at a consistent smaller level, alongside some much larger institutional grants.
No. Higher education is central, but recent grants also supported HIDOE schools and students, FAFSA completion work for high school seniors, student networking programs, small farm expansion, and entrepreneurship awards. Those awards show a broader education-to-workforce and community-support mix.
Yes. The grant record provided shows 12 grants, all to U.S. recipients, and 100% of the grants went to recipients in Hawaiʻi. Recipient cities in the record include Honolulu, Waialua, Koloa, and Kailua.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII | HONOLULU, HI | $14,824,909 | 2024 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT, RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND AWARDS. |
| STATE OF HAWAII DEPT OF EDUCATION | HONOLULU, HI | $258,300 | 2024 | GRANT TO SUPPORT HIDOE SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS TO STRENGTHEN THE EDUCATION PIPELINE AND ASSIST WITH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. |
| HAWAII WORKFORCE PIPELINE INC | KAILUA, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS |
| CENTER FOR TOMORROW'S LEADERS | HONOLULU, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS |
| BIG TREE FARM LLC | WAIALUA, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS |
| OLD KOLOA REGENERATIVE FARM | KOLOA, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS |
| KUPU | HONOLULU, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS |
| AHIKI ACRES LLC | HONOLULU, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS |
| ADULT FRIENDS FOR YOUTH | HONOLULU, HI | $25,000 | 2024 | GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS |
| GOALL LLC | HONOLULU, HI | $15,500 | 2024 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND STARTUP AWARDS |
| STATE OF HAWAII DEPT OF EDUCATION | HONOLULU, HI | $13,300 | 2024 | AWARD PAYMENT FOR CASH FOR COLLEGE 808 CHALLENGE WHICH HAS A GOAL OF INCREASING THE FAFSA COMPLETION RATES AMONG HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ACROSS THE STATE. |
| UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII | HONOLULU, HI | $12,592,877 | 2023 | UNIVERSITY SUPPORT, RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP |
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
$14,824,909UNIVERSITY SUPPORT, RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND AWARDS.
STATE OF HAWAII DEPT OF EDUCATION
$258,300GRANT TO SUPPORT HIDOE SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS TO STRENGTHEN THE EDUCATION PIPELINE AND ASSIST WITH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION.
HAWAII WORKFORCE PIPELINE INC
$25,000GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS
CENTER FOR TOMORROW'S LEADERS
$25,000GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS
BIG TREE FARM LLC
$25,000MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS
OLD KOLOA REGENERATIVE FARM
MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS
KUPU
$25,000GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS
AHIKI ACRES LLC
$25,000MATCHING GRANT TO SUPPORT SMALL FARMERS TO START OR EXPAND FARMING OPERATIONS
ADULT FRIENDS FOR YOUTH
$25,000GRANT TO IMPLEMENT AND ADAPT STRATEGIES, TOOLS, AND METRICS THAT BUILD AND STRENGTHEN STUDENTS' NETWORKS
GOALL LLC
$15,500ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND STARTUP AWARDS
STATE OF HAWAII DEPT OF EDUCATION
$13,300AWARD PAYMENT FOR CASH FOR COLLEGE 808 CHALLENGE WHICH HAS A GOAL OF INCREASING THE FAFSA COMPLETION RATES AMONG HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ACROSS THE STATE.
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
$12,592,877UNIVERSITY SUPPORT, RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP