Clarence T C Ching Foundation

The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, established in 1967 and headquartered at 201 Merchant Street in Honolulu, operates as a private charitable trust with a deliberately broad mandate: general-purpose philanthropy for Hawaii nonprofits. Unlike programmatic foundations with narrow issue focus, it distributes across six sectors — Education & Workforce Development, Healthcare, Sustainability, Children/Youth/Kupuna & Families, Housing, and Arts & Culture — with approximately 70% of grants historically directed to educational institutions.

The foundation's giving philosophy centers on enabling established organizations to grow infrastructure and program capacity, rather than seeding new ventures. The grantee roster is dominated by some of Hawaii's most prominent nonprofits: Saint Louis School ($4.5M cumulative), Rehab Hospital of the Pacific ($2M), Hawaii Public Television ($2M), Punahou School ($1.8M+), and Straub Foundation ($1.5M). Total Punahou giving now exceeds $10 million. This pattern signals that the foundation values proven track records, institutional credibility, and demonstrated community impact over novelty.

The application structure is refreshingly direct: no letter of inquiry stage, no pre-qualification call required. Applicants submit an online application (capped at 2-3 pages) through the foundation's grant management portal twice per year. The Grant Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees in March and September. Executive Director Tertia Freas (compensated at $150,000 annually) leads day-to-day operations, supported by five compensated trustees — John K. Tsui, Raymond J. Tam, Kenneth T. Okamoto, Robert T. Fujioka, and Elizabeth S. Hokada — plus family trustee Catherine Ching.

First-time applicants should approach this funder as a relationship-building exercise, not a transactional grant. The foundation's history shows multi-grant relationships with its top recipients, each receiving three to five grants over time. Demonstrating alignment with Hawaii's most pressing needs, co-funding from other sources, and organizational financial health are the three most critical factors. The foundation cannot be the sole funder and will scrutinize your budget for evidence of diversified support.

The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation holds $131.8 million in total assets as of fiscal year 2024, generating approximately $3-6 million in annual net investment income. Annual giving has been highly variable: the foundation awarded $14.9 million in 2014, $13.2 million in 2015, then contracted to $2.5 million in 2019, spiked to $9.8 million in 2020 (likely COVID-relief capital mobilization), and has since settled at $4.1 million (2022) and $5.1 million (2023). This volatility reflects the foundation's willingness to make large capital grants when the right opportunities arise, rather than distributing a fixed annual percentage.

The database of 123 tracked grants (totaling $22.6 million) reveals a median grant of $50,000 and an average of $183,758 — the large gap between median and mean signals a bimodal distribution. Routine program grants run $25,000-$75,000, while capital improvement grants range from $100,000 to over $1 million. The largest single-grantee relationship is Saint Louis School at $4.5 million across four capital grants. Recent out-of-cycle large gifts (YMCA of Honolulu at $5 million, July 2025) suggest the foundation also makes board-directed extraordinary grants outside the biannual application cycle.

Geographically, 99% of funding stays in Hawaii (122 of 123 tracked grants). Education dominates: combining K-12 schools (Saint Louis, Punahou, Parker, Sacred Hearts, Island School, Dreamhouse Charter), higher education (University of Hawaii Foundation), and youth programs (Boys & Girls Club, Project Vision Hawaii, Youth Symphony), education-related grantees account for roughly 65-70% of dollar volume. Healthcare ranks second, with Rehab Hospital of Pacific, St. Francis Healthcare, Straub Foundation, American Cancer Society, and Queen's Medical Center collectively receiving over $6 million. Program grants ($3,000-$100,000) constitute the majority of grant count; capital grants ($100,000-$1M+) represent the majority of dollar volume.

The following table compares the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation to four comparable Hawaii-based private foundations with overlapping focus areas and geography.

The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation occupies a middle tier in Hawaii's philanthropic landscape — larger than many community foundations but smaller than the Castle or Queen Emma endowments. Its primary competitive advantage for applicants is accessibility: unlike the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and Queen Emma Foundation, which require invitations or LOI pre-approval, Ching accepts open applications twice per year with no intermediary step. The biannual review cadence (March and September) is comparable to the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation. Organizations seeking education or healthcare capital funding should consider Ching alongside Castle and Atherton as a coordinated multi-funder strategy, given overlapping sector priorities.

The foundation has been notably active in 2024-2025 with a series of significant capital awards. In July 2025, it made a $5 million gift to the YMCA of Honolulu — one of the largest disclosed single awards in the foundation's recent history. In November 2025, the foundation announced both a $3 million multi-year commitment to Punahou School's PUEO program (2027-2031, $600K annually) and a separate $1 million capital grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii for a new Kakaako headquarters facility.

In the healthcare sector, 2024 saw $1 million each to Adventist Health Castle (mammography technology) and the Blood Bank of Hawaii, both capital infrastructure awards. The JABSOM Scholarship Grant and the Hawaii Literacy Bookmobile program were also announced in 2024, indicating continued investment in education at both university and community levels.

On the programmatic side, the foundation's annual Inspired in Hawaii K-12 student contest was active in 2025 with expanded formats (essay, poster, digital poster, video), drawing participants from schools including Damien Memorial, Waipahu Intermediate, and Momilani Elementary. Executive Director Tertia Freas and Trustee Kenneth Okamoto have been the visible public voices for the foundation in 2024-2025, with Okamoto quoted on the PUEO award emphasizing education's transformative potential. No leadership changes have been publicly announced. The foundation's compensation structure for trustees has increased incrementally: current trustee compensation stands at approximately $96,000 per individual.

Match your deadline to your sector. The foundation splits its two annual deadlines by focus area — a detail many applicants miss. January 31 applications are reviewed in March and cover Education & Workforce Development, Children/Youth/Kupuna & Families, and Arts & Culture. July 31 applications are reviewed in September and cover Healthcare, Housing, and Sustainability. Submitting a healthcare application in January means waiting a full additional review cycle.

Frame your ask as a capital or specific program investment — never general operations. The foundation explicitly declines general operating support requests. Every application must describe a defined program with measurable outcomes or a capital project with a concrete scope and budget. Phrases like 'support our ongoing work' or 'sustain our organization' are disqualifying.

Demonstrate co-funding aggressively. The foundation will not be the sole funder of any project. Name committed co-funders — other foundations, government grants, earned revenue, major donors — with dollar amounts and confirmation status. A budget showing the Ching Foundation at 30-49% of total project cost is ideal. Requests where Ching represents more than 50% of a project budget are unlikely to advance.

Keep the narrative to 2-3 pages. The online portal is designed for concise submissions. Lead with the problem, your organization's proven capacity to address it, the specific use of funds, and your co-funding plan. Attach only what is explicitly required: IRS Determination Letter, current 501(c)(3) affirmation, and audited or reviewed financial statements.

Align language to the foundation's stated values. Trustee Okamoto's November 2025 quote — 'Education is one arena where we can have a profound effect on our young people — to enable them to dream big' — and Executive Director Freas's emphasis on 'what's possible when public and private institutions work together' signal two key themes: transformative youth impact and collaborative, multi-sector partnerships.

Respect the reapplication gap. Organizations that recently received a grant should wait at least two to three years before reapplying. Submitting too soon signals an overdependence on this single funder — precisely the dynamic the foundation seeks to avoid.