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Hawaii

Grants, foundations, and funding data for Hawaii (HI).

Foundations

711

Total Assets

$3.3B

Total Giving

$861.4M

Active Grants

215

National Rank

#37

Hawaii State Grants: Funding Opportunities Across the Aloha State

Hawaii offers a distinctive grant funding landscape shaped by its island geography, multicultural heritage, and unique economic challenges. The state government channels significant resources through agencies such as the Office of Community Services, the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. One of the most prominent programs is the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) system administered through the Hawaii State Legislature under Chapter 42F of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, which provides direct appropriations to organizations serving community needs. In fiscal year 2025-2026, the landmark Act 310 allocated $50 million in emergency grants for nonprofits through a partnership between the Office of Community Services and Aloha United Way, demonstrating the state's commitment to strengthening its nonprofit sector during times of economic uncertainty.

Beyond legislative appropriations, Hawaii maintains several specialized grant programs targeting the state's priority sectors. The Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism administers the Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) Program, providing loans, grants, and technical assistance to eligible nonprofit and community-based organizations. The Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research (HSBIR) Program, managed by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, supports technology startups and innovators. The Department of Agriculture offers Micro-Grants for Food Security, particularly important in a state where food imports account for a significant portion of consumption. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Grants Program specifically funds Hawaii-based nonprofits working on initiatives aligned with serving the Native Hawaiian community, reflecting the state's deep commitment to indigenous self-determination and cultural preservation.

The Hawaii Community Foundation serves as a critical intermediary in the state's funding ecosystem, investing charitable funds in communities across all islands through nonprofit organizations. County-level programs add another layer of opportunity, such as Hawaii County's $500,000 grant program supporting community food security and economic resilience. For organizations seeking federal pass-through funding, Hawaii's Commission for National and Community Service manages AmeriCorps programs with planning grants up to $75,000 available for new program development. Whether pursuing arts and culture funding through the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, homestead development grants through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, or workforce training support, applicants should recognize that Hawaii's grant landscape rewards organizations demonstrating strong community roots, cultural sensitivity, and alignment with the state's sustainability and equity priorities.

Key State Programs

Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Program

Legislative appropriations under Chapter 42F for nonprofits and community organizations, with applications typically available in late December through mid-January.

Act 310 Nonprofit Emergency Grants

$50 million allocated through the Office of Community Services and Aloha United Way for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support Hawaii nonprofits facing financial challenges.

Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) Program

Administered by the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, providing loans, grants, and technical assistance to eligible nonprofit and community groups.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Grants Program

Supports Hawaii-based nonprofits with projects and initiatives serving the Native Hawaiian community in alignment with OHA's strategic plan, Mana i Mauli Ola.

Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research (HSBIR) Program

Managed by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to help small businesses develop new technologies and commercialize innovations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a Hawaii Grant-in-Aid (GIA)?

GIA applications are made available through the Hawaii State Legislature's website, typically in late December or early January each year, with submissions usually due by mid-January. The Legislature decides recipients, grant types, amounts, and administering departments under Chapter 42F of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

What is Act 310 and who is eligible for its nonprofit emergency grants?

Act 310 (SB 933) allocated $50 million to the Office of Community Services for fiscal year 2025-2026 to provide emergency grants to Hawaii nonprofits. Aloha United Way partners with OCS to administer the program. Eligible organizations must be Hawaii-based nonprofits demonstrating financial need and community impact.

Are there grant programs specifically for Native Hawaiian communities?

Yes. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Grants Program specifically funds Hawaii-based nonprofits with projects serving the Native Hawaiian community. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) also offers grants for program implementation on existing homesteads, funded through the Native Hawaiian Rehabilitation Fund and other sources.

What resources help Hawaii nonprofits find grant opportunities?

The Hawaii Community Foundation maintains open grant applications throughout the year. The Hawaii State Legislature publishes GIA opportunities annually. County governments, such as Hawaii County's Department of Research and Development, post local funding opportunities. The AmeriCorps Hawaii commission also lists federal service-related funding.

Does Hawaii offer grants for small businesses and food security?

Yes. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture offers Micro-Grants for Food Security to support small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations. The CBED Program supports community-based economic development. Hawaii County also launched a $500,000 grant program for projects strengthening community food security and economic resilience.

Top Foundations

Largest Foundations in Hawaii

#FoundationAssets
1Liliuokalani Trust$934.9M
2Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation$206.5M
3Harold K L Castle Foundation$171.3M
4Kosasa Foundation$159.4M
5Hau Oli Mau Loa Foundation$155.9M

Active Grants

Open Grants in Hawaii

DOC NOAA - ERA Production
Grants.govDeadline PassedBetween cycles — Funding cycle has closed (deadline was January 31, 2025); chec…

FY 2025-2029 Reef Research Coordinating Institute Designation and Cooperative Agreements

The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) invites applications for the establishment of two Reef Research Coordination Institutes (RRCIs) through cooperative agreements to support the research, restoration, and management of shallow-water coral reef ecosystems within the U.S. states and territories. The two RRCIs will be to be known as the “Atlantic Reef Research Coordination Institute'' and the “Pacific Reef Research Coordination Institute'' and will hold this designation for an initial five (5) year period of performance and may be renewed for up to another five (5) years without competition. Applicants must be previously designated as a Coral Reef Research Center by the CRCP in 2024. The selected RRCIs must be able to work across a variety of areas including conducting research, supporting ecological research and monitoring, building capacity within jurisdictional resource management agencies, translating research findings to management and restoration practices, and conducting public education and awareness programs. Building capacity in the jurisdictions may include a variety of actions such as supporting personnel, providing training on jurisdictional driven topics, and/or managing a national fellowship program. NOAA CRCP anticipates that up to $4,500,000 may be available annually for distribution between the two RRCIs. The actual annual funding will be based on 1) CRCP annual appropriations, 2) current and future national and state priorities, 3) the quality of projects proposed and selected during the negotiations, and 4) the satisfactory progress in achieving the stated goals described in project proposals. Applicant organizations must complete and maintain three registrations to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. These registrations include SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. The complete registration process for all three systems can take 4 to 6 weeks, so applicants should begin this activity as soon as possible. If an eligible applicant does not have effective access to the internet, please contact the Agency Contacts listed in Section VII for submission instructions. Prior to registering with eRA Commons, applicant organizations must first obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, if needed (refer to Section IV. Applications and Submission Information, Section C). Organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; however, all registrations must be in place by time of application submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. Funding Opportunity Number: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2025-28920. Assistance Listing: 11.482. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: NR,ST. Award Amount: Up to $4.5M per award.

Up to $4.5M per awardDeadline: Jan 31, 2025 (passed)
National Institutes of Health
Grants.govDeadline PassedBetween cycles

BRAIN Initiative: Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization Transformative and Integrative Models of Behavior at the Organismal Level (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)

This Brain-Behavior Quantification and Synchronization notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) seeks applications that bring together transdisciplinary teams and aim to 1) develop, validate, and apply cutting-edge tools and methods for minimally invasive, multi-dimensional, high-resolution objective measurement of behavior at the organismal level, with synchronous capture of dynamic environmental data; 2) develop advanced analytic approaches to integrate multidimensional behavioral, neural and environmental data; and 3) develop and test new theoretical and computational models aiming to advance understanding of behavior as a complex dynamic system. Proposed projects are expected to be designed with the capacity to integrate synchronously recorded neural data and/or inform existing models of neurobehavioral function, such as those developed with the support of the NIH BRAIN Initiative.This BRAIN Initiative NOFO is specifically soliciting applications proposing basic research involving human subjects aiming to reveal and understand fundamental principles underlying behavioral function, including research limited to observational studies or analysis of human data. Applications proposing research using exclusively non-human animal models should apply under the companion NOFO, RFA-DA-24-041. Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-DA-24-040. Assistance Listing: 93.213,93.242,93.273,93.279,93.286,93.853,93.865,93.866,93.867. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ED,HL,ISS.

Deadline: May 23, 2025 (passed)
National Institutes of Health
Grants.govDeadline PassedBetween cycles

HEAL Initiative: Research to Increase Implementation of Substance Use Preventive Services (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

The importance of prevention in combatting the opioid crisis is clear identifying and implementing effective strategies to prevent the onset of opioid misuse and use disorder and reducing the need to treat disorders yields positive individual, societal, and financial benefits. In 2020, 9.5 million people aged 12 or older misused opioids in the past year (NSDUH, 2021), suggesting that there are millions of people whose trajectories could have been changed, had they been exposed to an effective prevention strategy. Currently funded HEAL studies are testing whether existing programs shown to prevent or treat non-opioid substance use disorders might generalize to opioids. However, there remain many gaps in knowledge about how to deploy prevention services. Often effective strategies are not adopted, implemented, or scaled-up, limiting their reach and impact. There is a critical need for research to develop innovative strategies to implement and sustain prevention services that are affordable, practical, sustainable, and designed in partnership with end-users. To address these gaps, we propose an RFA with multiple receipt dates calling for investigator-initiated research that will address priorities in the implementation and sustainability of prevention services, and the creation of a prevention infrastructure. Funding Opportunity Number: RFA-DA-24-067. Assistance Listing: 93.213,93.279,93.866. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ED,HL.

Deadline: May 23, 2025 (passed)

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