Foundations that fund organizations in Honolulu, Hawaii
Worked out from where the grants went, not where the foundations sit.
Funding landscape for Honolulu nonprofits
839 private foundations gave $160M to Honolulu organizations in their latest filings; 50 of the 100 that say either way accept applications.
3,707 grants in total, with a typical foundation's median grant to Honolulu around $100K. 45 of these funders are based in Hawaii; the rest give here from elsewhere.
- Foundations giving here
- 839
- Accept applications
- 50
- of 100 that state a policy
- Dollars to Honolulu
- $160M
- latest filings
- Grants
- 3,707
- Typical median grant
- $100K
- Based in HI
- 45%
- of funders listed
Funders, by dollars given to Honolulu organizations
| Foundation | Based in | Grants here | Dollars here | Median | Accepts applications | Typical purposes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust | New York, NY | 4 | $12M | $3.3M | Preselected only | Martha b. smith cancer & infusion center at kapiolani medic…; Scaling sustainable coastlines hawaii building leadership f…; The queens medical center & clarence t.c. ching ecmo progra… |
| Stupski Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 34 | $11M | $203K | Preselected only | To provide general operating support.; To support programs and services that directly benefit resi…; To support Hawaii Afterschool Alliance Community Schools Pr… |
| Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 2 | $9.7M | $4.8M | Preselected only | School of medicine - medical training; Ocean conservation |
| The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc | Owings Mills, MD | 65 | $5.7M | $25K | Preselected only | To support the general operations of this organization, whi…; To support students, families, teachers, and/or community m…; To support community programs for beach access and adaptive… |
| The Oak Foundation USA C/O Kemnay Advisory Services Inc | New York, NY | 1 | $4.6M | $4.6M | Yes | To support hcf's vision of an equitable and vibrant hawaii,… |
| The Clarence Tc Ching Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 40 | $4.3M | $25K | Yes | General program support; Capital improvement; General program sipport |
| McInerny Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 63 | $4.0M | $45K | Preselected only | Oahu mobile grief and trauma support services unit; General operating support fye 12/31/25; "manoa valley theatre mainstage season" (12/01/2024-8/31/20… |
| Harold Kl Castle Foundation | Kailua, HI | 56 | $3.8M | $40K | Yes | To match an employee contribution [6355; pc]; For an unsolicited grant award to windward boys and girls c…; Own your own future initiative: whats next initiative paren… |
| Maurice and Joanna Sullivan Family Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 24 | $3.5M | $100K | Preselected only | Unrestricted Gift |
| Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 14 | $3.5M | $175K | Preselected only | Aina-based program for children - hfk ekolu; First generation: general operations; Field building: general operations and hano fellows program |
| Kosasa Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 51 | $3.3M | $45K | Yes | Programming for at-risk youth; Support 2024 season; Community stewardship of conservation and restoration sites |
| Sergey Brin Family Foundation C/O Pacific Foundation Services | San Francisco, CA | 1 | $3.0M | $3.0M | Preselected only | General operating support |
| The Freeman Foundation | New York, NY | 16 | $2.9M | $113K | Yes | General support |
| Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 3 | $2.8M | $622K | Preselected only | To support the development of a culturally-centered governa…; In support of smart sensors integrated into a subsea teleco…; To support developing new tools, methods, and resources for… |
| Wk Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | 1 | $2.5M | $2.5M | Yes | Promise of an Equitable Future |
| Walton Family Foundation Inc | Bentonville, AR | 2 | $2.4M | $1.2M | Preselected only | To support the sustainability of jumbo flying squid and mah…; To support sustainability in 10 focus fisheries, build sust… |
| Barbara Barnard Smith Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 2 | $2.1M | $1.1M | Preselected only | Charitable Event; Professor Barbara Barnard Smith Endowed Chair in Ethnomusic… |
| Gary O Galiher Foundation Inc | Honolulu, HI | 5 | $1.9M | $140K | Preselected only | To contrubute cash to the support of the organization.; To contrubute cash and goods to the support of the organiza… |
| The Simons Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 15 | $1.8M | $75K | Preselected only | Scope-aloha and gradients; Simons early career investigator in marine microbial ecolog…; Microbial metabolic transformation of recalcitrant dissolve… |
| Tradewind Group Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 146 | $1.5M | $5,000 | Yes | Exempt purposes of the organization |
| Hmsa Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 9 | $1.5M | $20K | Yes | Operational expenses (hui partner); Aloha aina: he huliau i ka pono; Ho'ola na mana'o (hope and healing) |
| Abigail K K Kawananakoa Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 16 | $1.4M | $50K | Preselected only | Unrestricted; For dental clinic; For bilingual acess to Hawaii's history |
| Hawaii Loa Ohana | Honolulu, HI | 16 | $1.4M | $50K | Preselected only | Assistance to indigent families; Fellowship. |
| The Dods Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 18 | $1.3M | $5,000 | Preselected only | General operations |
| The Marisla Foundation | Laguna Beach, CA | 2 | $1.2M | $619K | Yes | General support |
| Trailsend Foundation | Atlanta, GA | 3 | $1.2M | $150K | Preselected only | General operating support; Program support; Special project support |
| The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York, NY | 3 | $1.2M | $300K | Yes | To continue support for a leadership program focused on ind…; To support qwaves llc's multidimensional efforts to documen…; To support the expansion and interconnection of aapi studie… |
| Wal-Mart Foundation | Bentonville, AR | 1 | $1.2M | $1.2M | Yes | Nature |
| The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Princeton, NJ | 6 | $1.2M | $88K | Yes | 79521 evaluating the promising minds initiative, focusing o…; 82065 supporting the production of the makawalu film to rai…; 82208 executing a community planning process to address the… |
| FIRST Hawaiian Bank Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 39 | $1.1M | $25K | Yes | To support economic research relevant to Hawaii and the Asi…; To support Ho'opili Campus capital campaign in West Oahu.; To support Phase I upgrade to Pediatric Heart Center. |
| The David and Lucile Packard Foundation | Los Altos, CA | 2 | $1.1M | $550K | Yes | Environment and Science |
| Mamoru & Aiko Takitani Foundation Inc | Honolulu, HI | 61 | $1.1M | $3,000 | Preselected only | Scholarship; Unrestricted fund.; Q2 grant award: scholarships |
| Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 47 | $1.1M | $10K | Yes | General operations; Gratitude grant; Holiday giving 2024 |
| Si Robin Foundation | Woodland Hills, CA | 5 | $1.1M | $117K | Preselected only | Museum |
| Cooke Foundation Limited | Honolulu, HI | 32 | $1.1M | $20K | Yes | Annual grant - unrestricted general support; Expanding stewardship opportunities for all; Empowering native hawaiian youth & kupuna through education… |
| Bank of Hawaii Charitable Fdn | Honolulu, HI | 25 | $1.0M | $25K | Yes | Unrestricted gift; New blood center |
| John R Halligan Charitable Fund C/O Norman Kellerman | Bannockburn, IL | 28 | $966K | $18K | Preselected only | Unrestricted for general use of charity |
| The Schmidt Family Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 4 | $914K | $179K | Yes | Ocean stewardship and research |
| The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation | Palo Alto, CA | 2 | $843K | $422K | Preselected only | To provide support for catalytic funding and support for pr…; Support for subtropical underwater biogeochemistry and subs… |
| M&p Ledbetter Family Foundation | Oahu, HI | 7 | $826K | $1,000 | Preselected only | General program support |
| Robert Allerton Endowment Fund Xxxxx7501 | Chicago, IL | 1 | $782K | $782K | Preselected only | General |
| The Rockefeller Foundation | New York, NY | 2 | $750K | $375K | Preselected only | In support of a national funding vehicle to scale critical…; Improving food security and health outcomes for low-income… |
| Prisanlee Trust | Honolulu, HI | 1 | $746K | $746K | Preselected only | Prisanlee fund-benefit |
| The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | 4 | $725K | $88K | Yes | General support; For the production of "i of the water," a feature documenta…; Core support for the maui strong fund to support both immed… |
| The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 1 | $700K | $700K | Preselected only | To support public art challenge |
| Central Pacific Bank Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 30 | $681K | $15K | Yes | General support; Hui mahi' ai 'aina project; New mentoring center capital campaign |
| The William G Irwin Charity Foundation | San Francisco, CA | 6 | $662K | $100K | Yes | Annual grant; Replacement of outdated equipment; Annual funding - food bank grants |
| Harry Chow and Nee Chang Chock Wong Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 22 | $650K | $25K | Preselected only | General purpose; Cancer center; Straub benioff hospital |
| The Laurence H Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation | St Paul, MN | 12 | $649K | $25K | Yes | General operating; New food bank; Hope lodge |
| The Cades Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 52 | $619K | $7,500 | Yes | Unrestricted Gift; Scholarship Fund; Law School Scholarship Fund |
| The Henry Luce Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 5 | $592K | $75K | Yes | Support for academic research; Support for a conference; Support for leadership training and convenings |
| Leonard Hoshijo Memorial Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 1 | $591K | $591K | Preselected only | provide grant funds to establish an endowment at the UH Sch… |
| John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | Chicago, IL | 2 | $550K | $275K | Preselected only | In support of general operations |
| Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art | New York, NY | 2 | $550K | $275K | Preselected only | To support the creation of the ddf and ewc indo-pacific fut…; Event sponsorships to advance the organization's tax-exempt… |
| Hans and Clara Zimmerman Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 43 | $512K | $6,000 | Yes | Scholarship; Scholarshp; Jetta zimmerman nursing |
| James & Abigail Campbell Family Foundation | Kapolei, HI | 16 | $512K | $25K | Yes | Stem summer camp for west oahu girls; E mele kakou (music education) for students at two west ele…; Ready to learn |
| Loretta Luke Yajima Dream Big Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 3 | $512K | $100K | Yes | To provide multicultural community education and exhibits t…; To provide resources to students pursuing scholastic opport…; To provide scholarship support to graduate students entroll… |
| Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust | St Louis, MO | 1 | $500K | $500K | Yes | General operating |
| Turner Farm Foundation Inc C/O Robert G Edmiston Trustee | Cincinnati, OH | 1 | $500K | $500K | Preselected only | Unrestricted charitable contribution |
| Woka Foundation | Newbury Park, CA | 1 | $500K | $500K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc | Reno, NV | 2 | $500K | $250K | Preselected only | Program Support; Endowment |
| Hazel H Takumi Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 36 | $469K | $1,000 | Preselected only | To provide financial support for its general operations.; To support the student activities of the school.; To provide financial support for its general program. |
| Schuler Family Foundation | Kirkland, WA | 16 | $468K | $13K | Preselected only | N/a |
| FIRST Insurance Company of Hawaii Charitable Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 71 | $461K | $5,000 | Yes | Support general fund; Uhcc early phase trials center and program campaign fund; 15th annual all-stars gala |
| J Watumull Fund | Honolulu, HI | 143 | $390K | $2,000 | Yes | General charitable purpose; Educational purpose; General educational purpose |
| Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 4 | $365K | $30K | Yes | To provide fy 25 general operating support; To support the friends of hakalau forest refuge management…; To support the rediscovering hawai'is soul initiative |
| Frost Family Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 5 | $350K | $75K | Yes | Unrestricted grant; Unrestrited grant |
| The Strong Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 4 | $350K | $100K | Yes | Hawai'i mentoring center; Ho'opa'a: ensuring the safety and security of the hawaiian…; Martha b smith cancer & infusion center |
| The Stephen E and Isabella H Stevens World Peace Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 5 | $329K | $25K | Preselected only | For hais's schools of the future conference deib track deve…; Program development.; Unrestricted fund |
| The Heising-Simons Foundation | Los Altos, CA | 2 | $314K | $157K | Preselected only | For the state funding readiness project; For the research experience for teachers (ret) astronomy pr… |
| Annie E Casey Foundation Inc | Baltimore, MD | 3 | $310K | $100K | Preselected only | Support Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative site work…; Support income and work supports for young people in Hawaii; Support various KIDS COUNT activities |
| Lga Family Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 6 | $310K | $40K | Preselected only | Unrestricted gift; General support |
| The Karena Lee Adler Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 8 | $305K | $38K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted; YO house on Keoniana Street in Waikiki |
| Kaneta Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 2 | $302K | $151K | Yes | Support general fund; Scholarships for "lunalilo scholars program" |
| Jtmf Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $300K | $300K | Preselected only | Sacred Hearts School Lahaina - Tuition Assistance program |
| Carnegie Corporation of New York | New York, NY | 1 | $300K | $300K | Yes | For general support |
| Gilbert and Aileen Chuck Charitable Trust | Camarillo, CA | 1 | $300K | $300K | Preselected only | Charitable contribution |
| Gca Education Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 2 | $291K | $146K | Preselected only | Support educational activities.; Support educational activities |
| Henry & Colene Wong Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 13 | $280K | $20K | Yes | Charitable contribution |
| Albert T & Wallace T Teruya Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 3 | $277K | $100K | Yes | Bingham hall reconstruction project; Advancement of the kcc culinary arts program; 6th grade classroom |
| Dorrance Family Foundation | Scottsdale, AZ | 5 | $277K | $25K | Yes | To support Holomua Marine Initiative: Restoring Abundance t…; To support general operations and The World; To support Hawaii Island Environmental Reporting Initiative… |
| The James and Juanita Wo Foundation | Mililani, HI | 14 | $270K | $20K | Yes | General; Wo champions; Ssrp program |
| Atlas Insurance Agency Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 27 | $260K | $5,132 | Yes | Support programs |
| Jpmorgan Chase Foundation | New York, NY | 4 | $252K | $824 | Preselected only | Matching contribution (general operating support); In support of underserved small business expansion |
| Chamberlin Family Philanthropy | Richmond, CA | 3 | $250K | $100K | Preselected only | Program support |
| William Randolph Hearst Foundation | New York, NY | 1 | $250K | $250K | Yes | To provide capital support for the construction of the Acad… |
| The Kresge Foundation | Troy, MI | 1 | $250K | $250K | Yes | Project support grant to support kokua kalihi valley compre… |
| Mortenson Family Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $250K | $250K | Yes | Ola mahukona |
| The Edward E Ford Foundation Xxxxx2009 | Chicago, IL | 1 | $250K | $250K | Yes | General support |
| Teresa Hughes Trust | Honolulu, HI | 7 | $245K | $30K | Yes | Charitable grant; Unrestricted gift |
| Charles and Mitch Ota Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 6 | $245K | $30K | Yes | Unrestricted gift; Unrestricted; Scholarships |
| Mt Cuba Astronomical Foundation C/O Ashford Capital Management Inc | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $243K | $243K | Yes | General |
| The Learning Coalition | Honolulu, HI | 5 | $243K | $25K | Preselected only | Final - center for tomorrow's leader; Hawaii education research network; Hawaii after school alliance - cse |
| Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 35 | $241K | $3,500 | Yes | General purpose; Achievment award recipient |
| The Red Cabin Foundation Trust | Wilmington, DE | 7 | $237K | $15K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted; Charitable Event; Maui Strong Operations |
| Ac Kobayashi Family Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 7 | $236K | $2,000 | Preselected only | General support; Education; Healthcare |
| The Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 9 | $236K | $20K | Yes | Program support; 1 - studio operations 2 - opera studios program; Opportunities program |
| Frederick & Mary Lyman Charitable Trust | Honolulu, HI | 4 | $228K | $57K | Preselected only | Program and operating |
| Altres Foundation | Honolulu, HI | 57 | $226K | $500 | Yes | Matching gift contribution - community; Program support grant - community; Program support grant - education |
| The Bromley Foundation Inc | Chestnut Hill, MA | 3 | $225K | $100K | Preselected only | To prevent sex trafficking and to provide care for children…; To educate young women to lead a life of purpose; The honolulu museum of art is a home for art and education… |
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV, latest electronic return per foundation (2026-10-28). "Accepts applications" reflects the foundation's own checkbox on Part XV line 2. Grants to individuals excluded.
Common questions
Which foundations give to nonprofits in Honolulu, Hawaii?
The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust, Stupski Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc, The Oak Foundation USA C/O Kemnay Advisory Services Inc and 95 others reported grants to Honolulu organizations on their latest Form 990-PF.
How do I approach a foundation that doesn't accept applications?
A foundation that checks "contributes only to preselected organizations" on its 990-PF won't review a cold proposal. Look at who it funds, find a shared board member, grantee or advisor, and ask for an introduction. Foundations that accept applications usually list a contact and deadlines in Part XV; we show that text on each foundation's page.
Is this list complete?
No. It covers private foundations (Form 990-PF filers) whose latest electronic return lists at least one grant to an organization in Honolulu. Community foundations and corporate giving programs file different forms and are not included yet.