$14.9 million in grants available for nonprofit organizations helping Native Hawaiians

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) has $14.9 million in grant funds now available to organizations that intend to help Native Hawaiians in 12 categories, including health, education, housing, culture, land connection and economic stability. 

OHA’s Grants Program provides funding to Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organizations that have projects, programs and initiatives that align with achieving the outcomes of OHA’s 15-year Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan.  

OHA currently receives $15.1 million a year in Public Land Trust revenues. This money goes directly to fund beneficiary and community investments, including grants and legal services. Last year, OHA awarded more than $16 million in grants to community organizations – a record amount for the agency.  

“We have reorganized and streamlined our operations, so that all funds received from the Public Land Trust can go directly to our beneficiaries and support them in the areas of education, health, housing and economic stability,” said OHA Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey.

OHA set its two-year fiscal biennium budget for grants, including sponsorships, at $30.2 million, a record for OHA and up from the $24.5 million mark of the last fiscal biennium.

Solicitations cover community grants to strengthen ʻohana (family), moʻomeheu (culture) and ‘āina (land) connections, and increase supports to Native Hawaiians for housing, education, health and economic stability.

OHA’s ʻAhahui Grant Program has doubled its available budget to support sponsorship of community events. Additionally grant applications will now be reviewed quarterly (instead of every six months) in order to accommodate community needs. Click here for grant budgets and descriptions. 

Grants orientation sessions: 

• Monday, April 18, noon to 1 p.m. – “Overview of Grants Budget, Solicitations and Process Changes.” Session will be recorded and posted to website for future reference; your participation in the session is tacit permission to be recorded (e.g., image, likeness, voice).  

• Tuesday, April 19, noon to 1 p.m. – “Technical Session.”  Refer to the posted, narrated orientation PowerPoint online at https://vimeo.com/696674206/1621e80c35. After reviewing the online PowerPoint, the public can submit questions to [email protected] by Monday, April 18 at 4 p.m. for discussion during the April 19 Technical Session. All questions, including those from the April 19 session, will be aggregated and a written response will be posted on the website no later than April 22. Again, participation in the session implies permission to be recorded.
  
• Monday, April 25, and Wednesday, April 27, noon to 1 p.m. – “Munch and Mana‘o Work Session.” Online access to Grants Program staff to ask general questions or seek assistance regarding the applicant system. Another “Munch and Manaʻo Work Session” will be held on 

Find the links for each orientation session and learn more about OHA’s new grant solicitations at www.oha.org/grants.