$7M to support community-led stewardship across Hawaiʻi

The University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) is launching a historic $7 million community funding opportunity through the Pili Nā Moku project to support community-led efforts that care for ʻāina, strengthen cultural and ecological stewardship, and build resilient communities across Hawaiʻi.

This funding initiative will invest in projects focused on five moku (district) and hui (group of) moku: Kona Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (Hawaiʻi Island). Up to $1.4 million is available within each moku/hui to support projects that reflect community-identified priorities and advance long-term resilience. 

Pili Nā Moku is a project dedicated to reinvigorating the moku system (a framework for traditional Hawaiian land tenure and biocultural stewardship) by investing in ʻāina restoration and governance practices that balance local knowledge and stewardship with centralized decision-making. The initiative is funded through a 2024 award from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management.

Projects grounded in community priorities

This initiative seeks projects that build on established relationships of trust within the moku, invest in long-term community capacity, and embrace multi-generational knowledge. Proposed projects should align with community-identified priorities and contribute to one or more of the following focus areas:

• Conserve and restore forests and watersheds
• Enhance coastal stewardship
• Restore marine abundance
• Share knowledge and strengthen networks across communities
• Reduce risk and improve disaster preparedness
• Expand community governance

“This is a historic opportunity to invest directly in the communities and practitioners who are caring for Hawaiʻi’s lands, waters and people,” said Darren Lerner, project principal investigator and director of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. “Through Pili Nā Moku, we have been provided the privilege and opportunity to help support place-based partnerships that build on generations of knowledge, strengthen community capacity and advance lasting resilience across each moku.”

Flexible funding for local and collaborative efforts

To accommodate a range of project sizes and community needs, the funding opportunity includes two project funding pathways:

• Collaborative project pathway: $1,200,000 in funding available per moku (seeking to fund 1 award per moku) for a funding term of two years. 
• Individual project pathway: $200,000 in funding available per moku (seeking to fund 1-2 awards per moku) for a funding term of two years.

How to apply

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with strong place-based relationships and a history of supporting ʻāina restoration and thriving communities in one or more of the five moku/hui moku.

To assist applicants with the proposal submission process, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will offer an informational webinar on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 12 p.m.

Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to begin conversations with partners and review application materials early. Statements of interest are due by Friday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m.

For complete funding guidelines, statement of interest form, proposal templates and application materials, visit pilinamoku.org.