Grant Seekers

Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation does not currently accept unsolicited proposals.

The Foundation received its full bequest from our benefactor, through an estate plan, in 2007. In early 2008, when the Foundation hired its first staff, the Foundation began a process of developing program and grantmaking strategies that are consistent with the broad vision of the Foundation's benefactor.

How do I apply to the Foundation for funding?

Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. We recognize the substantial amount of time and resources required to prepare and submit a grant proposal and believe that no organization should waste valuable time submitting a proposal that we will not be able to consider.

Selecting Our Partners

By working with experts in various fields, Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation identifies strategies that have potential to produce an impact within our program areas. We then identify organizations that are carrying out work that is in line with those strategies and begin a serious dialogue on the possibilities of partnership. Learn more about how the Foundation selects its Partners.

Grantmaking Strategies

Environment ~ the Foundation's mission includes promoting stewardship, preservation, and protection of the natural environment. We are making grants in this field in both Hawai‘i and internationally. In Hawai‘i the focus is two-fold: Invasive Species Prevention and Inspiring the next generation of homegrown conservation leaders. Throughout the globe, the Foundation supports community-led, environmental, and social justice projects through Global Greengrants Fund.
Field Building ~ recognizing its role in supporting the field of nonprofit organizations, the Foundation supports nonprofit capacity building through an association of nonprofit organizations serving Hawai‘i and, on occasion, supports new ways of getting capital to nonprofits, such as by promoting community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and by promoting impact investing strategies.
First Generation Partners ~ we continue to support and foster longstanding funding relationships with several organizations in Hawai‘i. Each of these partner organizations contributes, in very different ways, to the Foundation’s mission.
Hope for Kids ~ building on the Foundation's mission to expand opportunities for children to build hope and a positive future, this grantmaking initiative provides support to Hawaiʻi partners who are working with children and youth to provide high quality ‘āina based educational experiences.
Housing for Families ~ after the success of developing two affordable self-help housing communities for families, Hau‘oli Mau Loa Village on Kaua‘i, and Puʻuʻalalā Village on Hawai’i Island, the Foundation is now working on three different strategies with partners in Hawaii and California to increase access to affordable housing for families that the market does not readily serve.
Humanitarian Relief ~ the Foundation carries out humanitarian relief funding through Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children in anticipation of and in response to natural and other emergencies and disasters, especially when other resources to respond are limited.

Our Grantmaking Approach

We believe effective grantmaking requires successful, longer‐term relationships between the Foundation and the organizations to which we provide funding.

In our funding relationships, we look for partners who demonstrate strong leadership, passion for and creativity in delivering their mission, and a willingness to tackle the harder questions. Collaboration, shared learning, reciprocal benefit, and two‐way trust are among the elements of our funding partnerships that we view as central to their success.

Additional Information