The Hawaii Pacific Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 3% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO EMPOWER HAWAIIAN COMMUNITIES BY SUPPORTING PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
- Income
- $173.7 million
- Spending
- $73.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 3%
- Reserves
- 25.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 100%
- Employees
- 405
- Highest pay
- $6.4 million, chairman
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2023, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (science, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 25.9 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 17% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 58% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 153% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2023, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (science, over $100m).
Independent board
5 of 251 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2023, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.2 million spent. THE HAWAII PACIFIC FOUNDATION, INC (HPF) IS A NATIVE HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION (NHO) FOUNDED IN MAY 2010. NHOS ARE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY SERVICE ENTITIES WHICH SUPPORT THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMNITY AS DEFINED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA). DEEPLY ROOTED IN FEDERAL LAW, AN NHOS PURPOSE IT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY THROUGH ITS MAJORITY OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF ONE OR MORE SMALL BUSINESS 8(A) FOR-PROFIT FIRMS. THE NHOS ABILITY TO ACHIEVE ITS CONGRESSIONAL MANDATE IS, THEREFORE, DIRECTLY IMPACTEDD BY THE SUCCESS OF ITS SMALL BUSINESS 8(A) ENTITIES. UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII WEST OAHUIN RESPONSE TO THE SEVERE TEACHER SHORTAGE AND TURNOVER IN DISADVANTAGED SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS IMPACTED EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, THE HOOPULIKO KUMA HOU TEACHER PATHWAY PROGRAM AIMS TO EMPOWER AND STRENGTHEN THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO ARE ROOTED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND COMMITTED TO THE STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. HPFS CONTRIBUTION TO THE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY PROGRAM PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN STUDENTS FROM WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES. THE GOAL IS TO RETURN GRADUATES, AS TEACHERS, TO THEIR COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY CAN RELATE TO SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND UNDERSTAND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES RESULTING IN HIGHER SUCCESS RATES FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. SINCE 2020, HPFS GRANTS SUPPORTED TEACHER TRAINING THROUGH PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, STUDENT MENTORING, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND WORK-BASED LEARNING COMPONENTS. HAWAIIAN-PACIFIC STUDIES HUB PASIFIKA IS A NEW PROGRAM STRUCTURED ON THE BELIEF THAT A SINGLE OCEAN CONNECTS THE ISLAND PEOPLES OF HAWAII AND THE PACIFIC. EACH PACIFIC SOCIETY IS UNIQUE IN ITS HISTORIES, LANGUAGES, CULTURES, LITERATURE, ARTS, SOCIAL STRUCTURES, ARCHITECTURE, AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THROUGH THE STUDY OF HAWAIIAN-PACIFIC PEOPLES AND CULTURES BASED ON ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION, AND EMPHASIZING SOLUTION-ORIENTED OUTCOMES, GRADUATES DEVELOP THE CRITICAL THINKING AND CULTURAL AWARENESS SKILLS TO PLACE THEM INTO SUSTAINABLE CAREERS.SINCE 2020, HPFS GRANTS WERE USED TO ESTABLISH A SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT AND EXPAND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, HPF CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNIVERSITYS EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND IN RESPONSE TO DISRUPTIONS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. CLASSES SHIFTED FROM IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE TO ONLINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING, REQUIRING STUDENTS TO RELY ON COMPUTERS WITH INTERNET ACCESS TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES. HPFS CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS WITH COMPUTERS TO ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES UNINTERRUPTED DURING THE PANDEMIC. UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII MANOATHE VISION OF THE THOMPSON SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND PUBLIC HEALTH IS TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HEALTH EQUITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAWAII AND CITIZENS IN A CHANGING WORLD. THEIR UNIQUE FOCUS IS ON RESOLVING PROBLEMS AND BUILDING RESILIENCY IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE WORLD, WITH SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND INDIGENOUS WISDOM AND PERSPECTIVES. THEY ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING AN ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK, PUBLIC HEALTH AND GERONTOLOGY. PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THEIR WORK ARE FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS WHO EXPERIENCE DEVASTATING PROBLEMS OF POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; DEBILITATING ILLNESSES SUCH AS CANCER, HEART DISEASE, AND DEMENTIA; AND TRAUMATIC NATURAL DISASTERS. THE SCHOOL DISTINGUISHES ITSELF AS THE ONLY HIGHER EDUCATION UNIT IN THE PACIFIC BASIN REGION WITH THREE PROGRAMS ARTICULATING UNDERGRADUATE (BSW) AND GRADUATE EDUCATION (MSW, PH.D.). HPFS 2020 GRANTS SUPPORTED SCHOLARSHIPS, OFF-SITE AND COMMUNITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, STUDENT RECOGNITION EVENTS, AND A SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND.IN ADDITION, HPF CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENT AID FUND IN RESPONSE TO DISRUPTIONS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND SHIFTS TO ONLINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING.HAWAII NATIONAL GUARDS YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRAINS AND MENTORS 16-18 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL DROP-OUTS TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. THESE TARGETED YOUTH HAVE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE, TEEN PREGNANCY, DELINQUENCY, AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.HPFS 2020 GRANTS SUPPORTED SCHOLARSHIPS AND A BRIDGE PROGRAM FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) STARBASE HAWAII IS PART OF A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS) PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE DOD. THE PROGRAM TARGETS 5TH GRADE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMERS OR DISABLED. THE 5TH GRADE IS A PIVOTAL LEVEL IN A STUDENTS LEARNING TRAJECTORY. THE PROGRAM EXPOSES YOUTH TO STEM FIELDS THROUGH LECTURES AND HANDS-ON EXPERIMENT-BASED LEARNING ACTIVITIES. IN RECENT YEARS, STARBASE HAWAII HAS EXPANDED AND SPONSORS A VEX ROBOTICS PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 5-12. BEYOND SCIENCE, THE VEX PROGRAM ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY, TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP, AND PROBLEM SOLVING AMONG GROUPS. HFPS2020 GRANTS SUPPORTED THE ELEMENTARY STEM PROGRAM AND ROBOTICS TOURNAMENTS. HALAU NOHONA HAWAII IS A CULTURAL SCHOOL LOCATED IN SILVER SPRINGS, MARYLAND. THEIR MISSION IS TO PERPETUATE HAWAIIAN CULTURAL PRACTICES, KNOWLEDGE, AND TRADITIONS AND TO LIVE A LIFE OF HAWAIIAN VALUES TO BUILD A STRONGER HAWAII COMMUNITY IN THE NATIONS CAPITOL REGION.HPFS 2020 GRANTS SUPPORTED TUITION ASSISTANCE AND CULTURAL EVENTS AT THE SCHOOL. NA PUALEI O LIKOLEHUA PREPARES WOMEN, MEN, YOUNG ADULTS, AND CHILDREN TO BECOME PRACTITIONERS AND STEWARDS OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE, PRESERVE AND CARRY ON THE TRADITIONS SURROUNDING HULA AS A LIVING ART AND DANCE FORM, BE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND BECOME TEACHERS OF HULA. WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND TALENT WITHIN THE HALAU (SCHOOL), NO ONE COULD DEVELOP, DESIGN, AND MAINTAIN A WEBSITE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. THEY NEEDED A MODERN VENUE AND RESOURCEFUL WAY TO PROMOTE THEIR EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL WORKS TO ASSIST IN TEACHING AND SHARING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE ACROSS GENERATIONS, FAMILIES, VISITORS, AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.HPFS 2020 GRANTS SUPPORTED THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WEBSITE, AS WELL AS ARCHIVAL RESEARCH.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2023, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2023.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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