Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
HAWAIIAN LEGACY REFORESTATION INITIATIVE (HLRI) IS DEDICATED TO CREATING INNOVATIVE NATIVE/ENDEMIC REFORESTATION MODELS THAT ARE SCIENTIFICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND ECOLOGICALLY SELF-SUSTAINING. THESE FORESTS PRODUCE GREEN JOBS IN FORESTRY AND OTHER FOREST RELATED OCCUPATIONS AS WELL AS RECHARGE OUR WATERSHED, SEQUESTER CARBON FROM OUR ATMOSPHERE, ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY, SUPPORT THE HAWAIIAN CULTURE, AND INVOLVE THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC, INSPIRING ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION.
- Income
- $2.5 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 175
- Highest pay
- $115,183, cfo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 50% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 34% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
5 of 251 of 3 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $1.2 million spent. HAWAIIAN LEGACY REFORESTATION INITIATIVE (HLRI) HAS PARTICIPATED IN TAKING 1,000 ACRES OF DENUDED PASTURELAND AND REESTABLISHED AN ENTIRE INTACT ENDEMIC ECOSYSTEM (THE WORLD'S FIRST HAWAIIAN LEGACY FOREST). AS OF 2024, HLRI MANAGES THREE NATIVE FOREST LOCATIONS ON THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII AND OAHU FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 1,500 ACRES. HLRI HAS COMMITMENTS FOR NEARLY 2,000,000 MORE OVER THE COMING YEARS - WELL ON ITS WAY TO SURPASSING ITS ORIGINAL GOAL OF PLANTING 1.3 MILLION TREES (ONE FOR EACH MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IN HAWAII). DURING 2024, HLRI HAS PLANTED APPROXIMATELY 24,449 TREES. HLRI HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY FOR GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATIONS. THROUGH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES AND PROPRIETARY FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, HLRI IS PROMOTING LONG-TERM FOREST HEALTH, CARBON SEQUESTRATION, ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY, AND UNPARALLELED DATA COLLECTION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ALL WHILE CREATING GREEN JOBS FOR HAWAII FAMILIES. WE ARE NOT JUST PLANTING A TREE AND WALKING AWAY. WE CARE ABOUT SURVIVAL RATES - THAT'S WHY WE GEO-TAG EVERY SINGLE TREE. HLRI IS THE ONLY REFORESTATION PROJECT IN HAWAII THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR EVERY SINGLE TREE PLANTED. OUR SUCCESS COMES FROM THE CUMULATIVE APPROACH - IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PLANTING TREES. FROM THE NATIVE FORESTS EXISTS HAWAII'S RICH CULTURE, ARTS, AND HISTORY. OUR APPROACH OF COMBINING COMMUNITY, CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT, KEIKI EDUCATION, ECOTOURISM AND ECOSYSTEM INTEGRATION TAKES WHAT ARE TRADITIONALLY SEPARATE ENTERPRISES AND INTEGRATES THEM INTO A SYNERGISTIC MODEL. DURING 2024, HLRI HAS MADE GRANTS OF 3,660 TO OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. HAWAIIAN LEGACY REFORESTATION INITIATIVE (HLRI) HAS PARTICIPATED IN TAKING 1,000 ACRES OF DENUDED PASTURELAND AND REESTABLISHED AN ENTIRE INTACT ENDEMIC ECOSYSTEM (THE WORLD'S FIRST HAWAIIAN LEGACY FOREST). AS OF 2024, HLRI MANAGES THREE NATIVE FOREST LOCATIONS ON THE ISLANDS OF HAWAII AND OAHU FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 1,500 ACRES. HLRI HAS COMMITMENTS FOR NEARLY 2,000,000 MORE OVER THE COMING YEARS - WELL ON ITS WAY TO SURPASSING ITS ORIGINAL GOAL OF PLANTING 1.3 MILLION TREES (ONE FOR EACH MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IN HAWAII). DURING 2024, HLRI HAS PLANTED APPROXIMATELY 24,449 TREES. HLRI HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY FOR GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATIONS. THROUGH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES AND PROPRIETARY FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, HLRI IS PROMOTING LONG-TERM FOREST HEALTH, CARBON SEQUESTRATION, ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY, AND UNPARALLELED DATA COLLECTION FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ALL WHILE CREATING GREEN JOBS FOR HAWAII FAMILIES. WE ARE NOT JUST PLANTING A TREE AND WALKING AWAY. WE CARE ABOUT SURVIVAL RATES - THAT'S WHY WE GEO-TAG EVERY SINGLE TREE. HLRI IS THE ONLY REFORESTATION PROJECT IN HAWAII THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR EVERY SINGLE TREE PLANTED. OUR SUCCESS COMES FROM THE CUMULATIVE APPROACH - IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PLANTING TREES. FROM THE NATIVE FORESTS EXISTS HAWAII'S RICH CULTURE, ARTS, AND HISTORY. OUR APPROACH OF COMBINING COMMUNITY, CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT, KEIKI EDUCATION, ECOTOURISM AND ECOSYSTEM INTEGRATION TAKES WHAT ARE TRADITIONALLY SEPARATE ENTERPRISES AND INTEGRATES THEM INTO A SYNERGISTIC MODEL. DURING 2024, HLRI HAS MADE GRANTS OF 3,660 TO OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 2024.
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 September 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 October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.