Laakea Village
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE LA'AKEA VILLAGE IS A PLACE WHERE ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES CAN GO TO LIVE, LEARN, AND WORK WITH OTHERS IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF CARE AND RESPECT.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $873,646
- Spent on programs
- 60%
- Reserves
- 7.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 74%
- Employees
- 28
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $54,487, executive di
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: 86 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 38% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1560% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2511 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
9 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
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, 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)
- $527,552 spent. DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM: COVID AND THE DOH RULES THAT WERE PUT INTO EFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED OUR APPROACH TO PROVIDING SERVICES. PRIOR TO MARCH 2020, THE CAMPUS WAS CONSIDERED A COMMUNITY HUB WHERE PARTICIPANTS AND MENTORS GATHERED IN MORNING CIRCLE, A COMMUNITY AND COMMUNAL LUNCH WAS SERVED EVERY DAY, THE COUNTRY STORE WAS OPEN AND MANY ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE. ALL OF THIS QUICKLY TOOK A PIVOT TO LIMIT POTENTIAL EXPOSURE FOR THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION. WE HAD TO FIND WAYS FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS TO CONTINUE TO TOUCH AND FEEL THE INCLUSIVE, LIFE SHARING SETTING WHERE THEY ENGAGE IN A HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE LIFESTYLE. WITH THE HELP OF ZOOM, THE PARTICIPANTS CONTINUED TO CONNECT FOR MORNING CIRCLE, ZUMBA, HULA, FITNESS, NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION AND NUMEROUS OTHER CLASSES. OUR AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES CONTINUED TO THRIVE AS PARTICIPANTS AND MENTORS SCHEDULED TIMES TO COME ONTO CAMPUS IN PAIRS. AS THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDED AND PROTOCOLS OF ISOLATION WERE REVISED, WE BEGAN TO AGAIN HOLD FULL 5 DAY PER WEEK DAY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2022. PARTICIPANTS ARE AGAIN MEETING ON CAMPUS DAILY, JOINING IN MORNING CIRCLE, DISCUSSING THE VARIOUS OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LA'AKEA COMMUNITY SUCH AS GARDEN AND FARM HARVESTING OF PRODUCE (PAPAYAS, EGGS, AVOCADOS, STAR FRUIT, ULU LEAVES, OREGANO, LEMON GRASS ARE JUST SOME OF THE PRODUCTS WE GROW AND SELL). WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REINSTATE OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CALENDAR AS WELL AND EACH WEEK WE GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS EVENTS SUCH AS SURFING, VOLUNTEERING AT MAUI HUMANE SOCIETY, STARLIGHT FARMS VOLUNTEERING. ON CAMPUS WE ALSO HOLD WEEKLY COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS YOGA, JEWELRY MAKING AND NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION CIRCLE. WE HAVE RECENTLY UPGRADED OUR DATA AND GOAL TRACKING CAPABILITIES WITH A SOFTWARE PROGRAM, THERAP. THIS PROGRAM HAS THE CAPABILITIES FOR MENTORS TO LOG DATA IN REAL TIME THROUGH THEIR SMARTPHONE. EVEN THE ANECDOTAL STORIES CAN BE RECORDED. ALL OF THIS IS RESULTING IN INCREASED DATA COLLECTION. FUNDING FROM MEDICAID WAIVER SUBJECTS LA'AKEA TO RIGOROUS AND THOROUGH ANNUAL AUDITS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. ALTHOUGH MEETING COMPLIANCE STANDARDS IS NOT OUR END GOAL, WE VIEW CLEAN AUDITS AND SUCCESSFUL RE- CERTIFICATIONS AS CRITICAL CONFIRMATION OF OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR PARTICIPANTS. THE COUNTRY STORE IS CONSIDERED A PART OF PROGRAM RATHER THAN A RETAIL ENDEAVOR AND BEEN SUBJECT TO STRICT SAFETY RULES. THIS HAS BEEN A KEY LOCATION FOR MANY SKILL BUILDING AND COMMUNITY INTERACTION ACTIVITIES. THE PANDEMIC NECESSITATED A PIVOT TO PRODUCING A SUBSCRIPTION-BASED WEEKLY CSA PRODUCE BOX DISTRIBUTED IN THE COMMUNITY. PARTICIPANTS WERE INVOLVED IN HARVESTING AND PRODUCING THE BOXES. FOR EXAMPLE, KAT, ONE OF PARTICIPANTS, PICKED AND PACKED THE PRODUCE BOX TO BRING HOME TO HER FATHER WHO WAS ONE OF OUR FIRST CSA MEMBERS. THE "STORE" WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUTSIDE UNDER THE FRESH PA'IA AIR FOR A WEEKLY FARMERS MARKET AND PARTICIPANTS ARE INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS INCLUDING THE HARVESTING, PREPARING, SELLING AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY. IN NOVEMBER, 2022 WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO RE-OPEN THE COUNTRY STORE HERE AT LA'AKEA VILLAGE SO THAT PARTICIPANTS WOULD AGAIN LEARN RETAIL SKILLS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS IN ADDITION TO INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC. OUR COMMUNITY LUNCH AND FOOD PRODUCTION PROGRAM OUT OF THE KITCHEN WAS SHIFTED FOR THE BEGINNING PORTION OF THE YEAR. INITIALLY WE DID HAVE SMALL GROUPS OF 2-4 PEOPLE BACK IN THE KITCHEN TO CONTINUE THEIR SKILLS TRAINING. FOR EXAMPLE, ABBY, ONE OF OUR PARTICIPANTS, RECENTLY RECEIVED HER SAFE FOOD HANDLING CERTIFICATE. SHE IS PRACTICING SAFETY, HYGIENE, AND CLEANING ROUTINES IN THE CAMPUS KITCHEN WITH HER MENTOR TO PREPARE SMALL SCALE MEALS. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RE-INTRODUCE VOLUNTEER LUNCH ONCE A WEEK WITH MANY PARTICIPANTS WHO WORK TO HELP PREPARE THE LUNCH FOR ALL. WHEN WE ARE FULLY STAFFED AND AT PARTICIPANT CAPACITY WE WILL BE ABLE TO AGAIN PREPARE AND EAT LUNCH DAILY. DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM: COVID AND THE DOH RULES THAT WERE PUT INTO EFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED OUR APPROACH TO PROVIDING SERVICES. PRIOR TO MARCH 2020, THE CAMPUS WAS CONSIDERED A COMMUNITY HUB WHERE PARTICIPANTS AND MENTORS GATHERED IN MORNING CIRCLE, A COMMUNITY AND COMMUNAL LUNCH WAS SERVED EVERY DAY, THE COUNTRY STORE WAS OPEN AND MANY ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE. ALL OF THIS QUICKLY TOOK A PIVOT TO LIMIT POTENTIAL EXPOSURE FOR THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION. WE HAD TO FIND WAYS FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS TO CONTINUE TO TOUCH AND FEEL THE INCLUSIVE, LIFE SHARING SETTING WHERE THEY ENGAGE IN A HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE LIFESTYLE. WITH THE HELP OF ZOOM, THE PARTICIPANTS CONTINUED TO CONNECT FOR MORNING CIRCLE, ZUMBA, HULA, FITNESS, NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION AND NUMEROUS OTHER CLASSES. OUR AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES CONTINUED TO THRIVE AS PARTICIPANTS AND MENTORS SCHEDULED TIMES TO COME ONTO CAMPUS IN PAIRS. AS THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDED AND PROTOCOLS OF ISOLATION WERE REVISED, WE BEGAN TO AGAIN HOLD FULL 5 DAY PER WEEK DAY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2022. PARTICIPANTS ARE AGAIN MEETING ON CAMPUS DAILY, JOINING IN MORNING CIRCLE, DISCUSSING THE VARIOUS OPTIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LA'AKEA COMMUNITY SUCH AS GARDEN AND FARM HARVESTING OF PRODUCE (PAPAYAS, EGGS, AVOCADOS, STAR FRUIT, ULU LEAVES, OREGANO, LEMON GRASS ARE JUST SOME OF THE PRODUCTS WE GROW AND SELL). WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REINSTATE OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CALENDAR AS WELL AND EACH WEEK WE GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN VARIOUS EVENTS SUCH AS SURFING, VOLUNTEERING AT MAUI HUMANE SOCIETY, STARLIGHT FARMS VOLUNTEERING. ON CAMPUS WE ALSO HOLD WEEKLY COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS YOGA, JEWELRY MAKING AND NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION CIRCLE. WE HAVE RECENTLY UPGRADED OUR DATA AND GOAL TRACKING CAPABILITIES WITH A SOFTWARE PROGRAM, THERAP. THIS PROGRAM HAS THE CAPABILITIES FOR MENTORS TO LOG DATA IN REAL TIME THROUGH THEIR SMARTPHONE. EVEN THE ANECDOTAL STORIES CAN BE RECORDED. ALL OF THIS IS RESULTING IN INCREASED DATA COLLECTION. FUN
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2000.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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