Hawai‘i Love Grant Application

• Community Involvement and Charitable Giving
• (800) 370-3848

HawaiiLife › Charitable Fund › HLCF Grant Application

The Hawai‘i Love grant program was created to support the Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund’s mission of working to preserve Hawai‘i’s beauty and culture by supporting its people. Each year, Hawai‘i Life agents and brokers collectively choose a giving focus. HLCF makes grants available to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across the state whose programs align with both our mission and our giving focus for that year. 

The giving focus for 2025 is:

‘Ohana Love — Assisting Hawai‘i’s families in need of shelter, food, health care, and education to live as healthfully as possible.

The Hawai‘i Life Charitable Fund’s 2025 Giving Focus, ‘Ohana Love, is rooted in the Hawaiian value of ‘ohana (family). This is a community-focused initiative dedicated to supporting families in Hawai‘i who might need a bit of extra love and help with basic necessities.

Throughout the year, HLCF may make grants in other areas of interest, but we regret that unsolicited proposals outside of our annual giving focus will not be considered.

The 2024 Grant Recipient was Mealoha Kraus.

ELIGIBILITY & RESTRICTIONS

• All applicants must be a 501(c) and in good standing.
• HLCF will focus on local, grassroots organizations based in the state of Hawai‘i adhering to the 2025 giving theme ‘Ohana Love.
• HLCF will award no more than one grant per organization at a time.  Organizations are eligible to apply annually, however Hawai‘i Love Grant recipients are only eligible for a grant every three years.
• Award funds may not be used for the following purposes:
  • Operating expenses, including salaries or benefits;
  • Lobbying or political activities;
  • Payment of any debt or liability owed by the organization or its principals.
• HLCF is a donor-advised fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.  All grant recommendations are advisory in nature and not binding on the Foundation.
• The HLCF does not accept incomplete applications.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Step 1) Submit a completed preliminary application with information on your organization and mission.

Step 2) Complete a proposal narrative outlining the following items:

• Provide a description of your organization, staffing, primary mission and history of your service area. (1,500 characters max.)
• Describe the issue/opportunity that will be addressed with the $5,000 HLCF grant funding. (3,000 characters max.)
• Provide a brief budget narrative and timeline describing why the funds are needed and how they will be used within your organization. (4,500 characters max.)
• Please share how the beneficiaries will be positively affected if this opportunity is funded?  (2,500 characters max.)
• Provide a short, two-minute video (cell phone video acceptable) summarizing the above requirements.

Step 3) Additional required documents:

• Board of Directors list
• IRS 501 (c)(3) determination letter
• Your organization’s annual operating budget for the current year
• Your organization’s balance sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year
• Your organization’s income statement (or profit/loss statement) for the most recently completed fiscal year. Audited financial statements are preferred but not required.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Our 2025 Giving Focus is ‘Ohana Love.

Grant applications for the 2025 grant cycle are now being accepted. All completed applications must be received by August 31st, 2025, with results scheduled to be announced in mid-late October 2025. All completed grant applications or questions can be directed to [email protected].

Mahalo for making our community a better place.

If your program aligns with our giving focus of the year and you have all of the above materials ready to submit, let’s get started!

Grant Application