HCF is committed to perpetuating Indigenous knowledge and culture rooted in this place. By supporting the passing of knowledge across generations, we strengthen connections to ʻāina and community well‑being. Through targeted grantmaking and partnerships, HCF invests in organizations that bridge ancestral knowledge from the past to the present and future - ensuring it endures for generations.
Open Funding Opportunities
Huakaʻi Travel Grants Funding Opportunity
To advance the long-term vision of perpetuating Indigenous knowledge and culture by expanding access to Native Hawaiian cultural experiences, HCF offers the Huaka‘i Travel Grants funding opportunity.
The Huaka‘i Travel Grants will provide up to $5,000 to Hawai‘i-based organizations to bring participants to meaningful opportunities to connect with Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, or important locations within the state. Examples might include bringing youth in an after-school program to a significant Native Hawaiian cultural place to learn moʻolelo and oli, bringing participants to ʻāina-based activities to learn about traditional mala, or supporting travel for kumu to attend workshops to further their knowledge.
Program goals
- To increase access to activities and events related to Indigenous knowledge and practices for organizations and individuals that would otherwise experience barriers to attending in person.
- To increase engagement with Indigenous knowledge and practices to the benefit of organizations, individuals, and the broader community.
- To support the perpetuation of Indigenous knowledge and practices.
Apply online through HCF’s Grants Portal. There is a rolling online application deadline until all funds are awarded or by November 30, 2026, 4:00 p.m. HST.
Associated Files:
Contact Elizabeth Lentz-Hill at elentzhill@hcf-hawaii.org if you have any questions.
Indigenous Knowledge & Culture Grants
Awaiaulu - $200,000 over 2 years
Awaiaulu is dedicated to developing resources and resource people that can bridge Hawaiian knowledge from the past to the present and the future. It has three core programs: Masterworks - bilingual access to major historical writings; Māhuahua - archival mapping, research, and translation; and Kīpapa - educational resources. A core focus of its programs is to mentor Hawaiian language experts.
Through this training it develops new bilingual resources for the public, and expands the network of translators to serve as essential resources for our community. HCF awarded a general operating support grant to support Awaiaulu to expand access, train leaders in the field, and invigorate the restoration and continuity of Hawaiian knowledge.
Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society - $26,000
Mary Kawena Pukui Cultural Preservation Society was founded in 2015 to honor the life and legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui, a renowned Hawaiian scholar, linguist, and cultural practitioner. Mary Kawena Pukui spent over 50 years documenting, translating, and compiling Hawaiian knowledge systems during a time when Hawaiian culture and traditions were being lost.
The United States Mint worked closely with the Society and released the 2025 Native American $1 coin featuring Mary Kawena Pukui. To celebrate, the Society partnered with Bishop Museum for the Nānā i ke Kumu: Celebrating the Legacy of Mary Kawena Pukui program, a series of educational and cultural programs throughout 2025. The monthly events included panel discussions focused on topics including health & wellness, the Hawaiian Dictionary, and Ethnographic Studies; and an archival hula film screening at Hawaii Theatre.
ʻUmeke Lāʻau, Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Foundation (fiscal sponsor) - $15,680
ʻUmeke Lāʻau was created by Native Hawaiian artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer and a team of students and faculty from Honolulu Community College and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for the Hawaiʻi Triennial. The large-scale (22 ft wide, 8 ft tall) sculptural calabash was installed at Honolulu Hale in 2025 and was a gathering place for cultural exchange and healing. HCF awarded funding to bring the ʻUmeke Lāʻau to Maui to ʻIao Valley to be a place for a variety of community programming focused on healing and reflection.
Kumulipo Showcase Travel Grant Program - $36,538
In 2025, HCF awarded travel grants up to $3,000 to 13 nonprofits to increase access to the Kumulipo Showcase which was held on the sacred grounds of ʻIolani Palace on September 14, 2025. Five hālau gathered to chant the Kumulipo to honor Queen Liliʻuokalani during the month of her birth. The free event coordinated by Wai Ola invited the community to celebrate the Queen’s enduring legacy, including her historic translation of the Kumulipo. This was a rare opportunity to hear the ancient words of the Kumulipo come to life.
The travel grants successfully removed financial and logistical barriers so that hundreds of participants from rural and neighbor island communities (Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Molokaʻi, and Kauaʻi) could attend. The program fostered intergenerational exchange, with kūpuna and keiki traveling together and later hosting community presentations to share their experiences. Grantees reported increased cultural pride, revitalized oral traditions, and plans for additional cultural programming.