Hawaii Council for Humanities
Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities is a public charity based in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, formed in 1976. It supports public humanities programs and community projects that connect people with ideas, broaden perspectives, enrich lives, and strengthen communities.
Hawaii Council for Humanities at a glance
In short: Hawaii Council for Humanities gave $198K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Hawaii. 63% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $197,730
- +21.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,887
- -2.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,068,662
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 63% first-time grantees (12 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Hawaii Council for Humanities
- How to Apply
-
The Council’s website says the grants program is temporarily paused and is not accepting applications during the pause.
- Review Cycle
- No current deadline is provided; the website says the grants program is paused.
- Deadline
- No current deadline is provided; the website says the grants program is paused.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3599 Waialae Ave 26, Honolulu, HI 96816
Phone: (808) 732-5402
Website: https://hihumanities.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Hawaii Council for Humanities
Lei Pua ʻAla - Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi
Hawaii Council for Humanities
Amount
$943,700
Deadline
Deadline not published
Preservation & Access Grants
Hawaii Council for Humanities
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Preservation and Access Grant
Hawaii Council for Humanities
Amount
Up to $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Hawaii Council for Humanities funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Hawaii System ($20K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $110K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 140 grants of 140 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Council’s grantmaking is centered on Hawai‘i. In 2024, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Hawai‘i. Its website describes its work as grounded in Hawai‘i’s people, places, histories, and communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Hawaii Council for Humanities open to new grantees?
63%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 19 grantees (63%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 16% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $162K (2023) to $684K (2022). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $198K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Filipino Association of University Women Honolulu, HI | Filipino Voices in Hawaii | $10,000 |
| Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum Honolulu, HI | Hawaiis Untold Africana Experiences | $10,000 |
| University of Hawaii System Honolulu, HI | Asia Pacific Dance 2024 | $10,000 |
| Enlivened Cooperative Hilo, HI | Lauhala Weaving Knowledges/Practices | $10,000 |
| Malama Learning Center Honolulu, HI | Limuhinaula | $10,000 |
| Maui Academy of Performing Arts Wailuku, HI | Pigs from the Sea | $10,000 |
| Honolulu Printmakers Honolulu, HI | Printer Lei Project - Risography | $10,000 |
| East-West Center Honolulu, HI | Celebrating Micronesian Voices | $10,000 |
| North Kohala Community Resource Center Hawi, HI | Kohala Voices: Youth Documentary Film | $10,000 |
| University of Hawaii System Honolulu, HI | Korean Art and History Across the Pacific | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Hawaii Council for Humanities?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reports 20 grants, the 2023 filing 16, and the 2022 filing 41.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,068,662 | $1,368,512 | $1,359,005 | $197,730 | 20 | $20,503 |
| 2023 | $1,024,489 | $1,053,317 | $1,062,787 | $162,211 | 16 | $5,526 |
| 2022 | $496,030 | $1,588,640 | $1,528,735 | $684,140 | 41 | $4,724 |
| 2021 | $464,824 | $1,124,828 | $1,120,085 | $194,185 | 20 | $3,167 |
| 2020 | $286,697 | $1,336,628 | $1,275,007 | $501,167 | 43 | $3,893 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Council’s stated mission is to connect people with ideas that broaden perspectives, enrich lives, and strengthen communities. Its grants support public humanities programs that bring communities together to explore ideas and meaningful issues, as well as projects that preserve existing cultural resources and make them accessible to the public.
The Council’s 2023 filing describes its work as including grants, collaborative partnership agreements, special projects, council-conducted programs, K–12 programs such as History Day, and programs for incarcerated people. Its website says humanities projects should engage Hawai‘i communities and encourage public involvement in conversations about current issues and possible futures. It distinguishes humanities work from humanitarian or social service projects.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Hawaiian Historical Society describes its work as preserving and publishing research on Hawai‘i history and maintaining a publicly accessible library. Maui Academy of Performing Arts says it enriches individuals and builds community through performing arts. The African American Diversity Cultural Center Hawaii describes its mission as preserving and promoting the contributions of Africana people to Hawai‘i history. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Council’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Council reported 20 grants totaling $197,730. Grants ranged from $9,000 to $10,000, with a median of $10,000. Its website describes two competitive grant programs, each with awards of up to $10,000: Public Humanities Grants and Preservation & Access Grants.
Examples of 2024 awards include $10,000 to the Filipino Association of University Women for “Filipino Voices in Hawaii,” $10,000 to the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum for “Hawaiis Untold Africana Experiences,” $10,000 to North Kohala Community Resource Center for “Kohala Voices: Youth Documentary Film,” and $10,000 to the Hawaiian Historical Society.
Public Humanities Grants support public programs that bring communities together to explore the humanities and meaningful issues. The Council’s guidance says a portion of a program must be open to the general public and identifies humanities leadership, outreach and engagement planning, and collaboration with community partners as features of strong projects.
Preservation & Access Grants support preservation of existing collections and resources and their public accessibility to researchers, students, and the general public. The Council’s guidance calls for preservation and access leadership with relevant professional expertise, and for projects to explain the humanities significance of the resource and how it will be made accessible.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Maja Clark Grajski as chair; Kehaulani Costa and Shelly Kaiaokamaile as co-vice chairs; Misty-Lynn Sanico as secretary; and Demaney Kihe as treasurer. Directors listed are Nancy Aleck, Cheryl Edelson, Mary Therese Perez Hattori, Halena Kapuni-Reynolds, and Vincent Ryan Linares.
Hawaii Council for Humanities is led by Aiko Yamashiro, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 19 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Aiko Yamashiro
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$79K (2020) → $88K (2024)
Maja Clark Grajski
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Ombrello
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Mary Therese Perez Hattori
Director
Secretary → Chairman, 2021
Chairman → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Aleck
Director
Treasurer → Secretary-Treasurer, 2023
Secretary-Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tisha Aragaki
Director
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vincent Ryan Linares
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Edelson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dawn Sueoka
Director
Director → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Evans
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Trixy 'iwalani Koide
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben Trevino
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Halena Kapuni-Reynolds
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Namba Reed
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pua Rossi-Fukino
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Demaney Kihe
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Misty-Lynn Sanico
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kehaulani Costa
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelly Kaiaokamaile
Co-Vice Chair
Director → Co-Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Todd Sammons (2020–2023) — Former Vice Chair
- Former: Pualiiliimaikalani Rossi-Fukino (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Amy Boehning (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Colleen Furukawa (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Grant Yoshikami (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Karla K. Silva-Park (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kirsten Mollegaard (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Iwalani Koide (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Shelly Preza (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Colette Higgins (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Gary Cordova (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Janel Quirante (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Maxine Yukie Tokuyama (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Mitch Yamasaki (2020–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Susan Yim Griffin (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Helen Cox (2020) — Director
- Former: Maja Clark (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Manoj Samaranayake CPA (2020) — Director
- Former: Noelle Mky Kahanu (2020) — Director
- Former: Paul Field (2020) — Director
- Former: Susan Bendon (2020) — Director
- Former: Tessa Munekiyo Ng (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $88K, to Aiko Yamashiro (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Hawaii Council for Humanities
How much does Hawaii Council for Humanities give each year?
Hawaii Council for Humanities gave $198K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $162K across 16 grants.
What is Hawaii Council for Humanities's typical grant size?
Hawaii Council for Humanities's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,887, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hawaii Council for Humanities that year got $10K on average.
Where does Hawaii Council for Humanities give grants?
Hawaii Council for Humanities gives mostly in Hawaii: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Honolulu, HI (13 grants).
Does Hawaii Council for Humanities give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Hawaii Council for Humanities's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Hawaii Council for Humanities's largest grantees?
Hawaii Council for Humanities's largest 2024 grantees include University of Hawaii System ($20,000 across 2 grants), Filipino Association of University Women ($10,000) and Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Hawaii Council for Humanities?
Hawaii Council for Humanities reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does Hawaii Council for Humanities fund?
The Council’s stated mission is to connect people with ideas that broaden perspectives, enrich lives, and strengthen communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hawaii Council for Humanities?
The Council’s website says the grants program is temporarily paused and is not accepting applications during the pause. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hawaii Council for Humanities's EIN?
Hawaii Council for Humanities's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 99-0153704. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Hawaii Council for Humanities's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hawaii Council for Humanities funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hawaii-council-for-humanities-morg_db305424323845ed9802923403a35475
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_990153704_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hawaii Council for Humanities funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hawaii-council-for-humanities-morg_db305424323845ed9802923403a35475},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Hawaii Council for Humanities's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Hawaii Council for Humanities down — hundreds of funders to go?