Makahakama Foundation
Makahakama Foundation is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It says its goal is to catalyze positive change by restoring and protecting nature, supporting under-resourced entrepreneurs, and strengthening community resilience.
Makahakama Foundation at a glance
In short: Makahakama Foundation gave $530K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), mostly in Hawaii. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $530,000
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- -11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,083
- -6.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $19,118,541
- -1.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (60% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Makahakama Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website says its lean size prevents it from accepting unsolicited applications.
- Contact
Mailing address: 855 El Camino Real Suite 317, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 248-8888
Website: https://makahakama.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Makahakama Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lahaina Community Land Trust ($300K). Together the top 10 received $476K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 55 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaiʻi (60%), California (22%), Virginia (11%), and New York (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
How Makahakama Foundation gives
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 120% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $85K (2022) to $637K (2023). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $530K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lahaina Community Land Trust Lahaina, HI | For Fire Recovery Opportunity and Permanence Fund | $300,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | For the Ocean Recovery work at the Nature Conserva | $60,000 |
| The Acceleration Project Scarsdale, NY | Project Launchpad support | $36,000 |
| African Diaspora Network Santa Clara, CA | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Hawaiian Islands Land Trust Honolulu, HI | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Ayudando Latinos a Sonar El Granada, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Peninsula Open Space Trust Palo Alto, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Teach For America Bay Area San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Menlo Park, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Climate Resilient Communities Palo Alto, CA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Makahakama Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,118,541 | $101,715 | $950,368 | $530,000 | 24 | $905,651 | $46,993 | $756,098 |
| 2023 | $19,412,971 | $155,936 | $1,050,824 | $636,500 | 27 | $987,649 | $88,008 | $1,143,741 |
| 2022 | $25,971,091 | $31,127,990 | $657,888 | $85,000 | 4 | $254,441 | $3,344,949 | $745,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Makahakama Foundation reported a distributable amount of $756K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to catalyze positive change through restoring and protecting nature, supporting under-resourced entrepreneurs, and strengthening the resiliency of communities.
Its 2024 grants include support for conservation and land trusts, entrepreneurship support, and community organizations. For example, The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which life depends; Hawaiian Islands Land Trust says it protects and stewards Hawaiʻi’s lands; and The Acceleration Project says it supports under-resourced small businesses through customized assistance in strategy, operations, finance, and marketing. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
The foundation also launched LaunchPad in 2024 with The Acceleration Project. The program provides financial-management mentorship and tools to under-resourced entrepreneurs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $530,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $300,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest award was $300,000 to Lahaina Community Land Trust for its Fire Recovery Opportunity and Permanence Fund. Other notable grants included $60,000 to The Nature Conservancy for ocean recovery work and $36,000 to The Acceleration Project for Project Launchpad support.
The foundation also gave $20,000 to African Diaspora Network and $20,000 to Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, both unrestricted. Other 2024 grants included $10,000 each to Ayudando Latinos a Sonar, Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Teach For America Bay Area.
The foundation says its process usually takes about three months, with the board meeting quarterly to approve grant recommendations. It determines grant amounts based on factors such as an organization’s budget and capacity, the number of clients served, or specific needs. For due diligence, it gathers publicly available information, holds one or two conversations with leadership or staff, and conducts a site visit. It generally accepts reports grantees already provide to other donors and describes follow-up meetings at the initial stage and at six-month intervals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joyce A. Chung as director and president, and Rene A. Lacerte as director, treasurer, and secretary.
Makahakama Foundation is led by Joyce A. Chung, Director & President on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joyce A. Chung
Director & President
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rene A. Lacerte
Director, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Makahakama Foundation
How much does Makahakama Foundation give each year?
Makahakama Foundation gave $530K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $637K across 27 grants.
What is Makahakama Foundation's typical grant size?
Makahakama Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $22,083, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Makahakama Foundation give grants?
Makahakama Foundation gives mostly in Hawaii: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (22%) and Virginia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Jose, CA (4 grants), Palo Alto, CA (2 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Menlo Park, CA (2 grants).
Does Makahakama Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of Makahakama Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Makahakama Foundation's largest grantees?
Makahakama Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lahaina Community Land Trust ($300,000), The Nature Conservancy ($60,000) and The Acceleration Project ($36,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Makahakama Foundation?
Makahakama Foundation reported $19.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $906K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $756K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Makahakama Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to catalyze positive change through restoring and protecting nature, supporting under-resourced entrepreneurs, and strengthening the resiliency of communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Makahakama Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Makahakama Foundation's EIN?
Makahakama Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-0992719. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2024.
Does Makahakama Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Makahakama Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in California
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation funds work in areas such as housing, economic security, education, health, the environment, arts and culture, and civic engagement, with Community Action Grants supporting local, community-led organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $51,716, though amounts varied widely; applications depend on the program, and SVCF states that it does not accept unsolicited proposals for advised funds.
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds charitable organizations working on just societies, healthy families and communities, and a healthy natural world, including climate solutions, ocean conservation, and science. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, and half of grant dollars went to California recipients. It accepts unsolicited requests, but less than 1% of its grants come from them.
Assets
$8.5B
Grants
1,029
Total Given
$350.0M
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco the Peninsula Marin & Sonoma
San Francisco, CA
The Federation funds Jewish life and identity, antisemitism response, crisis relief, human services, and justice and inclusion, with work in the Bay Area, Israel, and beyond. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,050 to $2,405,915, with a median of $22,750. It frequently issues requests for proposals and welcomes inquiries about new Bay Area programs; no current organization grant opportunities were listed.
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
1,032
Total Given
$94.5M
The Sobrato Family Foundation
Mountain View, CA
The foundation supports economic opportunity and education, including small-business access, workforce and college pathways, English learners, supportive housing, and community-based organizations serving people facing challenges. In 2024, grants ranged from $100 to $5 million, with a median of $75,000; its focus is Silicon Valley, though most grant dollars went to California. The filing says applications are sent directly and nonprofits can use an online form to receive funding-opportunity information; it does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$886.3M
Grants
526
Total Given
$69.3M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
The California Community Foundation supports nonprofits through discretionary and donor-directed grants, with discretionary priorities including education, health, housing and immigration, alongside other areas such as arts, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Its 2025 grants had a median of $50,000, and its work is focused on Los Angeles County; prospective discretionary applicants are asked to contact the relevant program officer before submitting a letter of intent.
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation funds education, climate and conservation, the arts, democracy, gender equity, racial justice, and efforts to strengthen nonprofits and philanthropy, with work spanning the San Francisco Bay Area, the U.S. West, and locations including East and West Africa and Mexico. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $150,000, though amounts varied widely. It generally does not accept unsolicited requests, but sometimes invites proposals through open processes.
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Makahakama Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/makahakama-foundation-morg_1f110f74d264494b9bcfd641907415b8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_880992719_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Makahakama Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/makahakama-foundation-morg_1f110f74d264494b9bcfd641907415b8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Makahakama Foundation'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.
Makahakama Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?