Maui Pono Foundation
Maui Pono Foundation is a public charity based in Makawao, Hawaii. Founded by local Lahaina families, it says its work is to help Maui’s community recover and rebuild after the August 2023 fires, including through support for affected individuals, small businesses, and community recovery efforts.
Maui Pono Foundation at a glance
In short: Maui Pono Foundation gave $220K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Hawaii. 90% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $220,013
- -69.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -76.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,001
- +27.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,000
- Total assets
- $419,262
- -33.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 90% first-time grantees (9 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (70% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Maui Pono Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 2800 Palalani Street, Makawao, HI 96768
Phone: (602) 402-5130
Website: https://mauiponofoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Maui Pono Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Operation Hope ($65K). Together the top 9 received $200K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($20,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 55 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaii and 30% to recipients in Georgia. The listed recipients include organizations in Maui communities such as Lahaina, Wailuku, Kahului, Waimea, Kihei, and Paia, as well as Operation HOPE in Atlanta, Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Maui Pono Foundation open to new grantees?
90%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 10 grantees (90%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 10% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $139K (2023) to $723K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $220K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Operation Hope Atlanta, GA | Grant for 5 week business cohort ($45,000); grant for 6 week business cohort ($20,000) | $65,000 |
| Pacific Whale Foundation Wailuku, HI | Grants to Support Community Youth Programs | $51,250 |
| Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization Waimea, HI | Grant to Support Fire Prevention | $20,000 |
| Kahakukahi Foundation Lahaina, HI | Grant to Support Community Youth Programs | $20,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $20,000 |
| Maui United Way Kahului, HI | Grant to Support Community Assistance Program | $12,000 |
| Lahaina Arts Guild Lahaina, HI | Grant to Support Community Youth Art Programs | $10,000 |
| Cool Cat Cafe LLC Kihei, HI | Business recovery grant ($5,000); grant for community event ($3,750) | $8,750 |
| Go Cycling Maui Paia, HI | Grant for Community Event | $7,500 |
| Maui Food Bank Wailuku, HI | Grant for Charitable Event | $5,513 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $419,262 | $258,104 | $462,772 | $220,013 | 10 | $9,424 |
| 2024 | $633,607 | $316,318 | $952,888 | $722,603 | 42 | $3,918 |
| 2023 | $1,240,860 | $2,527,009 | $1,286,880 | $139,000 | 3 | $30 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to help the Maui community recover and rebuild from the August 2023 fires. Its 2024 filing describes priorities that include immediate relief for people who lost homes or businesses, helping small businesses reestablish themselves, supporting infrastructure rebuilding to prevent future fires, and helping families rebuild lost homes.
The foundation’s website also describes individual cash grants, scholarships, small-business support, and grants to local organizations. Its 2025 grants included support for youth programs, a high school scholarship program, fire prevention, community assistance, youth arts, business recovery, community events, and charitable events.
Among the 2025 grantees, Operation HOPE describes its mission as expanding economic opportunity in underserved communities through financial education and empowerment. Pacific Whale Foundation says it works to protect the ocean through science and advocacy and to inspire environmental stewardship. Lahainaluna High School Foundation says it generates support for the school and its students; Maui United Way says it raises funds for health and welfare agencies; and Maui Food Bank says it helps people experiencing hunger in Maui County through food distribution and community partnerships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $220,013. Grants ranged from $5,513 to $65,000, with a median grant of $16,000.
The largest listed grants were $65,000 to Operation HOPE for two business-cohort grants and $51,250 to Pacific Whale Foundation for community youth programs. Other grants included $20,000 each to Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization for fire prevention, Kahakukahi Foundation for community youth programs, and Lahainaluna High School Foundation for its scholarship program. Maui United Way received $12,000 for a community assistance program, and Lahaina Arts Guild received $10,000 for community youth art programs. The remaining listed awards were $8,750 to Cool Cat Cafe LLC, $7,500 to Go Cycling Maui, and $5,513 to Maui Food Bank.
The foundation’s website describes support for individuals and small businesses as well as grants to organizations. Its 2024 filing reported more than $1,042,500 in individual cash grants and $564,202 in grants to small businesses in Lahaina; those figures describe the foundation’s reported program activity, not grants to outside applicant organizations alone.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Charles S Iverson as president, Debbie Arakaki as secretary, Kyle Anderson as treasurer, and Dylan Payne and Shelly Timmons as board directors. The foundation’s website identifies Joel Navarro as chief executive officer.
Maui Pono Foundation is led by Charles S. Iverson, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles S. Iverson
President
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dylan Payne
Board Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelly Timmons
Board Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Arakaki
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kyle Anderson
Treasurer
Board Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Joel Navarro (2023–2024) — CEO
- Former: Molly Payne (2023–2024) — Board Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 Maui Pono Foundation
How much does Maui Pono Foundation give each year?
Maui Pono Foundation gave $220K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $723K across 42 grants.
What is Maui Pono Foundation's typical grant size?
Maui Pono Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,000, and its average grant was $22,001, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maui Pono Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Maui Pono Foundation give grants?
Maui Pono Foundation gives mostly in Hawaii: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (30%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wailuku, HI (2 grants) and Lahaina, HI (2 grants).
Does Maui Pono Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Maui Pono Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Maui Pono Foundation's largest grantees?
Maui Pono Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Operation Hope ($65,000), Pacific Whale Foundation ($51,250) and Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($20,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Maui Pono Foundation?
Maui Pono Foundation reported $419K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $258K.
What does Maui Pono Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to help the Maui community recover and rebuild from the August 2023 fires. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maui Pono Foundation?
Maui Pono Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mauiponofoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Maui Pono Foundation's EIN?
Maui Pono Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-2930295. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Maui Pono Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/maui-pono-foundation-morg_e62082e432bc47638a06de5ac8e00425
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_932930295_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Maui Pono Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/maui-pono-foundation-morg_e62082e432bc47638a06de5ac8e00425},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Maui Pono 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.
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