Pacific Islanders in Communications
Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) is a Honolulu-based public charity established in 1991. It supports the development and distribution of media about Pacific Island history, culture, and society, and provides support and professional development for Pacific Islander storytellers and filmmakers.
Pacific Islanders in Communications at a glance
In short: Pacific Islanders in Communications gave $710K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), top state Hawaii. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $710,025
- +58.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +38.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,401
- +14.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $5,034,871
- -5.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (4 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (38% 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 Pacific Islanders in Communications
- How to Apply
-
PIC’s website describes an online application process for Media Fund and Shorts Fund calls, but says those open calls are paused. Its Special Projects page describes proposals for qualifying documentary projects, while the organization’s later update says funding initiatives are on an indefinite pause.
- Contact
Mailing address: 615 Piikoi Street 1203, Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 591-0059
Website: https://piccom.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pacific Islanders in Communications funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Terra Carrere LLC ($75K). Together the top 10 received $475K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 100 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
PIC is based in Honolulu. In 2025, the largest shares of its grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaiʻi (38%), New York (16%), Maryland (13%), California (12%), and Florida (11%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Pacific Islanders in Communications open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 25 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $246K (2020) to $710K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $710K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Terra Carrere LLC Miami, FL | Pic Special Project Licensing Fee | $75,000 |
| NIU Doc LLC Lemon Grove, CA | Production Licensing Fee | $60,000 |
| Mounga Pictures LLC North Las Vegas, NV | Production Licensing Fee | $50,000 |
| Rooy Media LLC Frederick, MD | Production Licensing Fee | $50,000 |
| Worm Media LLC Mililani, HI | Production Licensing Fee | $50,000 |
| Ninth Island Documentary LLC Mililani, HI | Production Licensing Fee | $41,525 |
| Doc Society Inc Brooklyn, NY | Pic Special Project Licensing Fee | $40,000 |
| What Took You so Long Baltimore, MD | Production Licensing Fee | $40,000 |
| Olona Media LLC Honolulu, HI | Digital and Aquisition Licensing Fee | $38,000 |
| Women Makes Movies New York, NY | Production Licensing Fee | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pacific Islanders in Communications?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,034,871 | $2,269,967 | $2,347,591 | $710,025 | 25 | $36,824 |
| 2024 | $5,314,824 | $1,915,282 | $1,706,560 | $447,000 | 18 | $13,166 |
| 2023 | $4,612,654 | $1,912,512 | $1,717,225 | $493,873 | 24 | $5,047 |
| 2022 | $3,859,639 | $1,698,073 | $1,391,594 | $531,877 | 17 | $-7,260 |
| 2021 | $3,202,163 | $1,336,695 | $1,281,432 | $375,772 | 16 | $87,090 |
| 2020 | $2,407,636 | $1,448,283 | $1,334,073 | $246,040 | 13 | $24,794 |
| 2019 | $2,105,977 | $1,212,471 | $1,294,519 | $317,426 | 17 | $662 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
PIC’s stated mission is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that increases public recognition and appreciation of Pacific Islander history, culture, and society. Its programs support nonfiction projects for public television, short fiction and nonfiction content, and documentary projects outside the Media Fund’s parameters. PIC also produces Pacific Heartbeat, a public television series centered on the Pacific Islander experience.
The Media Fund supports single nonfiction projects about the Indigenous Pacific Islander experience, for production or post-production and intended for national public television broadcast. PIC’s website describes a maximum request of $65,000. The Shorts Fund supports completion of short fiction and nonfiction content. PIC Special Projects considers documentary proposals for public television broadcast that fall outside the Media Fund’s parameters.
PIC describes its broader work as developing, producing, and funding films, providing professional development for emerging filmmakers, and engaging audiences through public media distribution and community screenings. Among the 2025 recipients, Doc Society says it brings people together through independent documentary film; The Film Collaborative says it provides filmmakers with educational materials and services including distribution and impact marketing; and The Center for Independent Documentary describes its mission as producing and distributing socially conscious documentaries.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, PIC reported 25 grants totaling $710,025. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $75,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest listed awards included $75,000 to Terra Carrere LLC for a PIC special project licensing fee; $60,000 to Niu Doc LLC and $50,000 each to Mounga Pictures LLC, Rooy Media LLC, and Worm Media LLC for production licensing fees; and $40,000 to Doc Society Inc. for a PIC special project licensing fee. These payments are described as licensing fees in the filing.
The website’s application information describes combined Media Fund and Shorts Fund calls held twice a year, with applications submitted through an online portal and reviewed by an independent panel. Listed application materials include a short summary, project status, treatment, and filmmaker’s statement. Media Fund projects must meet program qualifications and be suitable for public television; the website describes the funding as connected to a production agreement, not a typical grant. PIC’s July 2025 update says open calls were temporarily paused, and its August 2025 statement says the pause on funding initiatives is indefinite.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janel Quirante as president; Rita Nauta as vice president; Suzanna Hernandez as treasurer; Taryn Jackson as secretary; Vincent Iuli, Regina Meredith Fitiao, Baltazar Aguon, Tavae Samuelu, and Jason Suapaia as directors; and Cheryl Hirasa as executive director.
Pacific Islanders in Communications is led by Cheryl Hirasa, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cheryl Hirasa
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$114K (2022) → $141K (2025)
Janel Quirante
President
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Baltazar Aguon
Director
Secretary → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vincent Iuli
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Suapaia
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tavae Samuelu
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Regina Meredith Fitiao
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rita Nauta
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanna Hernandez
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Taryn Jackson
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Nalani Blane Kealaiki (2019–2024) — President
- Former: Regina Meredith (2020–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Craig Santos Perez (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Michael Robert Murphy (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Taryn Jackson Stewart (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Billy Pieper (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Susie Hernandez (2023) — Director
- Former: Mericia Palma Elmore (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Leanne Ferrer (2019–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Leslie Wilcox (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Monica Okada Guzman (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Tony Merdith (2019–2020) — Former Director
- Former: William Pieper (2019–2020) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $141K, to Cheryl Hirasa (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Pacific Islanders in Communications
How much does Pacific Islanders in Communications give each year?
Pacific Islanders in Communications gave $710K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $447K across 18 grants.
What is Pacific Islanders in Communications's typical grant size?
Pacific Islanders in Communications's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $28,401, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pacific Islanders in Communications that year got $27K on average.
Where does Pacific Islanders in Communications give grants?
Pacific Islanders in Communications's top state is Hawaii, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (16%) and Maryland (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Honolulu, HI (8 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants), Mililani, HI (2 grants) and Newton, MA (2 grants).
Does Pacific Islanders in Communications give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Pacific Islanders in Communications's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Production Licensing Fee" (10 grants), "Digital Licensing Fee" (7 grants) and "Pic Special Project Licensing Fee" (6 grants).
Who are Pacific Islanders in Communications's largest grantees?
Pacific Islanders in Communications's largest 2025 grantees include Terra Carrere LLC ($75,000), NIU Doc LLC ($60,000) and Mounga Pictures LLC ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pacific Islanders in Communications?
Pacific Islanders in Communications reported $5.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What does Pacific Islanders in Communications fund?
PIC’s stated mission is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that increases public recognition and appreciation of Pacific Islander history, culture, and society. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pacific Islanders in Communications?
PIC’s website describes an online application process for Media Fund and Shorts Fund calls, but says those open calls are paused. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Pacific Islanders in Communications's EIN?
Pacific Islanders in Communications's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 99-0293514. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 12, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Other open foundation grants in Hawaii
Hawaii Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Pacific Islanders in Communications's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pacific Islanders in Communications funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pacific-islanders-in-communications-morg_563651293b0f4cac9e6adfdba28783ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_990293514_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pacific Islanders in Communications funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pacific-islanders-in-communications-morg_563651293b0f4cac9e6adfdba28783ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Pacific Islanders in Communications'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.
Pacific Islanders in Communications down — hundreds of funders to go?