Seto Foundation Co Hawaii
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii is a private foundation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in Hawaii, California, and Washington.
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii at a glance
In short: Seto Foundation Co Hawaii gave $151K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Hawaii. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $150,738
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,767
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,348,045
- -5.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Seto Foundation Co Hawaii
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Seto Foundation Co Hawaii funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hui O Kuapa ($20K). Together the top 10 received $138K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 73 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaii, 10% to California, and 7% to Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Seto Foundation Co Hawaii open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 13 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $140K (2021) to $162K (2022). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $151K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hui O Kuapa Kaunakakai, HI | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Touch a Heart Inc Aiea, HI | Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Camp Anuenue Corporation Redondo Beach, CA | Children's Cancer Camps | $15,000 |
| Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Honolulu, HI | General Funding | $15,000 |
| Kauai Food Bank Inc Lihue, HI | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Moiliili Hongwanji Mission Honolulu, HI | Project Dana | $13,750 |
| Downtown Art Center Honolulu, HI | Unrestricted Support | $10,000 |
| University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA | Puget Sound Fund | $10,000 |
| Hawaii Children's Cancer Fdn Honolulu, HI | Operating Support | $8,087 |
| Iolani School Honolulu, HI | Ka'i Program | $6,967 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,348,045 | $73,178 | $208,883 | $150,738 | 14 | $181,188 | $50,462 | $186,187 |
| 2024 | $2,476,645 | $212,150 | $200,335 | $144,000 | 14 | $172,885 | $187,368 | $178,579 |
| 2023 | $2,464,830 | $181,409 | $194,802 | $141,300 | 15 | $172,803 | $159,410 | $162,497 |
| 2022 | $2,478,223 | $63,460 | $216,143 | $162,058 | 13 | $190,684 | $41,995 | $169,067 |
| 2021 | $2,630,906 | $193,019 | $188,547 | $140,001 | 17 | $166,001 | $170,473 | $188,306 |
| 2020 | $2,626,434 | $38,237 | $211,822 | $161,800 | 16 | — | $57,195 | $167,824 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Seto Foundation Co Hawaii reported a distributable amount of $186K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include operating and unrestricted support, children’s cancer camps, maternal and child health, food assistance, arts and culture, and education.
Examples illustrate the varied work of its grantees. Touch A Heart Inc. says it provides vocational training and pathways to a sustainable life for people facing barriers to employment. Kauai Food Bank says it educates, provides nutritious food for people experiencing hunger, and responds to emergencies. Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies describes its work as promoting maternal and child health through programs and services. Downtown Art Center says it uses creativity and the arts to build a vibrant downtown and Chinatown, while Hanahauoli School describes an approach centered on making learning engaging and supporting lifelong learning.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $150,738 through 14 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $20,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among its 2025 grants were $20,000 each to Hui O Kuapa and Touch A Heart Inc.; $15,000 each to Camp Anuenue Corporation, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, and Kauai Food Bank; and $13,750 to Moiliili Hongwanji Mission. Other grants included $10,000 to Downtown Art Center and the University of Puget Sound, $8,087 to Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, $6,967 to Iolani School, and $5,000 each to Hanahauoli School and The Early School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dudley S J Seto as chairman/director; Catherine M L Silva as treasurer/director; Cynthia Seto Hartwell as president/director; Keith K M Seto as vice-president/director; and Cheryl M W Seto as secretary/director.
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii is led by Cynthia Seto Hartwell, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cynthia Seto Hartwell
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dudley S. J. Seto
Chairman & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine M. L. Silva
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl M. W. Seto
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Keith K. M. Seto
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Seto Foundation Co Hawaii
How much does Seto Foundation Co Hawaii give each year?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii gave $151K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $144K across 14 grants.
What is Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's typical grant size?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,767, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Seto Foundation Co Hawaii that year got $10K on average.
Where does Seto Foundation Co Hawaii give grants?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii gives mostly in Hawaii: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (10%) and Washington (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Honolulu, HI (9 grants).
Does Seto Foundation Co Hawaii give general operating support?
Yes: 57% of Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's largest grantees?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's largest 2025 grantees include Hui O Kuapa ($20,000), Touch a Heart Inc ($20,000) and Camp Anuenue Corporation ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Seto Foundation Co Hawaii?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $181K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $186K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Seto Foundation Co Hawaii fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include operating and unrestricted support, children’s cancer camps, maternal and child health, food assistance, arts and culture, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Seto Foundation Co Hawaii?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's EIN?
Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 99-0329759. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Seto Foundation Co Hawaii 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Seto Foundation Co Hawaii funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Seto Foundation Co Hawaii's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Seto Foundation Co Hawaii funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/seto-foundation-co-hawaii-morg_44b2d08765e9412ea26ef336357eb2a2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_990329759_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Seto Foundation Co Hawaii funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/seto-foundation-co-hawaii-morg_44b2d08765e9412ea26ef336357eb2a2},
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 Seto Foundation Co Hawaii'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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