Cooke Foundation Grants

Cooke Foundation Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Cooke Foundation
Amount: Up to US $20,000
Last Updated: June 18, 2025

Summary

The Cooke Foundation Grants support impactful community initiatives in Hawai`i, focusing on arts, culture, humanities, education, environment, and human services. The foundation prioritizes proposals within these areas but may consider others at the Trustees' discretion. Multi-year funding is possible, contingent on satisfactory progress reports. Grants aim to foster significant improvements in the welfare of the community, reflecting the family's commitment to making a lasting difference.

Overview

The Cooke Foundation supports worthy endeavors in the community that the family feels will make a significant difference in the betterment and welfare of the people of Hawai`i. The Foundation’s priority interests are arts, culture, humanities; education; environment; and human services. The Foundation may make grants in other areas of interest at the discretion of the Trustees, but unsolicited proposals outside its priority interests will not be considered. The Foundation may choose to fund over a number of years. In the case of a multi-year pledge, payments are released in twelve-month intervals, and each payment is contingent on receipt of a satisfactory progress report.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Application Details

Cooke Foundation, Limited
Grant Application Guidelines
Fiscal Year 2025
(effective January 1, 2025-June 30, 2025)
PLEASE NOTE: Grant procedures have changed. See below for details.
Mission
The Cooke Foundation supports worthy endeavors in the community that the family feels will make a significant
difference in the betterment and welfare of the people of Hawaiʻi.
Eligibility and Priorities
• The Foundation’s priority interests are arts, culture, and humanities; education; environment; and human
services. The Foundation may make grants in other areas of interest at the discretion of the Trustees, but
unsolicited proposals outside its priority interests will not be considered.
• Applicants must have 501(c)(3) public charity status or must apply through a fiscal sponsor with 501(c)(3)
status public charity status. The Foundation does not make grants to supporting organizations classified
under section 509(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
• The Foundation does not generally fund loans; endowments; funds for re-granting; conferences, festivals, and
similar one-time events; religious programs; activities that have already occurred; scholarships; and grants or
direct cash payments to individuals or for the benefit of identified individuals.
• Applications from a unit of the University of Hawaiʻi must be submitted through the University of Hawaiʻi
Foundation.
• A grantee may not receive more than one grant in any fiscal year (July through June), except that a grantee
serving as the fiscal sponsor for another organization may receive a second grant for its own project. Fiscal
sponsors are eligible to sponsor multiple projects at a time, including their own; however, the Foundation’s
guidelines below, regarding ongoing funding and support for two consecutive fiscal years, will apply to fiscally
sponsored organizations, as well as organizations serving as a fiscal sponsor.
• The Foundation encourages Hawaiʻi non-profit organizations to build their long-term sustainability through
support from diverse funding sources such as foundation grants, public grants and contracts, individual
donations, and earned income. The Foundation generally does not provide ongoing funding, support any one
program for more than two consecutive fiscal years, or fund any one organization for more than two
consecutive fiscal years.
• The Foundation may choose to fund over a number of years. In the case of a multi-year pledge, payments are
released in twelve-month intervals, and each payment is contingent on receipt of a satisfactory progress
report.
• The Foundation generally awards grants up to $20,000. The Foundation will accept applications for more than
this amount; however, awards over $20,000 are rare. The Foundation no longer requires Trustee sponsorship
for applications. In FY 2024, the Foundation awarded funding to 13% of applications submitted. Six grants
were awarded above $20,000, and the average award for the remaining grantees was ~$14,300.
• Requests for more than $5,000 should demonstrate that the Cooke Foundation portion of the budget does
not exceed 30% of the total project budget.
The Foundation does not accept incomplete applications or applications from organizations with overdue reports.
All previous grants must be completed with the submission of a final report through the Grants Portal before an
organization may receive a new grant.
Nov 2024
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NEW APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Beginning January 2025, the Cooke Foundation will use a two-step application process.
The Foundation will accept a Letter of Interest (LOI) from any organization that aligns with its funding eligibility
and priorities, listed on page 1. After reviewing the LOIs, the Board of Trustees will invite select organizations to
submit a full application for the project. The full applications will then be considered for funding.
Please note:
• The Foundation is moving to this two-step process because the number of applications has increased
significantly in recent years. The two-step process is intended to allow organizations to present their
program briefly at first, rather than spending time on a lengthy application at the early stage. It will also
enable faster communication with programs that are not a fit for Foundation funding at this time.
• There is no guarantee of funding if an organization’s LOI is selected to move forward to the full application
step.
• Applicants invited to submit a full application will receive notification and have 3 weeks to submit the full
application. Late applications will not be accepted. The LOI questions and the full application questions
are intentionally aligned to help applicants prepare.
• A new or updated Organization Profile (see page 3) is due at the time of LOI submission. This includes all
financial documents and a current list of Board of Directors. If documents are outdated, or if the
organization or application do not fit the funding eligibility or priorities listed on page 1, the LOI or full
application will be administratively denied.
• Fiscal sponsor paperwork is due at the time of LOI submission. Missing, incomplete, or inaccurate fiscal
sponsor paperwork will result in the LOI being administratively denied.
• All previous grants must be completed with the submission of a final report through the Grants Portal
before an organization may receive a new grant.
• Organizations may submit one LOI with the exception of organizations serving as fiscal sponsors.
See below for details on the LOI and full application.
For both Letter of Interest and Full Application
Applications must be submitted online through Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Grants Portal. New users may
register for an account here: https://Hawaiicf.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp. Registered users may log in to their
account to submit an application. Please give yourself adequate time before the submission deadline to access the
system and familiarize yourself with the application process and requirements. For assistance with the online
application process, please submit a support ticket at http://hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/ticket.
Instructions
• Only complete and timely applications will be accepted.
• The online application has fillable boxes with character limits. The character counts in MS Word may not
match the character counts in the application. If you cut and paste your work into the application, please be
sure your text fits the space provided.
• The online application accepts diacritical markings in written ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i.
Instructions for Sponsored Organizations with a Fiscal Sponsor
• The sponsored organization, that is not a 501(c)(3) public charity, must submit the application.
• Sponsored organizations that do not have an account, should register, and select “Other Organization”.
Complete and submit the Organization Profile (see more information below).
• The fiscal sponsor, that is a 501(c)(3) public charity, must also have an account. Fiscal sponsor organizations
Nov 2024
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that do not have an account, should register, and select “501(c)(3) Charity”. Complete and submit the
Organization Profile.
• In the application “Program Overview” section, the applicant (sponsored organization) must select yes to the
question Do you have a fiscal sponsor? Then select your fiscal sponsor from the list. If you cannot find your
fiscal sponsor, please ask the fiscal sponsor organization to register in the system.
• In the application “Supporting Documents & Certification” section, the applicant (sponsored organization)
must upload the completed Resolution and Agreement forms. See page 4 for more information. Please upload
only the required forms.
Organization Profile
As part of the online application, your organization profile (and fiscal sponsor organization profile, if applicable)
must be certified prior to submission of grant applications and must be certified every six months. Information
needed to complete your organization profile (and fiscal sponsor organization profile, if applicable) includes, but is
not limited to the following:
• IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter (not required if previously applied to the Foundation or if applying through
a fiscal sponsor)
• Number of full-time staff, part-time staff, regular volunteers
• Organization mission
• Service location(s)
• Types of services provided (including age, gender, and target populations served)
• Financial statements
o Annual operating budget for the current year, showing both income and expenses
o Income statement (or profit/loss statement) for the most recently completed fiscal year
o Balance sheet for the most recently completed fiscal year
o Audited financial statements are preferred but not required
o Local units of national organizations must submit local unit financial information
o Your organization’s updated financial documents must be submitted in the Organization Profile prior to
submitting the Letter of Interest. If the financial documents are not up to date, the application will be
administratively denied.
• Board of Directors list
Nov 2024
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Letter of Interest (LOI)
The Letter of Interest (LOI) consists of 4 sections. Information needed to complete your LOI includes the following:
LOI Program Overview
• Provide general informaiton and characteristics about the program including, but not limited to, program
title, duration, area of interest, program location(s), and ages and genders served.
• If you have a fiscal sponsor, you will be asked to identify your fiscal sponsor. Please note, your fiscal
sponsor must be registered in the Grants Portal prior to submitting your application.
LOI Program Information
Note: Website links and supplemental materials are not accepted due to the volume of applications received.
Include any quotes or information for the Trustees to consider within the narrative responses.
Organization Description: Describe your organization and key elements of your work. Include where your
office and work are located. Your mission statement will be included elsewhere so you do not need to
include it here. (Maximum 1,000 characters, including spaces)
Problem or Opportunity: Why is your proposed program or capital project needed? Include any key data
or information. (Maximum 1,250 characters, including spaces)
Project Overview: Describe your proposed program or capital request. Include what actions you will take,
key dates or time frame, and personnel involved (ie-staff, volunteers). (Maximum 1,250 characters,
including spaces)
Expected Results: Define the impact you anticipate your program or capital project will have on the
community you serve. Give key projected numbers that show impact (ie- number of participants, acres
cleared) and/or qualitative measures of that impact. (Maximum 500 characters, including spaces)
LOI Budget
Applicants are required to use the Cooke Foundation Program Budget Template, found in the Grants
Portal’s Resources section and on the Cooke Foundation website.
Upload a PDF of the Cooke Foundation Program Budget Template, complete with:
• Total program budget
• Amount requested through this application
• Anticipated expenses (overall expenses, and expenses for which Cooke Foundation grant funds
will be used)
• Anticipated income (source, amount, restrictions, and whether secured, pending, or in-kind)
LOI Supporting Documents and Certification
If a fiscal sponsor is involved, please upload the following additional files as PDFs:
• Fiscal Sponsor’s Board of Directors Resolution authroizing project fiscal sponsorship
• Fiscal Sponsor’s Agreement
The fiscal sponsor documents can be found here:
https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/grants/fiscal-sponsor-materials
Nov 2024
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Full Application (by invitation only)
The application consists of 4 sections. Information needed to complete your application includes the following:
Program Overview
• Provide general information and characteristics about the program including, but not limited to program
title, duration, area of interest, program location(s), and ages and genders served.
• If you have a fiscal sponsor, you will be asked to identify your fiscal sponsor. Please note, your fiscal
sponsor must be registered in the Grants Portal prior to submitting your application.
Program Information
Note: Website links and supplemental materials are not accepted due to the volume of applications received.
Include any quotes or information for the Trustees to consider within the narrative responses.
Organization Description: Describe the history and mission of the organization/program. What is the
organization’s experience implementing this program and staff capabilities to conduct the proposed work?
(Maximum 2,500 characters, including spaces)
Problem or Opportunity: Clearly describe the problem, need, or opportunity to be addressed by the project.
Support your statements with relevant data, research or information. Describe the population that will benefit
from the project, including an estimate of size or numbers. For capital requests, describe the need for the
asset(s) or capital improvement for the organization and the population that will benefit. (Maximum 5,000
characters, including spaces)
Project Overview: Provide a general overview of the project. Explain why you chose this approach to address
the problem or opportunity. Provide a project timeline. If this is an ongoing project provide past results and
achievements. For capital requests, provide the timeline and key activities for the capital project. (Maximum
4,500 characters, including spaces)
Activities and Expected Results: Describe the activities to be performed and the results or goals you expect to
achieve. Describe how you will measure if your goals are met. For capital requests, explain the expected
impact of the capital project on the organization and your ability to deliver your program(s) and meet community
needs. (Maximum 3,500 characters, including spaces)
Funding plan: Explain the project budget, including adjustments to be made if not all anticipated funding is
received. Describe the plan, if any, to continue funding the project after the grant period ends. Requests to
the Foundation over $5,000 may not exceed 30% of the project budget. (Maximum 3,000 characters, including
spaces)
Addendum for capital requests:
Please include the following information on the Program Overview section if you are submitting a
capital request:
• Capital campaign: Describe how the capital campaign is being conducted and the experience of
board members and staff with capital campaigns. Identify how much funding has been secured as of
the date of the proposal.
• Construction: Describe the form of site control, including relevant terms of long-term leases or
purchase agreements if not under ownership. Describe the status and timeline for design and
engineering work and the status of required permits. Provide the source for cost estimates.
Describe who will manage the design and construction phases and their experience in this work. -
Nov 2024
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Budget
Applicants are required to use the Cooke Foundation Program Budget Template, found in the Grant Portal’s
Resources section and on the Cooke Foundation website.
Upload a PDF of the Cooke Foundation Budget Template, complete with:
• Total program budget
• Amount requested through this application
• Anticipated expenses (overall expenses, and expenses for which Cooke Foundaiton grant funds will be
used)
• Anticipated income (source, amount, restrictions, and whether secured, pending, or in-kind)
Supporting Documents & Certification
If a fiscal sponsor is involved, please upload the following additional files as PDFs:
• Fiscal sponsor's Board of Directors Resolution authorizing project fiscal sponsorship
• Fiscal Sponsor's Agreement
The fiscal sponsor documents can be found here: https://www.Hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/grants/fiscal-
sponsor-materials.
Key Dates Description
January 13, 2025 4:00 pm HST Letter of Interest due
By February 17, 2025 Applicants notified regarding Letter of Interest
March 10, 2025 4:00 pm HST Full application due (by invitation only)
May 2025 Trustee meeting for funding decisions
Contact Information
If you have questions about the guidelines or the application process, please contact Elizabeth Lentz-Hill at
elentzhill@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5543.
For technical assistance with the online application process, please submit a support ticket at
https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/web/support-tickets.
Nov 2024
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