Program & General Operating Support Grant

Program & General Operating Support Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: McInerny Foundation
Last Updated: December 06, 2025

Summary

The McInerny Foundation, a leading charitable organization in Hawaii, supports diverse initiatives including education, health, and the arts. Established from the wealth of the McInerny siblings, the foundation is committed to enhancing community welfare. It provides program and general operating support primarily to 501(c)(3) public charities that benefit Hawaii residents. The foundation emphasizes the importance of community and business support, requiring active participation from board members in fundraising and organizational activities.

Overview

The McInerny Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in the State of Hawai‘i. Its funds originated from the estates of twin brothers, William and James  McInerny, and their older sister, Ella McInerny, whose wealth was generated in large part by a distinguished clothing establishment in the city of Honolulu. Today, McInerny Foundation is honored for its generous contributions to education and social services to which most of their grantmaking is allocated, while the balance of their  funding is distributed for arts and culture, health, environment, and other projects. Fields of Interest Arts & Culture Community Education Environment Health Human Services Program Support: Support is provided for programs and projects that better the lives of individuals and families in the state of Hawaii. General Operating Support: Support is usually provided to organizations having an established relationship with the Foundation. Additional Information Board of Directors In order to be successful in accomplishing its purposes, a charitable organization generally must have community and business support, rather than relying solely on foundations or government funding. For this reason the Distribution Committee pays particular attention to how active members of an organization’s Board of Directors are in carrying out their responsibilities to the organization. Other Factors Some other factors considered in reviewing a proposal are: the community’s need for the proposed program or project in relation to other similar activities;reasonableness of the project’s income/expenditure budget;ability of the applicant to obtain entire funding and sustain the proposed project.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations must be exempt from federal taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be classified as a public charity.McInerny Foundation grants are given to organizations benefiting the people of Hawaii. The Distribution Committee will accept only one request a year from an organization.McInerny Foundation has long required that all (100%) directors make a personal annual financial contribution, at some level, to the support of the organization; in addition to participating in fundraising activities. Directors are also required to attend Board meetings, volunteer work when needed, and make significant efforts to gain community and business support.

Ineligibility

Although the Trust is broad-purposed, it does not make grants to churches or individuals, nor for endowments, reserve purposes, deficit financing, or for the purchase of real estate.