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Grants & Funding Opportunities

Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) seeking grant funding may visit the links below:

Office of Native Hawaiian Relations Grants:

Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi (HŌʻIHI) Grant Program:

The Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, was introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Thune (R-S.D.). The Act seeks to enhance and integrate native tourism, empower native communities, and expand unique cultural tourism opportunities in the United States. 
  • The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations is providing $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian organizations through the HŌʻIHI Grant Program.
  • The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE, Act), which has enabled Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies. 

Kapapahuliau Program Grant:

The Kapapahuliau Program Grant, authorized by P.L. 117-169, Title VIII Sec. 80002, provides funding to Native Hawaiian Organizations to leverage traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge in enhancing response and resilience to adverse weather events and related environmental impacts. The Program seeks to support the implementation of:

  • EO 14308: Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response;
  • EO 14276: Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness; and
  • EO 14225: Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.

Through this support, the Program promotes the self-sufficiency, self-determination, and self-reliance of the Native Hawaiian Community and their lands. Projects supported by the grant will address critical issues such as drought, wildfires, invasive species, storm-related flooding, tidal inundation, and erosion mitigation, while also considering the associated economic impacts. 

  • The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR), a dedicated office under the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, provided $20 million in grants and financial assistance to NHO's in FY 2024 with additional funding planned in FY25.
  • Named for the imagery of navigating changing winds and currents on a Hawaiian voyaging waʻa (canoe), the Kapapahuliau Grant Program aims to promote greater self-determination and self-sufficiency within the lāhui as they work to reduce the impacts of adverse weather events on their community, utilizing traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge. This approach aims to preserve the integrity of the Native Hawaiian people while enhancing their capacity for community resilience.

Grants from the Federal Government:

Grants.gov: Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHO) who are interested applying for Grants from the Federal government are encouraged to visit www.grants.gov, a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs. 
  • By registering once on the site, NHOs may apply for Grants from 26 federal grant-making agencies.
NAGPRA Grants: Federal grants are available to museums, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in consultation, documentation, and repatriation under NAGPRA.

Other Notices:

In support of ONHR's granting opportunities and in compliance of Section 109 of the National Environmental Policy Act, the below two memos are posted for public view.

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