Frequently Asked Questions
1. What funding opportunities are available?
Each funding opportunity has its own guidelines and application schedule. Visit our Grantseekers page to find the opportunity that best fits your work.
- Priority Area Projects: For Culture & Arts, Community Based Environmental Stewardship, Early Childhood Education & Care, and Opportunity Youth projects.
Please read each area’s Program Page for specific project guidelines. - Capital Projects: While priority is given to capital projects within our priority areas, any eligible organization can apply for capital project funding.
2. What do you not fund?
- Non 501(c)(3) organizations, endowments, debt reduction, annual galas or single-event sponsorships, organizations doing work outside the state of Hawaii, projects that re-grant Kosasa funds, religious or lobbying activities
- Kosasa Foundation will consider applications from organizations that serve as fiscal sponsors for other projects that do not have their own 501c3 status. The application must come from the fiscal sponsor along with the fiscal sponsor’s organizational budget and board. The project description can describe the project group that is the focus of the request. Please note that our review and due diligence will be focused on the fiscal sponsor organization. If awarded a grant, it will be the fiscal sponsor that is obligated to complete the project and account for the expenditure of funds.
3. How do we get started with an application?
- As of November 4, 2026, the questionnaire is disabled while we evaluate the funding opportunities Kosasa Foundation will offer in 2027. It will be available again by December 5, 2026.
4. What is the average grant size or funding range?
- Grant amounts and funding limits vary by funding opportunity. Please refer to the relevant program page for guidance.
- The following highlights our recent grantmaking across funding areas:
- Culture & Arts: $1.3 million in 2026 to 23 organizations. Most grants ranged from $20,000 to $50,000 per year.
- Community-based Environmental Stewardship: $665,000 in 2025 to 12 organizations. Grants were awarded up to $50,000 for annual projects and up to $100,000 per year for multi-year projects.
- Early Childhood Education and Care (Jan-Aug 2026): $1.04 million to 7 organizations, including three, two-year projects.
- Opportunity Youth: $1.5 million in 2025
- Capital: $1.33 million in 2026 to 8 organizations
5. Do you require matching funds?
We take into consideration your organization’s overall financial health and diversification of revenue. While it is not a requirement to have other sources of revenue for a project, your request should be reasonable relative to your operating budget and capacity.
6. What are the key application deadlines and timeline?
Please see the schedule of deadlines on the Grantseekers page. Applications are open about two months before the deadline and are due in the portal by 5PM HST. New inquiries to apply are not guaranteed access unless submitted at least ten business days before the deadline.
7. Can we apply if we currently have an active grant from you?
- We generally award one grant per organization in a twelve month period.
- Additional grants may be considered at the Foundation’s discretion.
8. How do I know if I have an account with Kosasa Foundation?
Since 2023, we’ve used an online portal called Foundant. The link to the portal, username, and password are the responsibility of your
organization.
If you haven’t been funded since 2024, your account will be deactivated and you need to come through questionnaire again.
