Culture & Arts: Creative Capacity Program
Culture and art soothe the soul. They bring calm in times of stress. They provide a counterpoint to the driving beat of daily responsibility. They serve as important community anchors and gathering spaces, especially in rural communities. They create community through the collective appreciation of
self-expression.
The Kosasa Foundation has long supported culture and arts organizations across the state, and we will continue to do so. But we also have seen the
changes brought by stunning events, like the global pandemic and the Maui wildfires.
We wanted to learn more about how philanthropy can support organizations as they evolve. Through interviews, a survey and focus groups we gained valuable insight into the needs of our C&A nonprofits.
The result is a new grant opportunity we call the Creative Capacity program. The intention is to provide targeted funding to Hawai‘i C&A nonprofits who are trying something new or innovative or who seek to build organizational capacity to ensure long-term sustainability.
Program Framing and Principles
Consistent with what we have learned from our C&A study, the program’s intention is to:
- Contribute to cultural authenticity, diversity, and vibrancy of Hawai’i.
- Grow our artistic community and support artists in the early stage of their careers
- Build different audiences to ensure we have educated and engaged consumers of art and culture.
- Support organizational health and impactful C&A nonprofits.
New and Experimental Might Mean:
- Projects that attract new/different audiences.
- Recruiting and supporting new types of voices and artists with an emphasis on younger, upcoming artistic voices.
- Presenting and supporting Native Hawaiian voices, artists, and subject matter as well as others who are underrepresented by the sector.
- Testing ways to improve access to art and culture through new collaborations, new public venues, or reducing barriers to access artistic experiences.
- Building new organizational capacity. This could include investments into new systems, technology, or human capacity that allows the organization to move in new directions, find new efficiencies, or build their organizational health and long-term sustainability.
Program Funding
The Creative Capacity grant will be offered to qualified nonprofits once per year. The application for this inaugural round is April 25, 2025. Organizations may still apply for general operating support throughout the year, however, they may not receive more than one grant each year.
Read our grants page for more information about our grant-making process.
