Apply now for the Ho’ākoakoa Lāhui Event Sponsorship Program!
Deadlines for Application Submissions
Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
- Quarter 1 (July 2026 – September 2026): events and all future cycles, applications will be submitted through OHA’s Grants Portal. The Grants Portal for Quarter 1 will open on January 1, 2026 and close on February 27, 2026.
- Quarter 2 (October 2026 – December 2026): events and all future cycles, applications will be submitted through OHA’s Grants Portal. The Grants Portal for Quarter 2 will open on April 1, 2026 and close on May 29, 2026.
- Quarter 3 (January 2027 – March 2027): events and all future cycles, applications will be submitted through OHA’s Grants Portal. The Grants Portal for Quarter 3 will open on July 1, 2027 and close on August 31, 2026.
- Quarter 4 (April 2027 – June 2027): events and all future cycles, applications will be submitted through OHA’s Grants Portal. The Grants Portal for Quarter 4 will open on October 1, 2027 and close on November 30, 2026.
For any questions or to receive future updates, please email sponsorships@oha.org with your organization name and contact email address.
Mahalo for your continued commitment to uplifting our lāhui.
Purpose
The purpose of the Hoʻākoakoa Lāhui Event Sponsorship Program is to provide funding support for nonprofit organizations to host events that provide significant benefits to the Native Hawaiian community; align with OHA’s Mana i Mauli Ola Strategic Plan; and offer OHA valuable opportunities for community engagement, partnerships, and public relations. Hoʻākoakoa Lāhui means “to assemble the lāhui together.” This program is a consolidation of OHA’s former sponsorship and ʻAhahui grant programs.
Qualified Events
All events must occur within the State of Hawaiʻi. Eligible events include the following:
- Award/Recognition events
- Building dedications or groundbreaking ceremonies
- Community events that are free to the public and increase access to public and private resources, programs, and information
- Community events that are free to the public and celebrate or highlight our aliʻi or significant historical events
- Community gatherings of Native Hawaiian practitioners for the purpose of education and/or to perpetuate cultural practices
- Community events that provide services that benefit our ʻāina and culture (mālama ʻāina, mālama iwi kūpuna, ʻōiwi wellbeing, etc.)
- Native Hawaiian conventions
- Fundraisers or charity events that benefit the Native Hawaiian community
Note: Multi-day events are allowed, however, event dates must occur within a 30-day (one month) period. Events that extend beyond 30 days are ineligible. OHA funds shall not be used for entertainment or perquisites (perks) per HRS 10-17(b)(3) however, HRS 10-17(b) does not expressly prohibit grantees from having or providing “entertainment or perquisites” as some aspect of their event.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a nonprofit, community-based organization in the State of Hawaiʻi verifiable by a required IRS letter of determination.
- Must complete the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Hoʻākoakoa Lāhui event application.
- Must submit a certificate of vendor compliance.
- Must submit a W-9.
- Must comply with all HRS 10-17 requirements.
- Maximum budget request is $15,000.00, no minimum requirement. Requests for exceptions to the maximum budget request require justification in the comments/questions section of the application.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria in the table below. The information is requested as part of the Hoʻākokakoa Lāhui application.
Important Information
- Applications will be evaluated by assigned OHA staff. If recommended for approval, request will be taken before OHA’s Board of Trustees (BOT) for approval. Event representatives will be asked to attend the BOT meeting in person or virtually to represent the event and organization and be available to provide additional information and answer any questions.
- Note: Organizations shall be awarded no more than one (1) OHA grant to support an event within any given fiscal year (i.e., July 1 – June 30) and only one (1) OHA grant shall be awarded per event. Organizations may be awarded an OHA sponsorship to support an event in the same fiscal year as an award to support a project through a community grant.
OHA’s 10-17 granting authority is the ONLY authority through which OHA will fund nonprofit events or act as an event sponsor.
OHA Grants Portal
In order to submit your application online, please set up an account on our OHA Grants portal via the application link below. For step by step guide please see the tutorials below. The OHA Grants Portal is an online application, monitoring, and reporting system for nonprofit organizations who are an applicant or grantee.
Tutorials to Navigate the OHA Grants Portal (Foundant):
Please email
sponsorships@oha.org if you have any questions or concerns. For a full list of questions and requirements, please click
here. Please note that applications will only be accepted through our official application portal, unless otherwise permitted by the admitting entity. Mahalo!
Incomplete Applications: Please note that an application will not be considered complete until all required documents have been submitted. Any missing documentation will result in an incomplete application, which may lead to delays in processing or disqualification from consideration.
