The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) announced funding opportunities for its Kūkulu Ola and Aloha ‘Āina programs. The funding will support qualified organizations and programs that perpetuate Hawaiian culture and preserve Hawaiʻi’s natural resources in fiscal year 2023-2024 (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024).

This year, HTA is partnering with the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to administer the programs, which are a part of HTA’s commitment toward Mālama Ku‘u Home (caring for my beloved home) and the interacting pillars of its 2025 Strategic Plan.

The Kūkulu Ola program provides support to awardees that enhance, strengthen and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through genuine experiences for residents and visitors alike.

The Aloha ‘Āina program provides support to community entities with an emphasis on ‘āina-kānaka (land-human) relationships and knowledge that manage, preserve and regenerate Hawai‘i’s natural resources and environment.

Each of the six letters of the HCF CHANGE Framework represents a sector, or area, that affects the community and its ability to thrive—from economy to education. Under each sector, HCF has assembled a curated set of data to track progress on where disparities exist; the organization is also making deep investments into the community with the support of donors and working with partners across the state from government to nonprofits to find solutions together—all for its vision to see an equitable Hawaiʻi.

The application deadline to submit proposals for HCF funding is May 24, 2023 at 4 p.m. HST. Interested applicants can visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/HTA. for further information.

All inquiries about the funding opportunities should be directed to Kehau Meyer at hta@hcf-hawaii.org.

HTA and HCF staff will also be conducting virtual information sessions via Zoom to help interested applicants understand HTA’s strategic direction and vision, the funding opportunity applications, and award process.  In addition, a session recording will be posted at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/HTA for those who are unable to join live.