Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Cooke Foundation grant program.
Donor Name: Cooke Foundation
State: Hawaii
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/12/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Cooke Foundation supports worthy endeavors in the community that the family feels will make a significant difference in the betterment and welfare of the people of Hawaiʻi.
Funding Information
- The Foundation generally awards grants up to $20,000. The Foundation will accept applications for more than this amount; however, awards over $20,000 are rare. The Foundation no longer requires Trustee sponsorship for applications. In FY 2024, the Foundation awarded funding to 13% of applications submitted. Six grants were awarded above $20,000, and the average award for the remaining grantees was ~$14,300.
- Requests for more than $5,000 should demonstrate that the Cooke Foundation portion of the budget does not exceed 30% of the total project budget.
Eligibility and Priorities
- The Foundation’s priority interests are arts, culture, and humanities; education; environment; and human services. The Foundation may make grants in other areas of interest at the discretion of the Trustees, but unsolicited proposals outside its priority interests will not be considered.
- Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) public charity. Organizations that are not a 501(c)(3) public charity must apply through a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) status public charity. Public charities that are further classified as a 509(a)(3) supporting organization are eligible to apply except for Type III non-functionally integrated supporting organizations.
- The Foundation does not generally fund loans; endowments; funds for re-granting; conferences, festivals, and similar one-time events; religious programs; activities that have already occurred; scholarships; and grants or direct cash payments to individuals or for the benefit of identified individuals.
- Applications from a unit of the University of Hawaiʻi must be submitted through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation.
- A grantee may not receive more than one grant in any fiscal year (July through June), except that a grantee serving as the fiscal sponsor for another organization may receive a second grant for its own project. Fiscal sponsors are eligible to sponsor multiple projects at a time, including their own; however, the Foundation’s guidelines below, regarding ongoing funding and support for two consecutive fiscal years, will apply to fiscally sponsored organizations, as well as organizations serving as a fiscal sponsor.
- The Foundation encourages Hawaiʻi non-profit organizations to build their long-term sustainability through support from diverse funding sources such as foundation grants, public grants and contracts, individual donations, and earned income. The Foundation generally does not provide ongoing funding, support any one program for more than two consecutive fiscal years, or fund any one organization for more than two consecutive fiscal years.
- The Foundation may choose to fund over a number of years. In the case of a multi-year pledge, payments are released in twelve-month intervals, and each payment is contingent on receipt of a satisfactory progress report.
For more information, visit Cooke Foundation.
