Cooke Foundation Grant

The Cooke Foundation, Limited, is a private grantmaking organization based in Hawaiʻi that supports community initiatives aligned with the values and philanthropic legacy of the Cooke family. The Foundation’s primary focus is to fund projects that contribute meaningfully to the welfare and betterment of the people of Hawaiʻi. Its mission encompasses a wide range of community needs, with a particular emphasis on arts, culture, humanities, education, environmental preservation, and human services. The Foundation occasionally supports projects outside of these priorities at the Trustees’ discretion but does not accept unsolicited proposals outside of its core focus areas. For Fiscal Year 2026 (effective July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026), the Cooke Foundation has implemented a revised application process. Applicants must first submit a "Letter of Interest" (LOI) through the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Grants Portal. This short-form submission enables the Foundation to screen applicants for alignment with funding priorities before inviting selected organizations to submit a full proposal. Applicants may submit one LOI per cycle unless they are acting as a fiscal sponsor, in which case they may submit additional LOIs on behalf of sponsored projects. Fiscal sponsors must be registered 501(c)(3) public charities, and all fiscal sponsor documents must be submitted at the LOI stage. Only organizations with valid 501(c)(3) status—or those applying under a qualifying fiscal sponsor—are eligible. Supporting organizations under section 509(a)(3), with the exception of Type III non-functionally integrated organizations, are also eligible. University of Hawaiʻi units must apply through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. The Foundation discourages overreliance on a single funding source, including itself, and generally avoids funding the same organization or project for more than two consecutive years. Applications will not be accepted from organizations with outstanding grant reports, and all previously funded grants must be closed with a final report before new submissions. Grants typically range up to $20,000, with rare awards exceeding that amount. In FY 2024, only six grants exceeded $20,000. The average award among grantees receiving under $20,000 was approximately $14,300. Requests for more than $5,000 must demonstrate that Cooke Foundation funds will not constitute more than 30% of the total project budget. Multi-year pledges may be made at the Trustees’ discretion, with annual payments contingent upon submission of satisfactory progress reports. The Foundation does not fund loans, endowments, regranting, festivals, scholarships, religious activities, retroactive projects, or direct payments to individuals. Key dates for the FY2026 application cycle include two rounds. Round 1 LOIs are due by 4:00 p.m. HST on July 14, 2025, with notifications issued by August 18. Invited full applications are due September 8, 2025, and funding decisions will be made by November. Round 2 LOIs are due January 12, 2026, with decisions announced by February 17. Full applications for Round 2 are due March 9, 2026, with funding decisions in May. All applications must be submitted through the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s online portal. Technical support is available via a support ticket system, and programmatic inquiries can be directed to Elizabeth Lentz-Hill at elentzhill@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5543. Applicants are advised to review all application requirements carefully and prepare both narrative and financial documentation in accordance with the Cooke Foundation’s guidelines. This includes a current Board of Directors list, updated financial statements, and a program budget using the Foundation’s required template. The Foundation does not accept supplemental materials or links, and character limits for each narrative section are strictly enforced within the online application form.

Avoid incomplete applications. Submit all documents on time. Check financials and board lists. Cut and paste with awareness of character limits.