Holomua Marine Initiative Strengthening Community Advocacy 2026
Holomua Marine Initiative Strengthening Community Advocacy 2026 supports Hawai‘i community organizations and groups with advocacy training and exchanges to advance nearshore marine management and co-management.
Funder: Hawai'i Community Foundation
Due Dates: October 5, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. HST (Application) | September 11, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. (Information session) | October 30, 2026 (Anticipated notification)
Funding Amounts: Up to 10% of current annual operating budget, capped at $10,000, for 12 months; estimated $250,000 available
Summary: Supports advocacy capacity in Hawai‘i community organizations and groups advancing effective nearshore marine management and strong community co-management.
Key Information: Applicants must provide at least 50% matching resources and commit at least two leaders to a one-year advocacy cohort.
Description
Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) administers this opportunity through its Holomua Marine Initiative Fund to strengthen community capacity to advocate for policies supporting effective nearshore marine management. Awards support participation in a Community Advocacy Cohort, combining gatherings, learning exchanges, and targeted capacity building. The initiative, launched by the Division of Aquatic Resources, brings together local knowledge, traditional practices, and scientific and cultural guidance to restore abundance to Hawai‘i’s nearshore waters.
Training may address identifying advocacy goals, understanding legislative processes, preparing and delivering testimony, navigating advocacy and lobbying rules, and choosing advocacy pathways. Participants also work with partners on site-specific and statewide goals and connect place-based priorities to collective marine management efforts. The broader initiative emphasizes community-led planning, pono practices, monitoring, and ecosystem protection and restoration.
