Holomua Marine Initiative Pāpio Grants 2026
Holomua Marine Initiative Pāpio Grants 2026 support community-driven organizations with research, stewardship, and engagement projects to advance effective co-management of Hawai‘i’s nearshore marine resources.
Funder: Hawai'i Community Foundation
Due Dates: March 20, 2026 (Q1) | May 15, 2026 (Q2) | August 28, 2026 (Q3) | November 6, 2026 (Q4); all at 4:00 p.m. HST
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000 per project for up to 12 months; $50,000 available each quarter
Summary: Short-term support for projects advancing effective management of Hawai‘i’s nearshore marine resources through community engagement, stewardship, and co-management.
Key Information: Research projects must be community-invited applied research relevant to effective community co-management of nearshore marine areas.
Description
Hawai'i Community Foundation (HCF) administers Pāpio Grants through the pooled Holomua Marine Initiative Fund. The grants provide short-term essential support for high-impact programs and projects producing specific strategic outputs and outcomes toward effectively managed nearshore marine areas and resources in Hawai‘i. The initiative, launched by the Division of Aquatic Resources, combines local knowledge, traditional management practices, and scientific and cultural guidance to restore abundance for current and future generations.
Funding focuses on community and organizational capacity, coordination, data and monitoring, engagement, and governance. Supported work can include ecosystem protection and restoration, community-invited applied research, biological and socioeconomic monitoring, education, management planning, and community-led surveillance and enforcement. The opportunity also seeks to reach communities not yet engaged with the initiative and emerging or established community-driven organizations with limited capacity to absorb funding.
