In This Section

HŌʻIHI 2025 Grant Application Information

The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations’ (ONHR) 2025 Heritage (Tourism) Opportunities in Hawaii (HŌʻIHI) Grant Program provides NATIVE Act Grants under CFDA 15.068 and the provisions of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act (NATIVE Act), 25 U.S.C. 4351 et seq. The purpose of the NATIVE Act is to establish a more inclusive national travel and tourism strategy that delivers significant benefits for Native Hawaiian organizations (NHO) as distinctly defined in the NATIVE Act, including job creation, elevated living standards, and expanded economic opportunities.

Kōʻieʻie Fishpond

Kō‘ie‘ie Fishpond's south wall has been recently restored by a new crew supported through the Hō‘ihi Grant Program. PC: ʻAoʻao o Nā Loko Iʻa o Maui

Fiscal Year 2025 Priorities
The HŌʻIHI Grant Program seeks to increase economic development within the Native Hawaiian Community by expanding opportunities for entrepreneurship among members, increasing innovation potential on the usage and incorporation of traditional knowledge, and ultimately increasing growth of new businesses within the Native Hawaiian Community.  For fiscal year 2025, ONHR will fulfill the core principles of the HŌʻIHI Program by providing grant funding to successful NHO applicants who meet the criteria for one or more of the following priorities: 

  • Uplift, perpetuate, and in some cases revive, traditional Native Hawaiian practices (e.g., olelo Hawaii, kapa making, lauhala and kaula weaving, hula, amongst many others including lesser known practices) by creating opportunities for demonstrations, visitor education on history, usage, and protocols, or hands-on visitor participation experiences in the cultural practice;
  • Support the maintenance, enhancement, and protection of Hawaii’s natural resources, wahi kupuna, and wahi pana at areas impacted by tourism;
  • Enhance the entrepreneurial capacity for the Native Hawaiian Community by helping create business opportunities in the visitor industry, offering business development training, or stimulating economic activity; AND/OR
  • Undertake related activities with visitors that convey respect and reaffirm the principle of reciprocation to the place, resources, and traditional knowledge holders and practitioners.

 

Grant Award Amounts

Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $200,000 and can be utilized for up to 3 years from the date of award.

Who Can Apply?

-  Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

-  Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

-  Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

-  Additionally, applicants must meet the definition of and criteria for a “Native Hawaiian Organization” as defined in the NATIVE Act, 130 STAT. 847, Section 3(3), codified at 25 U.S.C. §4352(3). Criteria include:

  1. A nonprofit organization;
  2. that serves the interests of Native Hawaiians;
  3. in which Native Hawaiians serve in substantive and policymaking positions; and
  4. that is recognized for having expertise in Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including tourism.
2025 Video Conference FAQs

Q1.  How is the grant funded? 

This opportunity is contingent upon the receipt of funds appropriated by Congress.  The federal fiscal year runs from October 1st through September 30th and appropriations are made annually. 

 

Q2: What organizations are eligible for this grant opportunity? 

For this specific opportunity, the HŌʻIHI program implements the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, for which eligibility is for Native Hawaiian organizations specifically defined in the NATIVE Act as: 
1.    A nonprofit organization;  
2.    that serves the interests of Native Hawaiians;  
3.    in which Native Hawaiians serve in substantive and policymaking positions; and 
4.    that is recognized for having expertise in Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including tourism. 

 

Q3. In the NHO definition, the NHO must be “recognized for having expertise in Native Hawaiian culture and heritage, including tourism.” Who or what does the NHO need to be “recognized” by? 

There is no formal organization for recognition, rather the organization should be able to demonstrate that it is a community service organization serving the Native Hawaiian Community and conducts tourism or visitor engagement programming utilizing the expertise of members of the Native Hawaiian Community with the knowledge to provide those activities. 

 

Q4.  Does an organization need to be a registered Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) to be eligible for HŌʻIHI? 

No, you do not need to be a registered NHO, and registration as an NHO does not automatically make an NHO eligible. Must meet the NHO definition in the NATIVE Act as spelled out in the NOFO. 

 

Q5.  Does this grant opportunity require fund matching or partner, practitioner and/or organization commitments upon submission of the application? 

There is no fund matching requirement for this opportunity. 

 

Q6. Does this grant opportunity require partner, practitioner and/or organization commitments upon submission of the application? 

There is no requirement for partnership for this opportunity, however, should additional expertise be required, applicants should include partner commitments in the work plan and should provide letters of support or other appropriate documentation of the partnerships.  These documents should include information regarding the organization/practitioner/partner’s time and effort and direct contribution to the project. 

 

Q7.  When can projects begin? 

Anticipated Award Date is October 1, 2025. Project activities should not be before the date of the grant award agreement. 

 

Q8. Is an NHO which previously received a HŌʻIHI grant eligible to apply again? If the NHO is eligible to apply again, does it receive a preference in scoring? 

Past awardees may be eligible so long as they continue to meet program requirements and do not receive a preference in scoring.  Please refer to the evaluation criteria in the NOFO for more detailed description of the scoring of proposals. 

 

Q9. Is a proposed project in a setting outside of Hawaiʻi eligible for HŌʻIHI funding? 

At this time, projects funded through HŌʻIHI must take place in Hawaiʻi.  Please review grants.gov for other NATIVE Act funding opportunities that may allow for projects outside of Hawaiʻi. 

Two optional video conferences were held for interested applicants to receive an overview of the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program Grant and 2025 priorities: 

Session 1: Monday, April 21, 2025, at 12:00 pm HST; PAST EVENT https://doitalent.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_khm4elGQReapJSnzBvTnTw 

Session 2: Monday, May 5, 2025, at 12:00 pm HST; PAST EVENT  https://doitalent.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN__KayNgDaQXO-XyVQKSzVIQ 

HŌʻIHI Pre-Proposal Presentation 5-5-2025 (slidedeck)

HŌʻIHI Pre-Proposal Webinar 5-5-2025 (transcript)

Regrettably, we are unable to post the video/audio recording online. The transcript notes the corresponding slide from the slidedeck. Please contact us through hawaiian@ios.doi.gov if you have any questions.

Back to HŌʻIHI Program

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment