I maika‘i ke kalo i ka ‘oha

The goodness of the taro is judged by the young plants it produces

‘Ōlelo No’eau - 1232

Puuhonuao Honaunau National Historical Park

Our Mission

Nā ‘Ōiwi Kāne was founded in 2001 with the goal of empowering our Native Hawaiian community to achieve lasting success through a recommitment to Native Hawaiian values and culture. To realize our goal, we established an endowment through our controlling interest in several for-profit companies. These funds have been used to provide grants for programs and projects focusing on transferring the skills, values, and practices of the traditional Hawaiian way of life to the most vulnerable members of our community. Our mission is to continue to grow the reach of our programs to strengthen our Native Hawaiian community, so we can rise together.

What We Do

Getting Established

Nā ‘Ōiwi Kāne (NOK) established as first Native Hawaiian Organization in the SBA(a) program. Created with a mission to help native Hawaiian youth.

Setting Goals

Preliminary research to identify groups most in need of assistance. NOK determines the focus of their efforts should be on fatherless households.

Finding a Partner

Initial support for Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) by funding existing program focused on assisting single-parent Hawaiian families

Developing a Plan

PIDF fact finding study funded by NOK aimed at designing a program to address the mission of NOK.

Pilot Program

Initial funding to establish an after school mentoring program similar to the Big Brothers program, with mature, culturally sensitive, Native Hawaiian males paired with identified Native Hawaiian boys and girls who live in fatherless households near Laupāhoehoe, Hawai‘i.

Expanding the Reach

After two successful years of resuls in Laupāhoehoe, Hawai'i we were prepared to provide additional funding to expand the program to Wai‘anae, O‘ahu.

Evolving to Meet Needs

Four years of successfully mentoring youths brought many additional issues to our attention. We worked with PIDF to create a second mentoring program in Wai‘anae, O‘ahu with a focus on houseless family education.

Focusing on the 'Ohana

We expanded our funding to provide support for the Ke Kama Pono Safehouse which provides families with a place to live while offering several mentorship opportunities to cultivate a life-long joy of learning and increase self-esteem.

Increased partnership with PIDF to support Tūtū & Me traveling preschool to serve low-income families throughout Hawai‘i

Getting to Our Roots

Partner with Friends of the Future to fund after school based farming and animal raising using indigenous microorganisms and techniques.

Continuing to Grow

Extend funding to PIDF’s Nā Pono No Nā ‘Ohana, a family education program based in Waimānalo, Oahu.

Partner with Consortiam for Hawai‘i Ecological Engineering Education to fund Mahope o ke kula a‘o mau ana after-school program at Richardson Ocean Center in Hilo, Hawaii

Reaching New Heights

Partner with Nā Aikane O Pu‘ukohalā Heiau to create a pilot program to re-establish the indigenous art form of Hawaiian featherwork, focusing on ‘ahu ‘ula.

Funding of Saint Louis School’s Hui o Nā ʻŌpio hula halau who perpetuate Hawaiian culture through oli and hula

Support for the new PIDF program Piha me ka Pono, which cultivates partnerships to bring needed academic, health, and social support services for the students and their families at Kohala Schools on Hawai‘i island

Funding for Pearl City High School Chapter of Future Farmers of America to attend Hawaii State FFA Convention

Building a Better System

We have added a new program to our funding for 2020, Kinai ʻEha. This program aims to divert the "pathway to prison," which affects many Hawaiian youths who struggle in the traditional Western school system.