Hawai‘i Community Foundation accepting applications for grants supporting Waimea community

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation is now accepting applications for grants from the Richard Smart Fund, which supports nonprofit organizations working to strengthen the well-being of the Waimea community on Hawai‘i Island.

Named after Richard Palmer Kaleioku Smart, the late owner of Parker Ranch, the fund was established at Hawai‘i Community Foundation when Smart created the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust to support healthcare, education, and charitable giving for the Waimea community.

Grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000, with $500,000 available to support projects during the June 2026 to June 2027 grant period, according to a news release from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

From 2001 to 2024, Hawai‘i Community Foundation distributed over $8.1 million to nonprofit organizations serving Waimea.

The 2026 funding opportunity continues the evolution of the Richard Smart Fund through Waimea Futures, a community-driven initiative launched by the foundation to ensure grantmaking reflects Waimea’s shared values, aspirations, and kuleana for future generations.

Through community conversations and guidance from the Waimea Community Weaving Hui, the fund supports organizations that strengthen caring relationships, engage Waimea’s diverse people, and take a place-based approach rooted in connection to ʻāina.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, fiscally sponsored community groups, church programs with a charitable purpose, and Hawai‘i Department of Education school projects that are based in Waimea (ZIP code 96743). Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their work responds to priorities identified by the community and contributes to a thriving future for Waimea.

The online application deadline is May 1 at 4 p.m. For details, eligibility requirements, key dates, and to apply, visit:
www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/island-by-island/richard-smart-fund.

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation works in communities across the islands, with offices and staff located statewide.

In 2025, the foundation stewarded more than 1,175 funds, established by individuals, businesses, and organizations committed to building a better Hawaiʻi. As a result, the nonprofit has distributed more than $116 million in grants statewide so far this year, including scholarships assisting more than 1,400 Hawaiʻi students.