The Hoʻi Loa Foundation is a Native Hawaiian Organization dedicated to cultural preservation, Hawaiian language education, and community reentry support. Founded and led by Indigenous Hawaiians, the Foundation serves the Hawaiian community through programs that strengthen cultural identity and expand opportunity.
The Hoʻi Loa Foundation was established to revitalize ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, preserve cultural knowledge and practices, and strengthen the educational and economic capacity of the Native Hawaiian community. Every program we run is grounded in the Hawaiian language, traditional protocols, and the guidance of recognized kūpuna. The Foundation is funded entirely by private contributions from the community it serves.
Community Liaison, The Hoʻi Loa Foundation
Kalani Perry is the Foundation's connection to the ʻāina, to the kūpuna, and to the educators and practitioners sustaining ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi across the islands. He lives and works in Hilo, where he represents the Foundation on the ground.
He volunteers with the reentry program supporting Native Hawaiian men returning from incarceration. He is present at the loko iʻa restoration in Keaukaha. He built the relationships with the Kula Kaiapuni schools and the Pūnana Leo preschool system that make the Foundation's education work possible.
The Foundation provides the resources. Kalani Perry makes them manifest. He lives pono, and the Foundation's presence in the community exists because he does.
Kalani is the face of the Foundation. Without him, these programs are words on a page. With him, they are real.
The Hoʻi Loa FoundationThe Foundation is active today, running programs on the ground in Hilo and on Oʻahu, funded entirely by our founders' personal contributions.
We volunteer in the rebuilding of loko iʻa (traditional fishponds) in Keaukaha, Hilo. Spoken ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian protocol, and ʻike kuʻuna are integral to every session. We contribute 4 to 5 hours on the second Saturday of every month. We are expanding to provide stipends for cultural practitioners and community coordinators, invest in restoration materials and tools, and partner with restoration efforts across the islands.
Active since September 2025We provide volunteer support to Native Hawaiian men transitioning from incarceration. We assist with employment, housing, and societal reacclimation. Correspondence is conducted in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi when possible, and cultural protocols including Makahiki are practiced throughout. We are expanding to cover transportation costs, document fees, and employment preparation materials, and to grow the program beyond its current volunteer basis.
Active since July 2025We purchase and donate Hawaiian language books and curriculum materials to Kula Kaiapuni immersion programs. We have donated to Nānākuli Elementary on Oʻahu and have a volunteer partnership with Pūnana Leo, the Hawaiian immersion preschool system operating across the islands, beginning Fall 2026. We are expanding donations to additional Kula Kaiapuni schools and supporting the development of new Hawaiian language curriculum resources.
Ongoing donations + partnershipOur long-term goal is to establish a community center on Oʻahu providing programming in Hawaiian language, cultural education, youth development, and workforce preparation for the Native Hawaiian community.
On the horizonOur Board of Directors brings decades of military service, legal expertise, and law enforcement leadership to the governance of the Foundation.
20+ years of federal contracting and program management experience across the DoD and intelligence community. U.S. Army Special Forces veteran.
Supervisory commander of a Sheriff's K9 Unit. Designed and delivered a nationwide canine handler training program for law enforcement agencies.
30-year U.S. Coast Guard career retiring as Captain. 2025 President of the Hawaii State Bar Association. Co-chair of a Hawaii Supreme Court task force.
These individuals stepped in when it mattered most. Their contributions built the foundation under the Foundation, and their names are permanently enshrined here.
In Memoriam
The Hoʻi Loa Foundation funds cultural preservation, reentry support, and Hawaiian language education for Native Hawaiians across the islands.
The Hoʻi Loa Foundation is a State of Hawaiʻi nonprofit, formed and led by Kānaka Maoli, that accepts no funding from the federal government.
The Foundation does not accept federal grants or federal funding of any kind.
To make a contribution, open your banking app and send via Zelle® to:
give@hoiloa.org
Contributions are not tax-deductible. The Foundation is not federally tax-exempt.
For questions or other arrangements, contact kalani@hoiloa.org
The name Hoʻi Loa means to return permanently. Support the permanent return of language, culture, and identity to the Native Hawaiian people.
Zelle® to give@hoiloa.org
Contributions are not tax-deductible.
The Hoʻi Loa Foundation is a Hawaii nonprofit corporation registered with the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, Tax and Charities Division. The Foundation is not federally tax-exempt. Contributions are not tax-deductible at the federal or state level. All contributions are received as unrestricted donations to the Foundation. The Foundation's Board of Directors determines how all funds are allocated. The Foundation does not accept federal grants or federal funding of any kind.