The opportunity to experience a 10-day cultural, educational, and transformative trip is made possible through individual donations from around the world. Without your support, this once-in-a-lifetime gift would not be possible. Your legacy can be one of investing in Native Hawaiians no matter where they reside.

Our Work

  • Huakaʻi

    A cohort of 10-14 Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) living outside of Hawaiʻi will will have the opportunity to visit Hawaiʻi for a once in a lifetime 10 day trip. This trip aims to ensure a vibrant future for kanaka by strengthening Hawaiian identity, communities, and connections to ʻāina

  • Hūlili

    Providing a bridge for Native Hawaiians around the world to remain connected to Hawaiʻi

  • Haʻilono

    Our cohort members and donors receive monthly newsletters that feature ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) lessons, Hawaiian & local recipes, and current events

  • Kākoʻo

    Supporting local and Kanaka-owned businesses - creating both local and global networking opportunities

  • Hoʻokamaʻāina

    Empowering individuals to become better stewards of Hawaiʻi through education, personnel, and resources

  • Hoʻina

    Assisting Native Hawaiians abroad to reintegrate Hawaiʻi life-ways (language and cultural practices) into their families and communities, and creating pathways for Native Hawaiians to return home

Learn More

"The Pālama Foundation has always represented my ultimate aspiration – to serve individuals like myself, Native Hawaiians living away from Hawaiʻi. Growing up as a Native Hawaiian, my mother, Sissy Kaio, a distinguished Kumu Hula in Southern California, created a haven for our hālau on a California beach. This beach became our sanctuary – a space to practice, to unite, and to find solace, reinforcing our connection to Hawaiʻi, as home was just beyond the ocean's horizon. Named Pālama, signifying a place of enlightenment, it became the inspiration for the Pālama Foundation. This foundation, bearing the essence of that transformative place, aims to reconnect Native Hawaiians with their roots and ancestral homeland, just as the waters of Pālama did for us."

– Pele Kaio, Founder & President