Top Charities in Hawaii (2026)

Hawaiʻi Foodbank is the Feeding America member food bank serving Oʻahu and Kauaʻi through a network of 200 food programs — food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, shelters, senior programs, and churches. After the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, Hawaiʻi Foodbank coordinated and shipped 75 containers of food and supplies from Oʻahu to Maui in the immediate aftermath, while also raising over $3 million to support Maui Food Bank's longer-term recovery. That cross-island coordination reflects a uniquely Hawaii challenge: getting food from the main distribution hub on Oʻahu to Neighbor Island communities requires shipping logistics that don't exist on the mainland.

Their November 2025 State of Food Insecurity in Hawaiʻi report found that Oʻahu has 28% food insecurity — the rate looks lower than other islands, but 247,000 food-insecure individuals on Oʻahu is more than all other Hawaii counties combined. In households with children statewide, 34% have at least one food-insecure keiki. Programs include SNAP enrollment assistance, Senior Food Box, SUN Meals (summer food for keiki), BackPack programs, and emergency food distribution. After Kona low flooding events, the Foodbank activates emergency food resources. Volunteers sort and distribute food at their Oʻahu facility.

Maui Food Bank covers Maui County — the islands of Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi — through 124 partner agencies. The August 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfire fundamentally changed what the Maui Food Bank does and at what scale. More than 12,000 people were displaced, thousands of structures destroyed, and the long-term income disruption from tourism decline has extended the recovery in ways that were hard to predict. By late 2025, Maui County's food insecurity rate had risen to 41% — the highest in the state.

CEO Lisa Paulson has described the continuing reality: families still displaced or rebuilding, new clientele arriving who had never needed food assistance before, and phone lines ringing constantly. Of those the Maui Food Bank serves: 65% have incomes below the federal poverty line, 37% are working households, and 1 in 4 Maui County children is at risk of hunger — a 62% increase over the last decade even before the wildfire. Their Aloha BackPack Buddies program provides weekend food for food-insecure students. Visitors to Maui who want to give back should donate to Maui Food Bank rather than less-known organizations.

Aloha Harvest rescues surplus food from restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, caterers, and events and redistributes it to social service agencies across Oʻahu. Hawaii wastes approximately 237,000 tons of food annually — a remarkable number in a state that imports 88% of its food and has nearly 1 in 2 families facing food insecurity by some measures. When that wasted food is from hotels and restaurants catering to tourists, the gap between abundance and access is especially visible.

Aloha Harvest works with the hospitality industry that dominates Hawaii's economy — the same hotels and restaurants serving visitors also produce significant food surplus that would otherwise go to landfills. $1 donated to Aloha Harvest provides $6 in food for social service agencies. Volunteers drive food rescue routes across Oʻahu, picking up from donor businesses and delivering to partner agencies. This volunteer opportunity is distinctive — drivers see both sides of the food system, picking up from high-end hotel kitchens and delivering to shelters and food pantries.

Habitat for Humanity Hawaii builds affordable homes on Oʻahu and supports Neighbor Island affiliates in a state where homeownership is among the most unattainable in the country. Hawaii's median home price on Oʻahu routinely exceeds $800,000, and even rural Neighbor Island communities have seen housing costs rise sharply. Habitat's sweat equity model and below-market mortgages provide one of the only pathways to homeownership for working families earning modest incomes in the tourism and service economy.

After the Lahaina wildfire, Habitat affiliates were among the organizations involved in housing reconstruction planning for the West Maui communities affected. Rebuilding after a wildfire in an island environment with limited contractor capacity, constrained materials supply chains, and complicated land ownership questions has been far slower and more complex than mainland fire recovery. Habitat ReStore locations accept building materials and goods. Build days are open to first-timers. Groups — corporate, church, visitor — regularly participate.

The Hawaiian Humane Society is the primary animal welfare organization for Oʻahu, handling animal control services for much of the island alongside private shelter operations, adoption, spay/neuter, and community programs. Hawaii's geographic isolation means many animals that enter the shelter system there cannot be easily transferred to mainland rescue networks — the same shipping constraints that affect food supply also affect inter-island and interstate animal transport. The Hawaiian Humane Society runs a pet food bank for pet owners facing food insecurity — an often-overlooked resource that helps families keep their animals rather than surrendering them when budgets tighten.

Hawaii's feral cat population is a significant wildlife and public health concern — the Humane Society runs TNR (trap-neuter-return) programs alongside community cat management. Volunteer roles include animal care, dog walking, cat socialization, foster care, and adoption events at their Moanalua Road facility. The pet food bank is accessible by contacting [email protected] or calling (808) 356-2225.

Hawaii Community Foundation is the state's primary community foundation and the most significant grantmaking organization outside the hospital sector. They manage endowment funds, donor-advised funds, and scholarships for Hawaii nonprofits statewide. After the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, HCF administered the Maui Strong Fund — one of the primary long-term recovery giving vehicles that has raised tens of millions for West Maui rebuilding. For donors wanting to contribute to ongoing Lahaina recovery, the Maui Strong Fund at HCF is the most established and vetted channel for long-term rebuilding support.

Hawaii Community Foundation also manages the Native Hawaiian Fund, supporting organizations working on Native Hawaiian cultural preservation, language, land, and community development. Their scholarship programs support Hawaii students attending college. HCF's website lists vetted Hawaii nonprofits across all cause areas — a useful starting point for visitors and newcomers who want to give to Hawaii organizations without knowing where to begin.

Aloha United Way distributes grants to nonprofits across Hawaii and manages workplace giving campaigns for major Hawaii employers — Hawaiian Airlines, Bank of Hawaii, First Hawaiian Bank, Kamehameha Schools, and others. They operate 2-1-1 Hawaii, connecting residents to food, housing, utility, and emergency services statewide. Their ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report provides the most comprehensive analysis of Hawaii's working poor — households earning above the official poverty line but unable to afford the state's extremely high cost of living. The 2024 ALICE report found 48% of Hawaii households can't afford basic necessities.

Hawaii's ALICE percentage is among the highest in the nation — a reflection of wages that track the mainland while costs of housing, food, and utilities track the reality of extreme geographic isolation. Aloha United Way's grantmaking supports organizations working on financial stability, education, and health across the state. Their annual campaign engages Hawaii's corporate community in collective giving.

The Red Cross Hawaii Region responds to disasters across all eight major Hawaiian Islands — home fires, flooding from Kona low weather systems, tsunamis, volcanic activity, and wildfire. After the August 2023 Lahaina wildfire, Red Cross operated emergency shelters and provided immediate assistance to the 12,000+ displaced residents. Hawaii's island geography creates distinct disaster response challenges: getting aid to Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, or remote parts of the Big Island requires coordination that differs substantially from mainland disaster response. Blood collection runs at donor centers on Oʻahu and the major Neighbor Islands.

Blood donation is particularly important in Hawaii — the state's geographic isolation makes maintaining local blood supply critical, as mainland transfers aren't rapid options in emergencies. Blood donation appointments are available within days on Oʻahu and regularly scheduled on Neighbor Islands. If you were displaced by a fire, flood, or other disaster in Hawaii and need immediate help, call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Catholic Charities Hawaii covers the state through the Diocese of Honolulu with programs including refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, foster care and adoption, family counseling, and emergency food assistance. Hawaii resettles refugees from various countries and has a significant Pacific Islander and Filipino immigrant community — Catholic Charities provides legal and social support for those communities. Foster care and adoption services are particularly active in Hawaii, where the state's child welfare system faces ongoing challenges.

The organization also runs emergency assistance for Hawaii families facing food and housing crises — particularly important on Neighbor Islands where other nonprofits have limited reach. Maui recovery support has been part of Catholic Charities Hawaii's work since August 2023. Services are available to people of all faiths. Volunteers assist with food pantry operations, resettlement support, and administrative roles.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii matches children facing adversity with adult volunteer mentors across the islands. Hawaii's high cost of living puts significant stress on working families — the ALICE data shows 48% of Hawaii households can't afford basic necessities — and children in those households benefit from consistent adult relationships that provide stability and expanded perspective. Hawaii's military population contributes a significant volunteer base, as does the state's large service industry workforce.

Community-based mentoring requires meeting 2–4 times per month for at least a year. School-based mentoring runs weekly during school hours. Hawaii's outdoor environment — beaches, hiking, ocean activities — creates natural mentoring opportunities beyond traditional structured activities. Demand for mentors in Hawaii consistently exceeds available volunteers. BBBS Hawaii participates in Hawaii Community Foundation giving platforms.