Maui Economic Opportunity

Name

Maui Economic Opportunity

Legal name

Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.

Website

https://meoinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Services Nonprofit

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Community action agency
• Early childhood education
• Paratransit transportation services
• Housing assistance programs
• Small business microloans

Headquarters

HQ city

Wailuku

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: Primary revenue source from government funding. County of Maui provided $17.9 million and federal government provided $16.2 million in FY24-25. Operates $37 million budget for the fiscal year.
2. Foundation Grants: Receives grants from foundations including $450,000 from Stupski Foundation for early childhood programs and $20,000 from SAX Founders' Award.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Annual Gala fundraiser raising approximately $155,000, accepting direct donations, and receiving in-kind contributions from sponsors and community benefactors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. is a private non-profit Community Action Agency that delivers free, income-qualified social services to Maui County residents through five departments: Transportation, Early Childhood Services, Community Services, Business Development Center, and Youth Services. It runs more than 30 programs, including Head Start preschool, ADA paratransit and human services transportation, housing and utility assistance, disaster recovery, financial literacy, and microloans, funded primarily by government grants and contracts.

Product overview

Maui Economic Opportunity operates as a Community Action Agency providing social services through a multi-department structure. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Early Childhood Services (Head Start preschool and Kahi Kamali'i Infant/Toddler Center), Transportation Services (ADA Paratransit and Human Services transportation), Youth Services (prevention programs), Community Services (housing, utility, employment assistance, reentry support, Hispanic/Latino services), and Business Development (small business support, financial literacy, microloans, agricultural grants). The organization also administers disaster relief programs including the Maui Relief Program for wildfire survivors and the Hawai'i Relief TANF Program for housing and utility support. Additional programs include Senior Farmers Market Nutrition, weatherization, and food stimulus programs across Maui County islands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Business Development Center: Assists small business entrepreneurs with developing a business plan, start-up and expansion education, credit assessment, and microloans.
• Community Services
• Early Childhood Services
• Transportation Services
• Youth Services
• MEO Head Start
• Kahi Kamali'i Infant / Toddler Center
• B.E.S.T. Reintegration
• Enlace Hispano
• Maui Relief Program (MRP)
• Hawai'i Relief Program
• Hawai'i Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP)
• Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
• Maui County Rental Assistance Program (RAP)
• Agricultural Micro Grant Program
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
• Lāna'i-Grown Food Stimulus Program
• MEO Rural Shuttle Service

Products and services

• Head Start Preschool Program Federally funded comprehensive early childhood education program providing preschool services to children 12 months to five years of age from eligible low-income families on Maui and Moloka'i, at no cost.
• Kahi Kamali'i Infant/Toddler Center Early childhood center providing infant and toddler care at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku, supporting children prenatal to age 5 and their parents/caregivers.
• Business Development Center Assists small business entrepreneurs with developing a business plan, start-up and expansion education, credit assessment, and microloans, and offers financial literacy workshops and county agricultural micro grants.
• Community Services Department Provides employment training and job placement, acculturation and advocacy for the Hispanic/Latino community, rental and weatherization assistance, energy assistance, senior club coordination, and reintegration services for returning citizens.
• Transportation Services Provides rides to medical appointments, work, school, and adult day care through the ADA Paratransit Program, Human Services transportation, and Rural Shuttle Service on Moloka'i, with standard and wheelchair-lift-equipped vehicles across Maui County.
• Youth Services Provides youth assistance to succeed in school and life through after-school and in-school programs, including prevention of underage drinking, substance abuse, tobacco use, teenage pregnancy, bullying, suicide, and an Out of School Enrichment Program.
• Maui Relief Program (MRP) Disaster relief program for August 2023 wildfire survivors providing housing, vehicle, utility, appliance, clothing, and school supply assistance, funded by federal TANF and state sources.
• Hawai'i Relief Program (TANF) State-funded program providing up to four months of TANF support for housing and utility payments for eligible families in financial crisis in Maui County.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) USDA-funded program offering $50 in coupons to income-qualifying kupuna (seniors 60+) for fresh produce at local farmers markets.
• B.E.S.T. Reintegration Program Pre-employment training program (Being Empowered and Strong Together) for recently incarcerated individuals, including financial support for credentialing and certifications in trade jobs.
• Enlace Hispano Provides acculturation and advocacy services for the Hispanic/Latino community, including tax preparation workshops and English conversation classes.
• Housing Assistance Rental assistance program helping low-income individuals and families with rental deposit, utility deposit, and rental subsidy on a declining scale.
• Hawai'i Home Energy Assistance Program (H-HEAP) One-time heating and cooling payments for Maui County residents on the verge of having or who have had their utility service terminated.
• Lāna'i-Grown Food Stimulus Program Food voucher program for Lāna'i residents experiencing food insecurity to purchase locally grown fresh produce and other food items from the Lāna'i Farmers Market.
• Agricultural Micro Grant Program County-administered program offering up to $25,000 in micro grants to Maui County small farmers and ranchers.
• Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Program helping low-income Maui County households improve home energy efficiency through weatherization improvements.
• ADA Paratransit Program ADA-compliant paratransit transportation service providing rides to medical appointments, work, and other destinations for persons with disabilities using wheelchair-lift-equipped vehicles.
• Human Services Transportation Free transportation service for income-qualified residents to medical appointments, work, shopping, and other essential needs across Maui County.
• MEO Rural Shuttle Service (Moloka'i) Free transportation service operating on Moloka'i with routes serving East, West, and Central areas of the island.

Quantifiable outcome

• Touched the lives of 54,780 Maui County residents in 2024-25 fiscal year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026MACC stepped in as alternate venue for MEO's 7th Annual Gala when the original venue (King Kamehameha Golf Club) was damaged by flooding. MACC President/CEO Art Vento helped solicit donations and vacation package bids.
• Ho'ōla iā Mauiakama: Disaster Long-Term Recovery GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2025Partnership for the Maui Disaster Stabilization Grant ($5 million from HCF's Maui Strong Fund) where Ho'ōla iā Mauiakama handles case management and MEO handles payments to wildfire survivors.
• Hawai'i Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2023State agency partnership for administering TANF programs including the Hawai'i Relief Program (housing and utility payments) and Maui Relief Program for wildfire survivors. MEO processes applications and distributes benefits under state administrative rules and funding.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kauai Economic Opportunity (KEO): Sister Community Action Agency serving Kaua'i County under the same federal CAA framework as MEO. Operates Head Start, transportation, and emergency assistance programs — directly comparable in mission, funding structure, and service breadth.
• Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council (HCEOC): Sister CAA serving Hawaii Island with comparable anti-poverty programming including Head Start, senior services, and transportation. Closest functional peer to MEO under Hawaii's four-CAA statewide network.
• Honolulu Community Action Program (HCAP): The largest of Hawaii's four Community Action Agencies, serving O'ahu with Head Start, housing, energy assistance, and workforce programs. Same CAA designation and federal funding stream, larger scale.
• Catholic Charities Hawaii: Administers the Hawaii Relief Program TANF on Kaua'i, O'ahu, and Hawaii Island — the program MEO runs on Maui. Closest direct functional peer for benefits administration and immigrant/refugee services.

Broad incumbents

• Aloha United Way: Statewide umbrella fundraising and grantmaking organization funding many of the same human services as MEO. Comparable revenue scale but operates via grants to partners rather than direct service delivery.
• Hawaii Foodbank: Statewide food security nonprofit with comparable reliance on government and donor funding. Overlap with MEO's Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Maui Relief food assistance.

Others

• National Association for Community Action Partnerships (NASCSP): Umbrella membership body for the 1,000+ U.S. Community Action Agencies including MEO. Relevant as the network/standards body governing the CAA designation that underpins MEO's funding base.

Emerging players

• Family Promise: National nonprofit focused on family housing stability and homelessness prevention — overlapping with MEO's Maui County Rental Assistance Program and post-wildfire housing mission. Comparable direct-service nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MEOINC
• Xx.com/meoinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maui-economic-opportunity-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maui Economic Opportunity