Hawaiian Islands Land Trust

What Hawaiian Islands Land Trust does

Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) is a Hawaiʻi-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit land conservation organization and nationally accredited land trust operating across the Hawaiian Islands. Its core activity is permanent land protection: HILT holds fee ownership of eight community preserves and holds 55 conservation easements, totaling 22,659 acres across Maui, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. Signature preserves include Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge (277 acres, Maui), Nuʻu Refuge (82 acres, Maui), and Veterans Peace Park (4.5 acres, Wailuku, Maui), each containing cultural and archaeological resources such as ancient Hawaiian villages, inland fishponds, and heiau.

HILT operates three integrated program lines: (1) ʻĀina Stewardship & Restoration, focused on habitat recovery for endangered native species including the aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) and ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot), watershed and coastal-wetland work, and coral-reef-adjacent watershed management via its Fish Pono partnership; (2) ʻĀina-Based Education & Connection, delivering free guided tours and school programming totaling 6,155+ student visits annually; and (3) Volunteer and Camping programs, in which preserve access is gated on prior volunteer participation, generating 5,653 annual volunteer hours and a self-reinforcing engagement funnel.

The business model is multi-stream nonprofit financing: individual and corporate donations, federal and state grants (including a $800,000 NOAA Climate-Ready Coasts grant in 2023 and a $980,000 Hawaii Tourism Authority Kūkulu Ola award in 2025), corporate retreat partnerships, and minimal camping fees. There is no technology product or software platform; organizational capacity is delivered through a 11–50-person staff, a multi-stakeholder advisory board, and a network of community and agency partners.

Name

Hawaiian Islands Land Trust

Legal name

Hawaiʻi Land Trust

Website

https://hilt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawaiʻi Land Trust is a Hawaiʻi-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nationally accredited land trust that protects 22,659 acres across eight community preserves and 55 conservation easements, while running ʻĀina-Based Education, volunteer, and ecosystem-restoration programs serving schools, communities, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Facilities Maintenance & Environmental Services (Waste, Water, Trail Maintenance, Restrooms) (THAAAGAI), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservation easements
• Habitat restoration
• Environmental education
• Nonprofit land stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HILT relies heavily on individual and corporate donations from supporters committed to land conservation in Hawaii.
2. Government Grants: Federal and state grants fund restoration projects and land acquisition. Notable grants include $800K from NOAA Climate-Ready Coasts and $980K from Hawaii Tourism Authority's Kūkulu Ola program.
3. Camping Fees: Campsite reservations at Waihe'e and Nu'u preserves generate modest revenue. Reservations are only available to those who have participated in volunteer events.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate retreats and partnerships at preserves provide revenue while engaging businesses in conservation efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hawaiʻi Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization that permanently protects ecologically and culturally significant Hawaiian lands through fee ownership of community preserves and holding of conservation easements. It supports these lands with habitat restoration, archaeological preservation, environmental education, and volunteer programs open to community members, schools, and corporate partners. Community preserves such as Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge (277 acres), Nuʻu Refuge (82 acres), and Veterans Peace Park (4.5 acres) form the foundation of its program, complemented by camping, education, and retreat offerings.

Product overview

Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) operates as a unified land conservation platform offering multiple interconnected preserves and programs. The core offering consists of three community preserves—Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge (277 acres), Nuʻu Refuge (82 acres), and Veterans Peace Park (4.5 acres)—serving as the foundation for supplementary programs. These preserves are complemented by a camping program enabling volunteer engagement, ʻĀina-based education programs featuring guided tours and school visits, and corporate retreat partnerships. The organization serves approximately 6,155 student visits and 5,653 volunteer hours annually across 22,659 acres preserved through 55 conservation easements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge A 277-acre community preserve on Maui featuring coastal wetlands, dunes, marine shoreline, and near-shore reef systems with two ancient Hawaiian villages, an inland fishpond, several heiau, and pre-contact archaeological sites. Active restoration programs support endangered native Hawaiian bird species including the Aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) and ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot).
• Nuʻu Refuge An 82-acre pristine wetland refuge on Maui's rugged and remote southeast coast providing habitat for the Aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) and ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot), with pre-contact archaeological sites used by local fishermen.
• Veterans Peace Park A 4.5-acre urban peace park in Wailuku, Maui honoring veterans, conveying coastal land with historical and cultural values, water resource values as a natural filter strip for runoff, and wildlife habitat.
• ʻĀina-Based Education Programs Environmental education programs including free "Talk Story on the Land" guided tours, school visits, and youth programs connecting communities to Hawaiian lands and conservation values, supporting 6,155+ student visits per year.
• Preserve Camping Program Camping opportunities at Waiheʻe and Nuʻu preserves available to volunteers who have participated in HILT volunteer events at the preserve within the past year, structured as a volunteer-camp-volunteer-camp sequence.
• Volunteer Program Community volunteer opportunities at HILT preserves focused on habitat restoration, trail maintenance, and conservation activities, generating 5,653 volunteer hours annually and serving as the gateway for preserve camping eligibility.
• Corporate Partnership Retreats Structured corporate engagement program offering team-building retreats, corporate volunteer days, and partnership experiences at HILT preserves for organizations pursuing CSR and sustainability goals.
• Conservation Easement Program Holding of 55 conservation easements across the Hawaiian Islands, permanently protecting 22,659 acres from development in partnership with landowners and supported by federal, state, and foundation funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,659 acres permanently protected through 8 community preserves and 55 conservation easements
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fish Pono — Save our ReefscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHILT partners with Fish Pono to support their goal of replenishing herbivore populations to foster healthy coral reefs. The partnership contributes to HILT's broader ecosystem restoration efforts at Waihe'e and Nu'u preserves.
• Nisei Veterans Memorial CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner at Veterans Peace Park location, a living memorial honoring Nisei veterans of World War II.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Nature Conservancy – Hawaiʻi Program: The Nature Conservancy operates one of the largest Hawaiʻi-focused conservation portfolios, acquiring and stewarding native forests, watersheds, and coastal lands. It directly overlaps HILT in fee-owned preserves, easements, and reef/watershed restoration, competing for the same federal, state, and private conservation funding.
• Trust for Public Land: National land conservation nonprofit that acquires and protects land for public use, including parks, trails, and community preserves. Closely comparable to HILT in its mission, easements, and public-access preserves, and competes for the same donor and government capital.
• Maui Coastal Land Trust: Predecessor/peer Maui-based coastal conservation organization whose co-founders sit on HILT's advisory committee. Operates on overlapping Maui coastal conservation priorities and donor relationships, making it a direct regional peer.
• National Park Trust: National nonprofit that acquires and protects land for inclusion in national parks and protected areas. Directly comparable to HILT in its land-acquisition, conservation-easement, and public-access models.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that works with public and private partners to conserve land and water resources through acquisition and easements. Operates in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere with a similar mix of fee purchase, easements, and partnership-based conservation.

Emerging players

• Pacific Rim Conservation: Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit focused on native species recovery, habitat restoration, and seabird protection. Overlaps HILT on habitat management for endangered species and competes for similar state and federal grants.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Large, established waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization with national scope. Overlaps HILT on wetland conservation, restoration, and government grants, but at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on preserving historic sites and cultural heritage. Comparable to HILT's stewardship of archaeological sites, ancient Hawaiian villages, and heiau, though operating at a much larger national scale.

Regional players

• East Maui Watershed Partnership: Regional Maui-based partnership managing forested watershed conservation on Maui's windward slopes. Adjacent to HILT's coastal Maui preserves in geography and overlapping donor and state-funding pools.

Others

• Land Trust Alliance: National membership association that supports accredited land trusts, including HILT, with policy, training, and accreditation services. Functions as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct conservation operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HILandTrust
• Xx.com/HILandTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaiian-islands-land-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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 Hawaiian Islands Land Trust