What PA'I Foundation does

PA'I Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 in Honolulu, Hawaii by kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine. The foundation preserves and perpetuates Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions for future generations, anchored by the hālau hula (school of Hawaiian dance) Pua Ali'i 'Ilima, which Takamine established in 1977. Its mission is delivered through six branded programs: Hālau Pua Ali'i 'Ilima (hula training for keiki, teens, and adults), Project Hana No'eau (an 11-month professional development program for Native Hawaiian artists), Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike (grant awards up to $2,500 for cultural practitioners), the Intercultural Leadership Institute (a year-long fellowship for culturally diverse artists), Nānā I Ke Kumu (artist residencies and cultural workshops), and MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement (annual fashion show, gallery exhibition, and marketplace). Ticketed events include the annual ʻIlau Ka Hula festival, hula workshops, music concerts, and painting workshops.

The foundation's physical infrastructure centers on the PA'I Arts & Cultural Center (PACC), a 5,000 sq. ft. facility on the ground floor of the Ola Ka 'Ilima Artspace Lofts in downtown Honolulu that opened in December 2023. The center includes a 3,000 sq. ft. performing arts and dance studio, a 1,000 sq. ft. art café and retail gift shop, and a 1,000 sq. ft. mezzanine with offices and meeting space. The technology stack is minimal: a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront for ticket and donation sales, a standard website, and active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). There are no proprietary technology systems or AI/ML capabilities.

The foundation's revenue model is a nonprofit mix of (1) ticket sales and event revenue from cultural programming, (2) tax-deductible donations across three tiers (Kahua up to $99, Kūkulu $100-$499, Pilina $500+), and (3) grant funding, with Kamehameha Schools as the named core funder of the Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike program under the ʻŌiwi Leadership Fund. The organization is governed by an 8-member Board of Directors and operates with a small staff team (1-10 employees). Customer segments are primarily Native Hawaiian artists and cultural practitioners, Hawaiian culture enthusiasts and patrons, and (through the ILI partnership) culturally diverse artists and culture bearers nationally.

Name

PA'I Foundation

Legal name

PAʻI Foundation

Website

https://paifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PA'I Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 in Honolulu that preserves Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions through hula training, artist grants, residencies, and cultural events, serving Native Hawaiian artists, culture enthusiasts, and national intercultural fellows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Preservation Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Hawaiian cultural education
• Hula instruction programs
• Cultural preservation grants
• Artist professional development
• Nonprofit arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales & Event Revenue: Revenue generated from sales of tickets to cultural events including ʻIlau Ka Hula, hula workshops, concerts, and other cultural programming. The foundation sells tickets through its Shopify-powered online store.
2. Donations & Charitable Contributions: The foundation accepts tax-deductible donations at various levels (Kahua $1-99, Kūkulu $100-499, Pilina $500+) to support programs preserving Native Hawaiian arts and culture.
3. Grant Funding: Program funding from partners including Kamehameha Schools for the Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke grant program providing awards to Native Hawaiian artists and cultural practitioners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PA'I Foundation preserves and perpetuates Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions through a portfolio of paid and grant-funded programs, including a traditional hula school (Hālau Pua Ali'i 'Ilima), an 11-month artist professional development program (Project Hana No'eau), cultural practice grants up to $2,500 (Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike), artist residencies and workshops (Nānā I Ke Kumu), an intercultural leadership fellowship (ILI), and a year-round Hawaiian arts celebration (MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement). It generates revenue through ticketed events and workshops (e.g., 'Ilau Ka Hula, hula workshops, painting workshops, concerts), charitable donations, and grants, with operations anchored by the PA'I Arts & Cultural Center in downtown Honolulu.

Product overview

PAʻI Foundation operates a multi-faceted cultural preservation and education ecosystem rather than a single product. Its programs include Hālau Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima (a traditional Hawaiian hula dance school), Project Hana Noʻeau (artist business development), Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke (cultural grants), Intercultural Leadership Institute (fellowship), Nānā I Ke Kumu (artist residencies and workshops), and MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement (annual art celebrations). The PAʻI Arts & Cultural Center serves as the physical hub. Ticketed events include ʻIlau Ka Hula (annual cultural festival), Hula Workshops, Music Magic Concert, and painting workshops. The organization functions as a nonprofit with a Shopify-powered e-commerce store for tickets and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pua Ali'i 'Ilima: A hālau hula (school of traditional Hawaiian dance) that provides training for keiki (children), teens, and adults as well as introductory hula instruction through workshops and classes.
• PA'I Arts & Cultural Center (PACC)
• Project Hana No'eau (PHN)
• Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike
• Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI)
• Nā Nā I Ke Kumu
• MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement
• Ka Huaka'i Hula

Products and services

• Project Hana Noʻeau An 11-month professional development program providing training, mentorship, and resources to Native Hawaiian artists and businesses to advance their professionalism and business ethics.
• Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke Award grant program supporting Native Hawaiian artists, cultural bearers, and practitioners to expand knowledge and skills in cultural practices through an ʻōiwi lens, with grants up to $2,500.
• Hālau Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima A traditional Hawaiian hula dance school providing training for keiki (children), teens, and adults, as well as introductory hula instruction through workshops and classes.
• Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI) A year-long fellowship program for culturally diverse artists and culture bearers focused on personal and professional leadership development, fostering intercultural leaders to promote greater awareness, resourcing, and action in the arts and cultural field.
• MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement Year-long programming celebrating native Hawaiian art and culture, featuring an annual fashion show, art gallery exhibition, and marketplace.
• Nānā I Ke Kumu Artist residencies and cultural workshop series led by notable Native Hawaiian master artists and cultural practitioners, covering disciplines including hula kiʻi (puppetry), oli (chant), moʻolelo (storytelling), ʻohe kāpala (bamboo stamping), and nā hana hulu (featherwork).
• ʻIlau Ka Hula Annual ticketed celebration of hula and native Hawaiian culture bringing together 11 hālau hula, native and local businesses, food vendors, and artisans.
• Hula Workshops In-person hula workshops featuring kahiko (traditional) and ʻauana (modern) instruction led by kumu hula, including mainland U.S. workshops such as the July 2026 New York City workshop.
• Music Magic Concert Ticketed musical concert event offered as a standalone product on the foundation's store.
• Painting with Brook Parker II Ticketed painting workshop led by artist Brook Parker II, offered as a standalone product on the foundation's store.
• Painting Workshop with Meala Bishop Ticketed painting workshop led by artist Meala Bishop, offered as a standalone product on the foundation's store.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bishop MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005In 2005, PA'I Foundation with partner Bishop Museum successfully organized Maoli Arts Month (MAMo), a month-long celebration to highlight native Hawaiian arts, artists and cultural practitioners. The partnership was later re-branded as MAMo: Maoli Arts Movement in 2015 with year-long programming.
• Kamehameha SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKamehameha Schools provides major funding support for the Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike program, part of the ʻŌiwi Leadership Fund. This grant program supports Native Hawaiian artists, cultural bearers and practitioners with awards up to $2,500 for cultural learning.
• Alternate ROOTScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI), a fellowship program for culturally diverse artists and culture bearers that deepens connections for strengthened emergent and authentic leadership.
• First Peoples FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI). First Peoples Fund is a Native-led organization supporting Indigenous artists and cultural carriers.
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI). NALAC is the premier national organization that advances the Latino cultural field.
• First Alaskans InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI). First Alaskans Institute supports Alaska Native and rural Alaska communities.
• The International Association of Blacks in DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI). The IABD ensures the presence and influence of Blacks in dance internationally.
• Sipp CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI). Sipp Culture is a cultural organization focused on Black art and culture in the Mississippi Delta region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bishop Museum: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum is Hawaii's premier institution for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultural preservation and education. PA'I has a documented long-standing partnership with Bishop Museum (MAMo launched jointly in 2005), and ʻIlau Ka Hula is held at Bishop Museum — making it the closest direct operating peer.
• First Peoples Fund: Native-led nonprofit that supports Indigenous artists and cultural carriers through fellowships, grants, and professional development. Directly comparable to PA'I's artist development and grantmaking model and a current ILI partner.
• Native Arts and Cultures Foundation: National nonprofit that advances Native arts and cultures through fellowships, grants, and community programs. Highly comparable to PA'I's grantmaking and artist-residency programming, and a recognized awarder of PA'I-associated artists.
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: Native Hawaiian nonprofit advancing cultural, economic, and community development across the islands. Operates grants and programs serving overlapping beneficiary populations (Native Hawaiian artists, cultural practitioners, and community organizations).
• Alternate ROOTS: Regional arts and social justice organization supporting artists in the American South. Co-partner with PA'I in the Intercultural Leadership Institute and serves a comparable artist-development/grantmaking mission for culturally-rooted communities.
• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC): Premier national organization advancing the Latino arts field through grants, leadership programs, and advocacy. Comparable scale and structure to PA'I and an ILI partner, operating a similar grantmaking-plus-leadership-development model for a different cultural constituency.

Broad incumbents

• Polynesian Cultural Center: Oahu-based cultural attraction and living-museum complex presenting Polynesian and Native Hawaiian traditions through performances and interactive experiences. Comparable audience (cultural tourists) and overlapping programming (hula, crafts, festivals), though operating at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Iolani Palace: Honolulu-based historic royal palace operated as a museum and cultural site preserving Hawaiian monarchy heritage. Comparable mission around Hawaiian cultural and historical preservation, with similar tourism-driven revenue model but focused on built-heritage rather than living-arts programming.
• Queen Liliʻuokalani Children's Center: Hawaiian trust serving Native Hawaiian children, families, and communities through cultural, educational, and social-service programs. Operates within the same Hawaiian-serving nonprofit ecosystem with overlapping beneficiary base and mission of cultural perpetuation.

Emerging players

• Māori Arts organization (e.g., Te Matatini): New Zealand's national Māori performing arts competition organization, supporting cultural excellence and intergenerational transmission of haka and traditional performance. Comparable indigenous cultural-preservation mission and similar hula/haka-adjacent performing arts programming, though operating in a different geography and polity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCnYN0Sr34trZM5OBALgVHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PAIFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/paifoundation
• Xx.com/PACCHawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PA'I Foundation