University of Hawaii Foundation

What University of Hawaii Foundation does

The University of Hawai'i Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1955 that operates as the central fundraising and alumni-relations arm for the 10-campus University of Hawai'i System, formalized as the sole contracted provider of these services by the UH Board of Regents. Headquartered in Honolulu with 501–1,000 employees, the Foundation manages over 8,000 donor gift accounts, 1,920+ endowment accounts holding $641.9 million in market value, and a unified alumni base of approximately 350,000 across all UH campuses. Its core service modules include fundraising and donor management, scholarship administration (supporting more than 5,000 students annually), endowment and investment management, planned giving and estate planning, corporate and foundation relations, alumni relations (via the Office of Alumni Relations since 2002), and annual giving programs including UH Giving Day (recently raising over $1.3M per event) and a student calling center executing roughly 150,000 alumni and donor outreach calls per year.

The Foundation's underlying technology stack is built around industry-standard nonprofit and finance applications rather than proprietary platforms: GiveCampus powers the public-facing online giving experience, SAP Concur manages invoice and payment approvals, Kuali handles internal gift and fund transfer requests, GLACIER administers nonresident alien tax compliance, and Charityvest enables donor-advised-fund and cryptocurrency donations. The Foundation uses these systems, together with comprehensive donor and account databases, to administer over 1,920 endowments with quarterly reporting to individual donors.

Revenue (operating support) derives from four disclosed streams: a contracted payment from the University of Hawai'i for fundraising and alumni services, an annual endowment administrative fee of 1.25% applied quarterly to the market value of managed investments, a one-time 5% gift administrative fee on incoming gifts and other non-gift income, and interest on short-term investments. The organization does not charge beneficiaries for services. Its largest current strategic initiative is the $1 billion comprehensive campaign 'For UH · For Hawai'i' launched on November 1, 2023 — the largest fundraising effort in Hawai'i history — which had reached $900 million as of April 2026 across student success, research, Native Hawaiian priorities, sustainability, innovation, workforce development, and community engagement pillars.

Name

University of Hawaii Foundation

Legal name

University of Hawai'i Foundation

Website

https://uhfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The University of Hawai'i Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the sole fundraising and alumni-relations arm for the 10-campus University of Hawai'i System, managing 8,000+ gift accounts and $641.9M in endowment assets to support scholarships, research, and university priorities across Hawaii.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• University fundraising services
• Endowment management
• Alumni relations services
• Scholarship administration
• Planned giving programs

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

Revenue model

1. University of Hawaii Contract: A contracted amount paid by the University of Hawai'i to the Foundation for fundraising and alumni relations services.
2. Endowment Administrative Fee: Annual assessment on the market value of the endowment. The current endowment administrative fee is 1.25%, determined annually and applied quarterly.
3. Investment Income: Interest on short-term investments.
4. Gift Administrative Fee: A one-time administrative assessment of 5% on all incoming gifts, including endowment gifts and other non-gift income.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The University of Hawai'i Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization contracted by the UH Board of Regents to be the sole provider of fundraising and alumni services for the 10-campus University of Hawai'i System. It manages over 8,000 donor gift accounts, administers more than 1,920 endowment accounts with $641.9 million in market value, and runs comprehensive fundraising programs including major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, and scholarship administration serving more than 5,000 students annually.

Product overview

The University of Hawai'i Foundation operates as a unified platform providing comprehensive fundraising and advancement services for the 10-campus UH System. The organization offers a portfolio of integrated services including donor management and fundraising campaigns, scholarship administration supporting over 5,000 students annually, alumni relations serving nearly 350,000 alumni, and endowment management of $641.9 million across 1,920+ accounts. Key service modules include planned giving/estate planning, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving programs (including UH Giving Day), and a student calling center conducting 150,000 annual outreach calls. The Foundation also provides an online giving platform powered by GiveCampus for secure digital donations. Currently conducting the $1 billion 'For UH For Hawai'i' comprehensive campaign, the largest fundraising effort in Hawai'i history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fundraising and Donor Management Services Comprehensive fundraising services including donor cultivation, major gift solicitation, campaign management, and donor relations for all 10 UH campuses.
• Scholarship Administration Administers over 5,000 scholarships annually across the UH system, including need-based aid, merit awards, and endowed scholarships, with compliance and payment processing services.
• Alumni Relations Services Office of Alumni Relations (UHFAR) fosters connections between UH campuses and nearly 350,000 alumni through communication services, event support, and program strategy.
• Endowment Management Manages over 1,920 endowment accounts with a total market value of $641.9 million, providing investment management and account administration for UH benefit, working with Cambridge Associates as investment advisor.
• Estate and Gift Planning Planned giving programs including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and retained life estates, with confidential consultation services for donors.
• Corporate and Foundation Relations Secures philanthropic support from corporations and private foundations by connecting external funders with UH faculty and academic initiatives across all 10 campuses.
• Annual Giving and UH Giving Day Year-round outreach programs including annual direct mail, telephone campaigns, and UH Giving Day events that raised over $1.3 million for scholarships and campus needs.
• Student Calling Center Student employment program making approximately 150,000 calls annually to alumni and donors, supporting fundraising for scholarships and university programs.
• Online Giving Platform Digital donation platform powered by GiveCampus offering secure online gifts, recurring donations, pledge payments, and multiple payment methods including credit card, wire transfer, and cryptocurrency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped more than 5,000 students each year through scholarships and student aid
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GiveCampuscoreTechnology or IntegrationGiveCampus is the secure online fundraising platform powering the University of Hawai'i Foundation's online giving experience, providing a faster, mobile-optimized donor experience.
• University of Hawai'i SystemcoreOthersThe Foundation is contracted by the UH Board of Regents to be the sole provider of fundraising and alumni services for the 10-campus UH System.
• University of Hawai'i Alumni Association (UHAA)coreOthersNearly 350,000 alumni from all 10 UH campuses are unified as UHAA members. Since 2002, the Foundation's Office of Alumni Relations has worked closely with UHAA to serve the alumni community.
• 'Ahahui Koa Ānuenue (AKA)minorOthersAKA supports UH Mānoa Athletics by coordinating fundraising operations and revenue-producing activities including booster clubs, season tickets, and premium packages.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana University Foundation: Public university-affiliated 501(c)(3) that serves as the central fundraising, endowment management, and alumni relations arm for IU — directly comparable to UHF's role for UH in scale, structure, and operating model.
• Ohio State University Foundation: Affiliated foundation for The Ohio State University, managing major gifts, planned giving, an endowment, and donor stewardship for a large multi-campus public university system — closely analogous in mandate and revenue model.
• University of Florida Foundation: Direct fundraising, investment, and alumni-relations foundation for a major public research university system, running large-scale campaigns and an investment program of comparable complexity to UHF.
• Purdue Research Foundation / Purdue University Endowment: Affiliated nonprofit performing fundraising, endowment management, and development services for Purdue University — a benchmark public-university advancement foundation of similar scale and program breadth.
• Penn State University Development / Penn State Philanthropic Advancements: Central development and alumni organization running large multi-campus campaigns and managing a sizable endowment at a major public university, mirroring UHF's role across UH's 10 campuses.
• Texas A&M Foundation: Independent nonprofit foundation providing fundraising, gift administration, and endowment management for a large multi-campus public university system — same structural archetype as UHF.
• University of Wisconsin Foundation: Affiliated fundraising and endowment foundation for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, conducting comprehensive campaigns and managing endowed funds — directly comparable mandate and donor base to UHF.
• UC Berkeley Foundation: Central philanthropic foundation supporting scholarships, research, and capital projects at a large public research university — comparable to UHF in mission, donor-acquisition complexity, and endowment administration.
• University of Michigan Office of Development: Handles major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, and stewardship for the University of Michigan — a top-tier peer public-university advancement operation with similar programs to UHF.

Emerging players

• GiveCampus: Online fundraising platform used by UHF for digital giving, serving hundreds of college and university foundations — an emerging peer/technology layer that overlaps with UHF's online fundraising function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uhawaiifdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/uofhawaiifoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/227022524024262
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-hawaii-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Hawaii Foundation