What Hale Kipa does

Hale Kipa is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 that delivers a comprehensive continuum of trauma-informed, culturally grounded services to at-risk youth, young adults, and families across the Hawaiian Islands. Its service portfolio spans residential programs (10 shelters including emergency shelters, transitional living, and post-foster-care housing), clinical mental health and crisis services, prevention and street outreach (notably the Youth Outreach (YO!) program with Waikiki Health since 1989), workforce development (including the 2025-launched Mahi'ai Aloha hydroponic farming initiative), and family-strengthening services. Specialized offerings include the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) and culturally-named programs such as Pu'uhonua 'o Keikikāne (boys' emergency shelter), Pu'uhonua 'o Kaikamahine (girls' emergency shelter), Hale Ho'opakele (trafficking survivors), and Hale Hōkūle'a (young women aging out of foster care). Since inception, the organization reports serving 75,000+ youth and currently holds a 4.6/5 client satisfaction rating while providing 100% free services.

Hale Kipa operates from a 4.28-acre Harry & Jeannette Weinberg Youth Services Center campus in 'Ewa Beach, O'ahu, and extends operations to Maui and Hawai'i Island. Core technology is a trauma-informed care model rooted in Hawaiian values (aloha, kuleana), supported by HIPAA-compliant Zoom telehealth infrastructure, an off-the-shelf hydroponic shipping-container system for the Mahi'ai Aloha program (capable of 2-6 tons of annual produce), and standard donation processing (PayPal, RoundUp App). The organization holds Council on Accreditation (COA) reaccreditation (2019) and is recognized as a HIPAA-covered entity.

The business model is nonprofit fundraising: revenue derives from individual and corporate donations (tax-deductible, EIN 23-7061499), federal and state government grants supporting residential and emergency shelter programs, and annual fundraising events such as the Pā'ina dinner. Distribution is entirely direct through owned shelters and community-based programs, with no commercial pricing. Leadership is led by President and CEO Venus Rosete-Medeiros (since 2022), with a board chaired by Scott Seu and a senior team including Deputy CEO Jaque Kelley-Uyeoka (40 years of service), Chief Administrative Officer Dori Tyau, Chief Program Officer Ron Musch, and Chief Quality Improvement Officer Laura Brucia Hamm.

Name

Hale Kipa

Legal name

Hale Kipa

Website

https://halekipa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hale Kipa is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 that provides trauma-informed residential, clinical, prevention, workforce development, and family services to at-risk youth and families across the Hawaiian Islands through 10 shelters and direct community programs, all delivered free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12) (EDAJALAG), Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)

Keywords

• Youth residential services
• Emergency shelter services
• Foster care programs
• Workforce development services
• Behavioral health counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

Ewa Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations through website, mail, payroll deductions (Aloha United Way, Combined Federal Campaign), RoundUp App, and in-kind goods donations.
2. Government Funding: Federal and state government grants and funding supporting residential programs, emergency shelters, and various youth services.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual Pā‘ina fundraiser dinner and other community events that generate significant revenue ($100,000 raised in 2020 event).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hale Kipa delivers a continuum of trauma-informed residential, clinical, prevention, and family services for at-risk youth and their families across Hawai'i. Programs include emergency shelter, group home residential care, foster care, outpatient behavioral health counseling, sex trafficking prevention and intervention, housing-first programs, workforce development, and culturally grounded Hawaiian-values-based support, all provided at no cost to participants.

Product overview

Hale Kipa is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of youth and family services across Hawaii. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including Residential Services (emergency shelters and transitional housing), Clinical Services (mental health and crisis intervention), Prevention & Outreach Services, Workforce Development, and Family Services. Key programs include emergency shelters renamed with Hawaiian names (Pu'uhonua 'o Keikikāne for boys, Pu'uhonua 'o Kaikamahine for girls), Hale Ho'opakele for trafficking survivors, transitional living programs (Hale Huli'au), and the Youth Outreach (YO!) program. The organization also runs the Mahi'ai Aloha hydroponic farming initiative for workforce development and produces the televised Kūkākūkā series for community education. All services are grounded in trauma-informed care, culturally grounded practices, and the Hawaiian values of aloha and kuleana (responsibility).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pu'uhonua 'o Keikikāne: Emergency shelter for boys ages 12-17. Pu'uhonua evokes the image of a sacred, healing refuge, a place of forgiveness, renewal, identity, and belonging.
• Pu'uhonua 'o Kaikamahine
• Hale Ho'opakele
• Hale Huli'au 'o Kāne
• Hale Huli'au 'o Wāhine
• Hale Hōkūle'a
• Mahi'ai Aloha

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter Short-term, 24/7 residential placement for youth in Hawai'i who are unsafe, in crisis, or experiencing housing instability. Provided at no cost to participants.
• Group Home Residential Care Longer-term residential care in a group home setting for youth referred by the State of Hawai'i, providing a stable therapeutic environment.
• Foster Care (Resource Families) Recruitment, training, and support of resource families who provide foster homes for youth in the State of Hawai'i child welfare system.
• Outpatient Behavioral Health Counseling Mental health counseling and therapy for youth and families, delivered in-person at program locations and via HIPAA-compliant telehealth (Zoom).
• Sex Trafficking Prevention and Intervention Specialized prevention education, case management, advocacy, and dedicated housing for youth and young adult survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
• Housing First for Transition-Age Youth Housing-first program providing housing and supportive services for transition-age youth and young adults aging out of foster care.
• Workforce Development Program Career readiness and workforce development program for youth and young adults, including soft-skills, job-readiness, and employability training.
• Prevention and Family Strengthening Programs Community- and school-based prevention, early intervention, and family strengthening programs delivered across O'ahu to reduce youth entry into crisis services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ youth served since 1970
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Movers and ShakasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024Nonprofit organization promoting sustainable change through community-oriented programs. Participants volunteered at Hale Kipa's Emergency Shelters for campus beautification, planting twenty-three ti and dracaena plants. The 'give and get' approach provides participants insight into Hawai'i's unsheltered youth crisis while supporting Hale Kipa's mission.
• The Queen's Medical Center West O'ahu AMSU 5th Floor TeamminorOthersAdvanced Medical-Surgical Unit team organizing ongoing donation drives benefiting Hale Kipa's youth programs, often aligned with holidays to bring normalcy and joy to youth.
• Waikiki HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1989, partnership to offer Youth Outreach (YO!) services to O'ahu's runaway, homeless, and at-risk young people through counseling and support services. YO! is celebrating its 30th anniversary and continues to reach hundreds of youth annually.
• EPIC 'Ohana, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit filling void for community services since 1998. Partnership on the Mālama 'Ohana Initiative seeking transformative changes to Hawai'i's child welfare system, and collaborated on televised Kūkākūkā series.
• Prince Kuhio PlazaminorOthersPartner venue for 'Mālama Da Mind' children's mental health event in Hilo, Hawai'i Island, featuring youth performances and community provider booths.
• The Aloha Bears Social ClubminorOthersSocial club hosting annual Back to School Backpacks & Supplies Drive since 2017, providing essential school supplies to youth in Hale Kipa's education programs.
• Lydia's House (Lili'uokalani Trust Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lili'uokalani Trust providing supportive housing services through Lydia's House program.
• Giovanni Pastrami and Round Table PizzaminorOthersLocal food vendors providing donations of pizza and food for residential youth events and programs.
• Just ServeminorOthersOrganization connecting volunteers and donors with opportunities to support Hale Kipa's residential youth programs.
• AlconminorOthersCompany-wide 'Alcon in Action' day of community volunteering, with associates painting residential rooms at Hale Kipa's Emergency Shelter.
• Life Christian ChurchminorOthersDonated duffle bags filled with comforting and essential items for youth in foster programs, supporting Boys' and Girls' Emergency Shelters and Imua Kākou program.
• Rotary Club of Honolulu RAT PackminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRotary Action Team completing hands-on construction projects, refreshing YO! facility in Waikīkī with interior and exterior renovations.
• Sweet.Bloom.StudiominorOthersO'ahu-based studio donating handcrafted marshmallow flowers to brighten Hale Kipa staff appreciation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: National nonprofit providing shelter and support services for homeless and trafficked youth. Comparable residential and youth shelter model, but operates at much larger multi-state scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization offering shelter, mentoring, and workforce programs. Overlaps with Hale Kipa's workforce development and youth empowerment mission at larger scale.
• Catholic Charities Hawaii: Large statewide social services nonprofit in Hawai'i providing counseling, immigration, housing, and youth/family services. Comparable breadth, though broader than Hale Kipa's youth-centric focus.

Direct peers

• Waikiki Health: Hawai'i-based community health organization and long-standing Hale Kipa partner co-delivering the Youth Outreach (YO!) program for runaway and homeless youth. Comparable outreach and at-risk youth services.
• Parents And Children Together (PACT): Hawai'i statewide nonprofit providing family counseling, early childhood services, and at-risk youth programs. Directly overlaps with Hale Kipa's youth, family services, and child welfare focus.
• Child & Family Service: Hawai'i's largest nonprofit human services organization, offering counseling, domestic violence support, and youth programs across the islands. Closely comparable in scope and geography.
• Lili'uokalani Trust: Hawai'i-based trust serving orphaned and homeless Hawaiian children, and a core partner of Hale Kipa via Lydia's House. Mission-aligned with cultural grounding for Native Hawaiian youth.
• National Safe Place: National youth shelter and crisis intervention network providing safe housing and outreach for at-risk and homeless youth. Directly comparable emergency shelter and outreach service model.
• EPIC 'Ohana, Inc. Hawai'i-based nonprofit partner of Hale Kipa working on child welfare system reform and youth/family support. Co-leads the Mālama 'Ohana Initiative and is deeply comparable in mission and population served.

Emerging players

• Hale Kipa's Mahi'ai Aloha peer: Sustainable Agriculture Programs (e.g., GrowHaus): Colorado-based nonprofit combining sustainable urban agriculture with youth workforce development — a close functional analog to Hale Kipa's Mahi'ai Aloha hydroponic workforce program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/halekipa1
• Facebookfacebook.com/HaleKipaInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hale-kipa
• Instagraminstagram.com/halekipainc
• Xx.com/HaleKipaInc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hale Kipa