Office of Hawaiian Affairs

What Office of Hawaiian Affairs does

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is a semi-autonomous state agency of the State of Hawaiʻi, constitutionally established in 1978 to improve the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. OHA operates as a public trust, governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees elected statewide, with a fiduciary mandate to manage assets derived from "ceded lands" — lands taken during the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom — for the benefit of Native Hawaiians. The agency functions as the principal governmental vehicle for advocacy, research, land management, cultural preservation, and direct program funding directed at Native Hawaiians across four strategic directions: educational pathways, health outcomes, quality housing, and economic stability.

OHA's service portfolio includes a grants program (awarding more than $9–12 million annually to community-based organizations), a loans program (more than $34 million disbursed to nearly 2,000 borrowers over the past decade for businesses, homes, debt consolidation, and education), scholarships, the AHO home ownership initiative, disaster relief programs, and leadership and civic education programs such as ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA and Nā ʻElele o Kahikina Congressional Fellows. The agency manages more than 27,000 acres of trust land — making it the state's 13th largest landowner — including culturally significant sites such as Maunakea, Kūkaniloko Birthstones, Waimea Valley (managed via wholly-owned subsidiary Hiʻipaka LLC), Wao Kele o Puna, Wahiawā Lands, and Papahānaumokuākea. Distribution is delivered through a Honolulu headquarters, five island-based Community Resource Centers, and a mobile Traveling Beneficiary Services Program for Hawaiʻi Island.

Funding flows from pro rata shares of state ceded lands revenue, real estate income (notably the Nā Lama Kukui commercial property acquired in 2012), interest from the loans program, and periodic state legislative appropriations — including a $55 million appropriation released in 2026. OHA does not operate as a commercial technology product; its technology assets are limited to informational databases (Papakilo, Kipuka, Native Hawaiian Databook) and the Hale Noelo Research & Technology Center, with no proprietary SaaS, AI/ML, or licensed product surface. Operational activity in 2025–2026 has been characterized by expanded disaster relief programs in response to the March 2026 Kona Low storms, ongoing litigation over Mauna Kea stewardship, and an active feasibility study for a Native Hawaiian Cultural Center.

Name

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Legal name

Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Website

https://oha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is a constitutionally-established semi-autonomous Hawaiian state agency that manages ceded lands revenue, 27,000+ acres of trust land, and programs in education, health, housing, and economic stability for Native Hawaiians statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ceded Lands Revenue: OHA receives funding through a pro rata share of revenues from state lands designated as 'ceded' lands, which were taken during the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. This is the primary government trust funding mechanism.
2. Real Estate Income: OHA generates income from its real estate investments including commercial properties like Nā Lama Kukui, which helps fund programs benefiting Native Hawaiians.
3. Loan Program Interest: OHA provides loans to Native Hawaiians for businesses, homes, debt consolidation, and education, generating some revenue through interest on loans.
4. Grants Distribution: OHA awards more than $9-12 million annually in grants to community-based organizations aligned with its strategic plan, distributing rather than generating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) operates as a constitutionally-established semi-autonomous state agency and public trust for Native Hawaiians. It funds and delivers grants (over $9 million annually), loans (over $34 million to nearly 2,000 borrowers in the past decade), scholarships, housing support, disaster relief, and cultural/educational programs, while managing more than 27,000 acres of trust lands and a portfolio of real estate investments.

Product overview

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is a semi-autonomous state agency that operates as a trust managing programs and services for Native Hawaiians. OHA offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services organized around four strategic directions: Educational Pathways, Health Outcomes, Quality Housing, and Economic Stability. The core offerings include a Grants Program (awarding over $9 million annually), a Loans Program (over $34 million to nearly 2,000 borrowers in the past decade), the AHO home ownership program, and various scholarship initiatives. Additionally, OHA manages disaster relief programs including the Mālama Honua Disaster Fund, ʻĪnaʻi Kōkua Gift Card Program, and the Disaster Assistance Program (up to $15,000 per family). Cultural and educational resources include the Hawaiian Registry Program, Papakilo Database, Kipuka Database, Native Hawaiian Databook, Ka Wai Ola publication, and Hale Noelo Research & Technology Center. OHA also operates leadership programs such as Nā ʻElele o Kahikina Congressional Fellows Program and ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA. As a major landowner managing over 27,000 acres, OHA provides land management services for cultural preservation, agriculture, and community development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OHA Grants Program Annual grants program distributing more than $9 million to community-based organizations aligned with OHA's strategic plan to improve Native Hawaiian wellbeing in education, health, housing, and economic stability.
• OHA Loans Program Loan program providing financing to Native Hawaiians for businesses, home improvements, debt consolidation, and education, with more than $34 million extended to nearly 2,000 borrowers in the past decade.
• AHO (Access to Home Ownership) Program leveraging partnerships to ensure Native Hawaiians can obtain affordable rentals and homeownership while supporting legislation for Hawaiian Home Lands.
• OHA Scholarships Educational financial assistance programs supporting Native Hawaiian students pursuing various levels of education.
• Mahiʻai Micro Fund Program Program supporting economic development and agricultural entrepreneurship among Native Hawaiians.
• Kūlana ʻĀina Economic stability initiative focused on land-based development and resource management for Native Hawaiian communities.
• Nā ʻElele o Kahikina Congressional Fellows Program Fellowship program providing Native Hawaiian students with experience in federal policy and congressional operations.
• ʻAha ʻŌpio o OHA Week-long residential leadership and civic education program for Native Hawaiian high school students, held annually at the Hawaii State Capitol.
• ʻĪnaʻi Kōkua Gift Card Program One-time $2,000 Home Depot gift card program assisting Native Hawaiian homeowners recovering from the March 2026 Kona Low storm damage.
• Mālama Honua Disaster Fund Disaster fund supporting Native Hawaiian homeowners impacted by the March 2026 Kona Low storms.
• OHA Disaster Assistance Program Program providing up to $15,000 in direct financial assistance for Native Hawaiian families impacted by the March 2026 floods.
• Hale Noelo: Research & Technology Center Research and technology facility supporting Native Hawaiian research initiatives and data analysis.
• Hawaiian Registry Program Registry program connecting Native Hawaiians with OHA services and programs.
• Papakilo Database Online database providing access to historical Hawaiian records, documents, and cultural resources.
• Kipuka Database Database of Hawaiian cultural and historical information resources.
• Native Hawaiian Databook Statistical resource providing data on Native Hawaiian demographics, education, health, housing, and economics.
• Ka Wai Ola Monthly newspaper publication of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, covering Hawaiian news, culture, and OHA activities.
• OHA Land Management Services Management of more than 27,000 acres of trust lands set aside largely for cultural and agricultural endeavors, including Wao Kele o Puna, Wahiawā Lands, Waimea Valley, and other cultural preserves.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2,000 Native Hawaiians have borrowed more than $34 million in the past decade for businesses, homes, debt consolidation, and education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 and minor.

• Native Hawaiian Justice Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated by the Hawaiʻi Legislature to support comprehensive solutions to concerns about the disproportionate number of Native Hawaiians in prison in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.
• Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā Native Hawaiian Health ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHA works closely with this consortium to improve health outcomes for Native Hawaiians through collaborative health initiatives and wellness programs.
• PAʻI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with OHA on the Nā Mamo Makamae o Ka Poʻe Hawaiʻi (Living Treasures of the Hawaiian People) program to honor master practitioners and cultural knowledge keepers.
• Hawaiian Civic Club of WahiawācoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime stewards of the Kūkaniloko Birthstones site who partner with OHA on management activities and implementation of the community-developed conceptual master plan for Wahiawā Lands.
• ʻĀina KaiaulucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working with OHA on management activities and implementation of the conceptual master plan for the Wahiawā Lands property.
• Hālawa Valley StewardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized stewards of HLID's North Hālawa Valley project area who completed their Stewardship Management Plan and obtained permits for stewardship activities.
• Luluku Stewardship PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecognized stewards of the Luluku project area who completed their Stewardship Management Plan in the decades-long H-3 highway mitigation process.
• Hiʻipaka LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHA transferred title of Waimea Valley (1,800 acres) to Hiʻipaka LLC, a subsidiary that now manages all activities in Waimea Valley for cultural preservation and public access.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hawaii Community Foundation: Hawaii's largest grantmaking community foundation; comparable to OHA in grantmaking scale and role within Hawaii's nonprofit ecosystem, though serving a broader community rather than a defined indigenous beneficiary group.
• Bishop Museum: Hawaii-based cultural and natural history museum focused on Hawaiian and Pacific Island cultural preservation; comparable to OHA's cultural-preservation mission and use of databases like Papakilo and Kipuka.

Broad incumbents

• Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI): Alaska Native Regional Corporation established under ANCSA, managing lands, investments, and programs for Alaska Native shareholders; directly analogous to OHA as an indigenous trust with significant land and investment holdings.
• National Congress of American Indians: Largest and oldest national organization advocating for tribal governments and Native American communities; structurally analogous to OHA as an indigenous-advocacy body, though focused on the contiguous U.S. tribal context.

Direct peers

• Queen Liliuokalani Trust: Private trust founded from the estate of Queen Liliuokalani serving orphaned and destitute Native Hawaiian children; comparable to OHA as a Native Hawaiian-focused trust deploying capital and programs to a defined beneficiary group.
• Kamehameha Schools: Major private trust serving Native Hawaiians through education with an enormous endowment, directly comparable to OHA as a large Native Hawaiian-serving institutional trust with land and financial assets.
• Papa Ola Lōkahi: Native Hawaiian health organization coordinating health initiatives for Native Hawaiians; directly comparable to OHA's health-outcomes strategic direction and its partnerships with the Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā consortium.
• Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation: Legal-aid organization serving Native Hawaiians on issues including land, cultural rights, and governance; comparable to OHA's advocacy and compliance-enforcement roles, including its Maunakea-related litigation.
• Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: Statewide Native Hawaiian advocacy and community-development organization; comparable to OHA's advocacy and community-empowerment functions, with overlapping grantee and beneficiary relationships.
• Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL): Hawaii state agency that administers Hawaiian Home Lands for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, sharing OHA's same trust mandate, beneficiary base, and constitutional/legislative funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oha_hawaii
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/OHAHawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/officeofhawaiianaffairs
• Instagraminstagram.com/oha_hawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Office of Hawaiian Affairs