HMSA Foundation
HMSA Foundation is a Hawai'i public charity, founded 1986 and grantmaking since 1998, that channels a $20 million HMSA endowment through its Hui Partners program to provide unrestricted five-year funding to community-based nonprofits addressing health across the Hawaiian islands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What HMSA Foundation does
HMSA Foundation is a Hawai'i-based public charity established in 1986 and operationalized in 1998 through a $20 million endowment from its parent organization, the Hawai'i Medical Service Association (HMSA). The foundation's core activity is grantmaking to community-based nonprofits across the Hawaiian islands through its signature Hui Partners program, which delivers unrestricted five-year funding, peer connection opportunities, capacity-building support, and simplified reporting to partner organizations aligned with the Pilinahā community health framework. Two cohorts have been formed: 10 organizations in 2019 and 8 organizations in 2025, collectively spanning food security, housing, mental health, Native Hawaiian health, youth development, and environmental health initiatives across O'ahu, Hawai'i Island, Maui, Moloka'i, and Kaua'i.
The foundation operates with a lean two-person staff (Administrator Meryam Cabanilla Leong and Program Officer Daisy Chung, who joined in 2024) under the oversight of a Board of Directors that includes the CEOs of HMSA, The Queen's Health System, Hawai'i Health Partners, and senior executives from community health centers across the islands. It is not a technology company — the source data explicitly notes that core technology is not applicable — and it develops no products or APIs. Revenue derives solely from investment returns on the $20 million endowment, which fund annual grant distributions.
The foundation's competitive position rests on its deep relational network with island nonprofits, the cultural credibility conferred by HMSA's 87-year history in Hawai'i, and the Pilinahā framework co-developed with Kōkua Kalihi Valley and the Islander Institute. Its business model is a community-led, trust-based approach to philanthropy that explicitly rejects traditional funder restrictions and reporting burdens in favor of power-shifting to local communities, with no plans disclosed for endowment growth, geographic expansion beyond Hawai'i, or product diversification.
HMSA Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HMSA Foundation
- Legal name
- HMSA Foundation
- Website
- https://hmsafoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- HMSA Foundation is a Hawai'i public charity, founded 1986 and grantmaking since 1998, that channels a $20 million HMSA endowment through its Hui Partners program to provide unrestricted five-year funding to community-based nonprofits addressing health across the Hawaiian islands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HMSA Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where HMSA Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HMSA Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Endowment Investment Returns: HMSA Foundation generates revenue through investment returns from its $20 million endowment established by HMSA in 1998. The foundation uses these returns to make grants to nonprofit organizations committed to addressing health in Hawai'i.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
HMSA Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HMSA Foundation is a public charity that makes grants to nonprofit organizations in Hawai'i committed to addressing the deeper roots of community health. Its flagship Hui Partners program provides five-year unrestricted funding, capacity building, resource sharing, and networking opportunities to selected cohorts of community-rooted nonprofits across the Hawaiian Islands. The foundation is funded by a $20 million endowment established by HMSA (Hawai'i Medical Service Association) in 1998 and guided by the Pilinahā framework developed with Kōkua Kalihi Valley and the Islander Institute.
Product overview
HMSA Foundation is a public charity established in 1986 that serves as a grant-making foundation, not a technology product company. It does not offer products or services in the traditional sense. The Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations through its 'Hui Partners' program to fund community health initiatives across Hawai'i, focusing on building health and connection among people and place. Its activities include providing unrestricted five-year funding, creating networking opportunities among nonprofits, offering capacity building support, and simplifying grant paperwork processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hui Partners Grant Program
- Community Health Grants
Companies that use HMSA Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
HMSA Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HMSA Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Hoa ʻĀina O Mākahacore2025 Hui Partner focused on community-driven health practices in Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. Part of the foundation's second cohort of eight organizations.
- Hui Mālama I Ke Ala ʻŪlilicore2025 Hui Partner focused on community health in Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi Island. New partner in the foundation's expanded cohort model.
- I Ola Lāhuicore2025 Hui Partner focused on Native Hawaiian mental health across Oʻahu, Maui, and Molokaʻi. Represents the foundation's expanded geographic reach.
- Kahumanacore2025 Hui Partner focused on community health and development in Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. Committed to collective health and well-being.
- Kūkulu Kumuhana O Anaholacore2025 Hui Partner focused on Native Hawaiian community health in Anahola, Kauaʻi. Deeply rooted in the communities they serve.
- The Maui Farmcore2025 Hui Partner focused on health and wellness programs in Makawao, Maui. Committed to promoting collective well-being.
- Nohona Healthcore2025 Hui Partner focused on community health education in Wailuku, Maui. New partner dedicated to health promotion.
- Palama Settlementcore2025 Hui Partner focused on community health services in Kalihi-Pālama, Oʻahu. Represents the foundation's continued commitment to urban Honolulu communities.
- Hawaiʻi Food Basketcore2019 Hui Partner focused on food security and health programs serving Hawaiʻi Island. Part of the foundation's first cohort of 10 nonprofit organizations committed to addressing the deeper roots of health in their communities.
- Hawaiian Community Assetscore2019 Hui Partner providing community development services statewide. Received unrestricted five-year funding to support community health initiatives.
- Kīpuka O Ke Olacore2019 Hui Partner serving the Hawaiʻi Island community. Part of the foundation's transformative approach to community health funding.
- Kōkua Kalihi Valleyflagship2019 Hui Partner and developer of the Pilinahā framework that guides the foundation's approach. Defines health through connection to place, community, past and future, and one's best self.
- Kualoa-Heʻeia Ecumenical Youth (KEY) Projectcore2019 Hui Partner focused on youth health and development in Oʻahu. Received unrestricted funding and capacity building support.
- Kumano I Ke Alacore2019 Hui Partner serving the Kauaʻi community. Part of the foundation's network of nonprofits addressing health in Hawai'i.
- Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIkecore2019 Hui Partner providing youth education and health programs on Maui. Received five-year unrestricted funding.
- Molokai Child Abuse and Prevention Pathwaycore2019 Hui Partner focused on child health and safety on Molokaʻi. Supported through unrestricted multi-year funding.
- Waimānalo Health Centercore2019 Hui Partner providing community health services in Waimānalo, Oʻahu. Home of Leinaala Bright who designed the foundation's 'ie'ie logo.
- We Are Oceaniacore2019 Hui Partner focused on Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian health statewide. Supported through unrestricted funding.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
HMSA Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Kamehameha Schools: Hawai'i-based endowed institution focused on Native Hawaiian education and wellbeing. Comparable in mission (uplifting Native Hawaiian communities), regional focus (Hawai'i only), and grantmaking/programmatic approach to community uplift.
Broad incumbents
- Kaiser Permanente Community Health: Community health arm of Kaiser Permanente, another major U.S. health insurer. Directly comparable to HMSA Foundation in being affiliated with a health plan pursuing community health grantmaking and place-based health equity work.
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: The largest U.S. health-focused philanthropy, funding initiatives on health equity, social determinants of health, and community wellbeing. Highly comparable in mission alignment with HMSA Foundation's Pilinahā-style community health approach.
- Kresge Foundation: Major national foundation with programs in health, place-based initiatives, and community development. Comparable in its emphasis on multi-year place-based grantmaking to community-led organizations working on health equity.
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Major foundation with significant focus on children's health, racial equity, and community-based approaches. Comparable in its commitment to community-driven solutions and multi-year unrestricted funding models to grantees.
- Conrad N. Hilton Foundation: Large private foundation with focus areas including children/youth, homelessness, and safe water. Comparable in its multi-year unrestricted grantmaking approach to grantees and emphasis on community-level systemic change.
Direct peers
- Hawai'i Community Foundation: Hawai'i's largest community foundation, also a grantmaking organization headquartered in Honolulu. Highly comparable given shared geography, similar mission of community health and wellbeing, and overlapping nonprofit partner ecosystem across the islands.
- The California Endowment: Large health-focused grantmaking foundation supporting community health, particularly in underserved communities. Comparable in its health-equity mission, multi-year community partnership model, and focus on community-based organizations.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation: State-level Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated health foundation supporting community health initiatives. Highly comparable as another health-insurer-affiliated foundation applying grantmaking toward community health outcomes in a defined geography.
- Blue Shield of California Foundation: Foundation affiliated with a major U.S. health insurer focused on community health, domestic violence prevention, and healthcare access. Closely comparable to HMSA Foundation in being a health-plan-affiliated grantmaker with mission overlap in community health.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HMSA Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceHMSA Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HMSA Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
HMSA Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HMSA Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HMSA Foundation
What does HMSA Foundation do?
HMSA Foundation is a public charity that makes grants to nonprofit organizations in Hawai'i committed to addressing the deeper roots of community health. Its flagship Hui Partners program provides five-year unrestricted funding, capacity building, resource sharing, and networking opportunities to selected cohorts of community-rooted nonprofits across the Hawaiian Islands. The foundation is funded by a $20 million endowment established by HMSA (Hawai'i Medical Service Association) in 1998 and guided by the Pilinahā framework developed with Kōkua Kalihi Valley and the Islander Institute.
Is HMSA Foundation a public or private company?
HMSA Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was HMSA Foundation founded?
HMSA Foundation was founded in 1986. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is HMSA Foundation based?
HMSA Foundation is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does HMSA Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: endowment Investment Returns.
Who are HMSA Foundation's main competitors?
Kamehameha Schools is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Kaiser Permanente Community Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Direct peers are Hawai'i Community Foundation, The California Endowment, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation and Blue Shield of California Foundation.
Does HMSA Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for HMSA Foundation.
What industry is HMSA Foundation in?
HMSA Foundation's product category is Community Health Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.