Moiliili Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

What Moiliili Hongwanji Buddhist Temple does

Mo'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission (Moiliili Hongwanji Buddhist Temple) is a private nonprofit Shin Buddhist temple founded in 1906 and located at 902 University Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii. It operates as part of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii network under the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha tradition, delivering weekly Sunday worship services (typically at 9:00 a.m.), Dharma School religious education for children, memorial and remembrance services, and life-cycle programming for the local Shin Buddhist community. The temple is governed by a board led by President Joanne Kealoha and served by Resident Minister Rev. David K. Fujimoto, with affiliated internal organizations including the Buddhist Women's Association and Project Dana volunteer initiative.

The temple's service model is hybrid: in-person worship with refreshments and fellowship, supplemented by Zoom-based attendance since June 2020. Core published assets include "The White Way" newsletter (published seven times annually, archived online since 2005), "The White Way" English-language dharma radio broadcasts on KZOO 1210AM Saturdays 7:45-8:00 a.m. (archived since 2012), an active YouTube channel, and social presence on Facebook and Instagram. The technology stack is conventional web and broadcast — no proprietary platforms, AI features, or mobile applications are indicated.

The revenue model is donation-based: voluntary offerings during services, fundraising events (silent auctions, bazaars, ramen nights, Summer Fest, Bon Dance), and targeted campaigns such as the Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief contributions in August 2023 (including a $20,000 institutional donation and an earmarked August offertory) and an ongoing Capital Campaign for Temple Renovations. The customer base is a single persona — Honolulu-area Shin Buddhist community members seeking spiritual growth, religious education, and community connection — served through one physical site with digital extensions via Zoom, radio, newsletter, and social channels.

Name

Moiliili Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

Legal name

Mō'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission

Website

https://moiliilihongwanji.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mo'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission is a Honolulu-based nonprofit Shin Buddhist temple, founded in 1906 and affiliated with Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. It delivers weekly Sunday services (hybrid in-person and via Zoom), Dharma School, memorials, and community programming supported by donations, fundraising events, and broadcast media for the local Shin Buddhist community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious/Faith-Based Radio Networks (MPABABAC), Religious & Spiritual Festivals/Observances (Public Events) (MPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Buddhist worship services
• Shin Buddhist teachings
• Religious education programs
• Community cultural events
• Memorial remembrance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Offerings: Voluntary donations from members and the community, including offertory collected during services and specific disaster relief campaigns such as the Maui Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund
2. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising activities including silent auctions, bazaars, ramen nights, restaurant fundraisers, and community events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Mission provides Shin Buddhist worship services, religious education, and community programming. Its core offerings are weekly hybrid Sunday services (in-person and Zoom), monthly memorial and remembrance services, The White Way newsletter published seven times per year, and The White Way Radio Broadcasts on KZOO 1210AM. Supporting programs include Dharma School for children, the Buddhist Women's Association, Project Dana volunteerism, Zen Garden Meditation, and seasonal cultural events such as Bon Dance and the Mōʻiliʻili Summer Fest.

Product overview

Mō'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission is a Shin Buddhist temple offering a unified set of spiritual, educational, and community services centered on Jodo Shinshu teachings. The core offerings include weekly Sunday Services (held hybrid in-person and via Zoom), The White Way newsletter published seven times yearly, and The White Way Radio Broadcasts on KZOO 1210AM. Supporting programs include Dharma School for religious education, a Buddhist Women's Association, and participation in Project Dana. The temple also hosts seasonal cultural events such as Bon Dance, the Mō'ili'ili Summer Fest, and periodic educational seminars. All offerings are part of the temple's mission to serve as the center of Shin Buddhist spiritual growth, learning, and compassionate service in the Honolulu community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Project DanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA community service organization affiliated with Mō'ili'ili Hongwanji, focused on volunteerism and compassionate service. The temple hosts Project Dana anniversary services and volunteer appreciation events.
• Buddhist Women's Association (BWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn affiliated women's organization within the temple that conducts regular meetings, services, and community activities. The BWA holds its own Hoonko Memorial Service and publishes its own newsletter section.
• Honpa Hongwanji Mission of HawaiicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe parent organization of Mō'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission. The temple participates in organization-wide events, disaster relief efforts, and follows the guidance of the Bishop and Gomonshu.
• Hawaii BetsuinsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother Honpa Hongwanji temple in Hawaii that collaborates on events, shares speakers, and produces Japanese-language dharma talks that are broadcast on KZOO.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco Buddhist Church: One of the largest BCA-affiliated Shin Buddhist temples on the U.S. mainland. Comparable in service programming, multi-generational offerings, and English-language dharma broadcasting, providing a benchmark for what a larger urban Honpa Hongwanji temple can scale to.
• Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission: Another Honpa Hongwanji Shin Buddhist temple on Oahu, comparable in mission, programming, and member-base demographics. Direct peer for benchmarking Sunday service formats, fundraising approaches, and youth engagement.
• Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii: Parent administrative body of Mo'ili'ili Hongwanji Mission coordinating all Hongwanji temples in Hawaii. Operates the Jodo Shinshu Service Book, statewide disaster-relief funds, and shared broadcasting infrastructure used by the subject temple.
• Hawaii Betsuin Buddhist Temple: Honpa Hongwanji head temple in Honolulu. Directly comparable as a fellow Honpa Hongwanji-affiliated Shin Buddhist temple serving the same Honolulu market, with overlapping programming (Sunday services, dharma talks, Bon Dance), shared speaker exchanges, and joint radio content on KZOO 1210AM.
• Kona Hongwanji Mission: Honpa Hongwanji temple on the Big Island of Hawaii. Comparable in Shin Buddhist worship format, newsletter publication, and community-service programs, providing a useful regional comparison for membership scale and fundraising outcomes.
• Buddhist Church of Sacramento: Shin Buddhist temple affiliated with Buddhist Churches of America. Comparable in Jodo Shinshu worship, Dharma School programming, and newsletter/radio publishing model; cited in the data as a source of visiting speakers (e.g., Rev. Candice Shibata).

Others

• Project Dana: Volunteer and compassionate service organization affiliated with Mo'ili'ili Hongwanji. Comparable not as a competing congregation but as a co-located community-service program the temple hosts and whose anniversary services it organizes.
• Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii: Honolulu-based nonprofit preserving Japanese-American culture and history. Adjacent rather than directly comparable, but shares the same donor and member base, and provides a benchmark for cultural-program fundraising and community-event scale in Honolulu.

Emerging players

• Soto Mission of Hawaii (Zenshuji): Honolulu Soto Zen Buddhist temple serving the local Japanese-American community with a different Buddhist tradition. Comparable in scale, location, and community-service orientation, providing a cross-tradition benchmark for congregational engagement in Honolulu.

Broad incumbents

• Buddhist Churches of America (BCA): U.S. national coordinating body for Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha temples, including BCA-affiliated mainland churches and Hawaii temples under the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii umbrella. Comparable as the broader institutional framework within which the subject temple operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcx6rQgQZWn6UvMaYK7D8UA
• Facebookfacebook.com/moiliilihongwanji
• Instagraminstagram.com/moiliilihongwanji
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moiliili-hongwanji-preschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Moiliili Hongwanji Buddhist Temple