VASH
VASH (Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i Island) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Kailua-Kona that delivers crisis-response and support services — including bereavement, medical-emergency, and travel-change assistance — to visitors on Hawai'i Island referred by police, hospitals, and visitor-industry partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersKailua Kona, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What VASH does
VASH (Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i Island) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Kailua-Kona that delivers crisis-response services to visitors on Hawai'i Island. Founded in 1999 and operating with 1-10 employees plus a volunteer workforce, the organization serves travelers who experience adversity during their stay — including crime, medical emergencies, death of a loved one, and lost documents — by coordinating referrals from the Hawai'i County Police Department, local hospitals, airport security, and visitor-industry partners (hotels, airlines, rental car agencies). Volunteers assess each case individually and deliver a defined service mix: information and referral, food certificates, local emergency transportation, assistance with travel/lodging/rental-car changes, bereavement support, emotional support, translation services, and small aloha gift bags.
The underlying 'product' is a human-services delivery model rather than a technology platform; there is no proprietary software, API, or AI component, and service delivery is built on trained volunteers conducting in-person and phone-based casework. The organization extends its impact indirectly through goodwill arrangements with Hawaiian, Delta, and United Airlines (emergency fee waivers) and discounted lodging via Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, so beneficiaries receive more value than VASH directly pays for.
The revenue model is nonprofit and government-anchored: operating funds come from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and the County of Hawai'i (sourced from visitor hotel tax dollars) plus tax-deductible community donations and in-kind gifts (processed via PayPal). All services are free to the visitor at point of need, so there is no pricing model or revenue per user in a commercial sense. Geographic scope is regional — limited to Hawai'i Island (split into East and West coverage zones) with cross-referral coordination to neighbor-island Visitor Assistance Programs on O'ahu, Maui, and Kaua'i.
VASH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VASH
- Legal name
- Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i
- Website
- https://vashbigisland.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VASH (Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i Island) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Kailua-Kona that delivers crisis-response and support services — including bereavement, medical-emergency, and travel-change assistance — to visitors on Hawai'i Island referred by police, hospitals, and visitor-industry partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VASH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visitor Assistance / Nonprofit Crisis Services
- NAICS
- Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI) (BPAGAAAC)
Keywords
Where VASH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kailua Kona
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
VASH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding: VASH is funded in part by Hawaii Tourism Authority and County of Hawaii through visitor hotel tax dollars. These funds are intended to provide a safety net for visitors.
- Community Donations: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made via PayPal or by check. In-kind gifts of goods and services are also accepted.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
VASH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VASH Hawai'i Island provides free crisis-support services to visitors on Hawai'i Island who experience crimes, medical emergencies, the death of a loved one, lost documents, or other adversities. Services are delivered by trained volunteers upon referral from the Hawai'i County Police Department, hospitals, airport security, and visitor-industry partners, and include information and referral, emergency transportation, travel/lodging change assistance, bereavement and emotional support, translation, food certificates, and small aloha gift bags. The organization is funded by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, County of Hawai'i, and community donations.
Product overview
VASH (Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a unified visitor assistance program rather than a technology product portfolio. The core offering is the Visitor Assistance Program, which provides comprehensive crisis support services to visitors affected by adversity on Hawaii Island. Supporting services include Information and Referral, Emergency Transportation, Travel and Lodging Assistance, Bereavement Support, Emotional Support Services, Translation Services, Food Certificate Program, Aloha Gift Bags, and the Travel Safety Guide educational resource. The organization does not offer technology products or software platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visitor Assistance Program
- Travel Safety Guide
- Donations Program
Companies that use VASH
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
VASH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
VASH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Hawaii County Police DepartmentcorePolice department refers visitors affected by crimes and emergencies to VASH. This is a key referral partner for the organization.
- Local Hospitals (Hilo Medical Center, Kona Community Hospital, North Hawaii Community Hospital, Queen's North Hawaii Community Hospital)coreLocal hospitals refer visitors who experience medical emergencies to VASH for follow-up support services including emotional support, travel changes, and lodging assistance.
- Hawaiian AirlinessupportingHawaiian Airlines has waived ticket change fees and assisted visitors in emergency situations, including converting tickets to 'opened' status for visitors who needed to extend their stay due to medical emergencies.
- Delta AirlinessupportingDelta Airlines has waived change fees and assisted with ticket changes for visitors dealing with emergencies, including deaths and medical situations.
- Hilo Hawaiian HotelsupportingProvides discounted 'kama'aina' rates for visitors who need to extend their stay due to emergencies, saving families significant amounts on lodging.
- United AirlinessupportingUnited Airlines has assisted visitors with flight changes and refunds in emergency situations, including cases involving deceased passengers.
- PayPalsupportingPayPal is used as the primary digital payment method for accepting donations to support VASH's visitor assistance programs.
- Visitor Assistance Programs on Other Hawaiian IslandscoreAll four major Hawaiian Islands have Visitor Assistance Programs, each operating separately and independently but each dedicated to the mission of sharing the aloha spirit with visitors facing adversities. Programs exist on Oahu (808.926.8274), Maui (808.244.3530), and Kauai (808.482.0111).
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
VASH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VASH social profiles
Digital presenceVASH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VASH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
VASH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VASH 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 VASH
What does VASH do?
VASH Hawai'i Island provides free crisis-support services to visitors on Hawai'i Island who experience crimes, medical emergencies, the death of a loved one, lost documents, or other adversities. Services are delivered by trained volunteers upon referral from the Hawai'i County Police Department, hospitals, airport security, and visitor-industry partners, and include information and referral, emergency transportation, travel/lodging change assistance, bereavement and emotional support, translation, food certificates, and small aloha gift bags. The organization is funded by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, County of Hawai'i, and community donations.
Is VASH a public or private company?
VASH is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was VASH founded?
VASH was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VASH based?
VASH is headquartered in Kailua Kona, United States, in the North America region.
How does VASH make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are community Donations.
Does VASH have an API?
No public API is recorded for VASH.
What industry is VASH in?
VASH's product category is Visitor Assistance / Nonprofit Crisis Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAK, Local Public Health & Human Services Administration, with a secondary code of BPAGAAAC, Emergency Shelter, Camp Management & Non-Food Items (NFI). Its NAICS code is 624230 and its SIC code is 8300.