OHA committee approves event sponsorships totaling $48,500 and previews preliminary FY26–27 biennial budget

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Budget & Finance Committee on April 23 approved five event sponsorships and heard an administrative presentation of OHA’s preliminary fiscal year 2026–27 biennial budget.

Votes at a glance - BF‑25‑28: Hana Arts — Mei Mele/Hana Hoʻolaleʻa series, May 2–16, 2025 — approved, $5,000. - BF‑25‑29: Waipa Foundation — Waipa ʻĀina Festival, May 3, 2025 — approved, $4,000. - BF‑25‑30: Tuhui (Hoʻomau Molokaʻi) — Hoʻomau Molokaʻi 2025, May 3, 2025 — approved, $14,500 (eligible request $14,500 after review). - BF‑25‑31: ECOH Education Foundation / Hawaiian Community Development Board — Prince Kūhiō Film Festival, May 3, 2025 — approved, $10,000. - BF‑25‑32: Homestead Community Development Corporation — 2025 Hawaiian Homeland Sovereignty Conference, June 2025 — approved, $15,000.

The committee recorded public testimony for several items. Becky Lin, executive director of Hana Arts, said the Mei Mele Hana Hoʻolaleʻa series is a free, month‑long program of hula, music, workshops and keiki events in Hana she described as cultural education and community healing following the Maui wildfires. "OHA’s support would ensure these events remain free and accessible for all our ʻohana," Becky Lin told trustees.

Kapunui Puʻu presented the five sponsorship recommendations and described the review process and scoring matrices used by…