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 staff. Puʻu noted staff had redacted personal contact information from application materials in the board packet and explained the tiered recommendation rubric (45+ = 100% of eligible request, 40+ = 75%, 35+ = 50%). Trustees and staff discussed the evaluator pool and scoring calibration; Puʻu said adding clearer numeric thresholds for native Hawaiian attendance and using multiple evaluators would improve consistency in future rounds.

Several trustees pressed staff on specific scoring and eligibility questions for the Hana Arts and Waipa applicants, including how native Hawaiian attendance was weighted. Puʻu acknowledged the attendance figures (Hana Arts estimated roughly 1,300 attendees, 800 native Hawaiian) and said future rubrics will clarify thresholds for ratings.

Trustees also heard from testifiers for other sponsorships: Mikaela Owen (Waipa), Kayla Hokusha (Huimāpua/Hoʻomau Molokaʻi), Patty Toncayo (ECOH/Kanahili Homestead-related project) and Lilia Kapunayi (Homestead Community Development Corporation, describing the Sovereignty Conference and its breakout sessions and fiscal sponsorship). Each presenter described event components, community reach, and how OHA sponsorship would support free community access, performers, or registrations for Native Hawaiian participants.

Committee members then turned to a nearly hour‑long administration presentation of the OHA preliminary biennial budget for FY2026–27. CFO Ramona Hink and Kapuhana (CEO) Stacy Ferreira outlined the budget construction and three core priorities: (1) becoming an employer of choice, (2) strengthening operations and infrastructure, and (3) executing transformational programs and services aligned with the board’s Mana'i Maoliola strategic plan. Key figures offered to trustees included projected contributions from the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund of $24,000,000 in FY2026 and $28,000,000 in FY2027, public land trust revenues of $21,500,000 annually, and state general fund appropriations of $3,000,000 annually. Combined, administration said the three core funding streams yield approximately $101,000,000 in available core revenues for the biennium.

Administration emphasized a conservative spending approach and said personnel and fringe account for the largest share of the core operating budget (approximately 42% across the biennium). Staff said beneficiary grants and services total roughly $34,000,000 across FY2026–27, split across direct beneficiary aid, organization impact funding, and systems‑strengthening investments. Administration proposed moving toward a mix of community grants and targeted contracts to deliver defined strategic programs along with continuing grants and sponsorships.

Trustees asked detailed budget questions. One trustee asked about the $94,000 honorarium line across the biennium; administration explained honoraria pay community facilitators and guest speakers and range up to $2,500 per individual depending on role and time. Trustees also queried a trustee protocol allowance and asked for a clearer linkage between strategic outcomes and dollar allocations; Kapuhana and staff acknowledged the request and said they could present targets tied to specific outcomes in subsequent briefings. Staff confirmed a proposed federal advocacy fellowship program (listed for design in the packet) envisioned multiple fellows serving in a Washington, D.C. placement and would include wages, housing and travel; staff said the program design and per‑fellow cost estimates would be refined.

Administration proposed a schedule of community consultations on the preliminary budget and asked the board whether to proceed with the dates or delay consultation pending any large changes to the preliminary package. Trustees signaled support for additional briefings and directed staff to provide more detailed line‑item budgets and clearer outcome metrics aligned with Mana'i Maoliola ahead of final board action.

The committee approved all five sponsorships by roll call and accepted the budget presentation for further refinement and community consultation.