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| Kaʻōhao Community Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kaʻōhao Community Association |
| Caption | Community center, Kaʻōhao |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Type | Nonprofit community organization |
| Headquarters | Kaʻōhao, Molokaʻi |
| Region served | Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Kaʻōhao Community Association The Kaʻōhao Community Association is a local nonprofit based on the island of Molokaʻi in the State of Hawaiʻi that coordinates resident-led initiatives, land stewardship, and cultural programming. The association operates within the wider network of Hawaiian civic and resource organizations and collaborates with Native Hawaiian institutions, island councils, and federal and state agencies to maintain community infrastructure and preserve wahi kūpuna. It engages with educational, environmental, and cultural partners to support sustainable development, food security, and traditional practice revitalization.
The association traces its origins to grassroots organizing by Kaʻōhao residents inspired by movements associated with the Hawaiian Renaissance, Hawaiian Homes Commission Act communities, and the kūpuna-led advocacy seen in campaigns alongside ʻAha Moku practitioners, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Lānaʻi Cultural Center, and neighborhood coalitions formed after events like the Mauna Kea protests. Early efforts connected to land titles, water rights cases and community benefit agreements influenced its formation, drawing support and examples from groups such as Kamehameha Schools alumni networks, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation cases, and regional alliances that include Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action and The Nature Conservancy programs in Hawaiʻi. The association adapted models from community land trusts similar to those used by Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority projects and island-based nonprofit models practiced by organizations like Molokaʻi Humane Society and Molokaʻi General Hospital community boards. Leadership transitions mirrored governance reforms undertaken by other community organizations such as Papakōlea Community Association and regional stewardship networks affiliated with Kunia Agricultural Park and public-private partnerships with agencies like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The association is governed by an elected board modeled after nonprofit bylaws found in organizations like Hawaiʻi Community Foundation affiliates and guided by best practices from Independent Sector and local chapters of AmeriCorps. Membership criteria reflect residency and cultural participation similar to membership protocols observed by Waimea Community Association and cooperative structures used by Molokaʻi Ranch stakeholders. Meetings are conducted with community input processes akin to those used by County of Maui advisory committees, and bylaws reference compliance patterns seen in filings with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General and reporting standards promoted by Guidestar and IRS 501(c)(3) guidance. The board includes representatives with backgrounds linked to institutions such as University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kapiʻolani Community College, Hawaiʻi Pacific University, and professionals with experience from Hawaii State Judiciary and nonprofit incubators like Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center.
The association operates programs addressing food sovereignty, traditional fishing, and taro cultivation, drawing techniques and curricula used by Kūlanihākoʻi Native Hawaiian Seed Conservancy, Mahalo Food Hub, and extension services from University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension. Youth education initiatives partner with educators from Kamehameha Schools and community educators who have taught in programs similar to Hoʻokahua Cultural Center and after-school models from Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi. Environmental stewardship projects coordinate with field teams modeled after Pacific Islands Fisheries Group and restoration efforts like those conducted by The Nature Conservancy in Hawaiʻi and Coral Reef Alliance. Health and social services referral networks connect residents to clinics and programs such as Molokaʻi Community Health Center and state-run services delivered by Department of Health, Hawaii outreach. Housing advocacy draws on policy research from Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice and collaborative housing models piloted by Hawaiʻi Habitat for Humanity.
Land stewardship and protection of wahi kūpuna are central, with practices informed by moʻolelo stewardship approaches used by Office of Hawaiian Affairs programs and community-driven land trusts like Nā Maka o Puna. The association engages in kalo loʻi restoration reflecting methods taught at sites like Kōkua Kalihi Valley gardens and partners with native plant nurseries modeled after Lyon Arboretum propagation programs. It has navigated land use discussions paralleling disputes involving Honuaʻula parcels and community plan amendments similar to those processed through the County of Maui Planning Commission. Cultural education programming collaborates with hula halau and kumu drawn from networks including Nā Hōkū Hanohano award recipients and practitioners associated with Bishop Museum, reinforcing ʻike kūpuna and customary practices recognized in rulings involving Mauna Kea stewardship debates.
Funding streams include grants and cooperative agreements comparable to those awarded by National Endowment for the Arts, Kellogg Foundation, and state cultural grants administered through Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. The association seeks project funding through federal programs similar to Economic Development Administration awards and partners on infrastructure projects aligned with Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation grants and U.S. Department of Agriculture programs for rural communities. Collaborative partners span educational institutions like University of Hawaiʻi Maui College, conservation organizations such as Audubon Society of Hawaiʻi, and philanthropic entities including Aloha United Way and Kamehameha Schools philanthropic funds. Technical assistance has been provided by organizations with models like PLACE Lab and community development intermediaries similar to Enterprise Community Partners.
Annual events and outreach mirror festival and community-engagement formats used by Molokaʻi Ka Hula Piko Festival, Aloha Festivals, and cultural gatherings hosted by Hoʻokipa ʻIke, featuring workshops with practitioners from Hawaiian Civic Club chapters, lāʻau lapaʻau demonstrations akin to offerings at Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust events, and fishpond education sessions modeled after Loko Ea initiatives. The association uses media outreach similar to programming from KMNO (FM) and community newsletters patterned after Hawaiʻi Voice and partners for volunteer mobilization with networks like VolunteerMatch and campus service programs linked to Peace Corps Fellows alumni. Through these events it sustains intergenerational transmission of practices and builds regional alliances comparable to island coalitions formed between Molokaʻi and neighboring Lānaʻi and Maui communities.
Category:Molokaʻi Category:Non-profit organizations based in Hawaii