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Grant Writing Guru This Page is dedicated to helping small and medium-sized non-profits or individuals that want to start a non-profit.

Before asking, “Can we win this Hawaii City, County or State grant?,” nonprofit boards should ask another question: “Can...
10/22/2026

Before asking, “Can we win this Hawaii City, County or State grant?,” nonprofit boards should ask another question:

“Can we finance the work while we wait for reimbursement?”

Maui County’s Niu, Kalo and ʻUlu grant guide illustrates the issue. Its payment structure generally requires grantees to pay eligible expenses and then request reimbursement.

An upfront disbursement also requires justification and approval.

At Villa Business Consulting, we know cash-flow planning part of grant readiness.

Who pays the first payroll? Which funds cover supplies? What documentation supports reimbursement?

Our perspective is straightforward: a strong proposal connects the: community need; program budget; and organization’s ability to deliver.

Winning an award is one milestone. Financing and documenting successful delivery require their own plan.

Homestead ʻOhana, the clock is already ticking. If your nonprofit serves Homestead communities, please read this. DHHL h...
10/18/2026

Homestead ʻOhana, the clock is already ticking.

If your nonprofit serves Homestead communities, please read this.

DHHL has three FY27 grant solicitations open:

- RFP-HHL-003: Improvements

- RFP-HHL-004: Programs

- RFP-HHL-005: Capacity Building

WHO CAN APPLY?

- 501(c)(3)s with board governance and board-approved authorized signatories

- Current Hawaii Compliance Express certificate of vendor compliance

Project primarily benefits existing Homesteads (applicants may also be served) One proposal per RFP.

No double-dipping with other funding requests.

Project must be shovel-ready, or able to start by July 1, 2027 and finish before June 30, 2032

WHERE THE POINTS ARE

- Organizational Capacity: 30
- Sustainability: 30
- Project Readiness: 20
- Community Support & Relations: 10
- Beneficiary Involvement & Partnerships: 10
- Matching Funds / In-Kind: up to 5

Sixty points ride on two questions:

- Can your organization deliver?
- Will the work last after the grant ends?

A beautiful idea will lose to a ready one.

After 27 years of writing federal grants for Native Hawaiian communities, here's the pattern I see most often: strong organizations lose on paperwork, not on mission.

- An expired HCE certificate.
- A missing board resolution.
- A PDF too big to email.

Please share this with your Homestead Association, board, and anyone doing the work on Hawaiian Home Lands.

If your organization needs experienced professional assistance, my inbox is open.

Last night’s Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (NHCC) 2026 ʻŌʻō Awards Gala was the 49th annual event. It was held at ...
10/17/2026

Last night’s Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (NHCC) 2026 ʻŌʻō Awards Gala was the 49th annual event. It was held at the Sheraton Waikīkī.

Mari and I are NHCC members, and our company was privileged to sponsor a VIP table.

Event’s Theme: Kūkulu i ka Hoʻoilina o Hawaiʻi, "Building the Legacy of Hawaiʻi"

2026 Honorees:
- Kuʻuipo Kumukahi, Guardian of Hawaiian Culture &; Mele. She's a kumu, cultural practitioner and Hawaiian music artist, and co-founder and president of the Hawaiian Music Perpetuation Society.
- Richard "Rick" Fernandez, Builder of Community and Opportunity. He's a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, a former AECOM vice president and a past NHCC president.
- Brickwood Galuteria, Connector of Community & Leadership. He's an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee and a former state senator.
- Kimo Kahoano, Ambassador of Hawaiʻi's Culture & Aloha. He's an entertainer and broadcaster who has emceed the Merrie Monarch Festival for 45 years.

Since 1977, the NHCC has presented the ʻŌʻō Award to Native Hawaiians who have made significant contributions to their communities.

Carved from native hardwood, the award represents the traditional Hawaiian ʻōʻō (digging stick), a tool used to cultivate the land.

It is a fitting symbol of the honorees enduring contributions. Just as the ʻōʻō helped cultivate the ʻāina (land), these exceptional individuals have helped cultivate Hawaiian culture, strengthen communities, create opportunities, and build a lasting legacy for future generations.

It was an amazing event and our table of professional colleagues had a great time…!

Mahalo, VA Pacific Islands Health Care SystemYesterday was a privilege: serving as a Hispanic Heritage Month guest speak...
10/16/2026

Mahalo, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System

Yesterday was a privilege: serving as a Hispanic Heritage Month guest speaker at the Kapolei VA Clinic.

The allotted time slot was 15 minutes, 1/4 of the hour-long presentation I usually do on the history of Hispanics in Hawaiʻi.

So it was just a snapshot of our 232-year history in these beautiful Hawaiian Islands.

Even so, it covered a lot of ground:

- from the Spanish sailor who became a resident of Honolulu in about 1794;
- to the Mexican vaqueros that taught the Hawaiians the art of cattle ranching;
- to the Puerto Rican families who came to work on the sugar plantations;
- and on to the 152,000-resident Hispanic community that serves, works, and raises families across the islands today.

The best part came afterward. Attendee after attendee shared that they were surprised to learn how much of this history they had never heard.

When people leave wanting to know more, a presentation has done its job.

Speaking to veterans and VA staff meant a great deal to me. After 23 years in the Air Force, a room full of people who served – my tribe -- felt like home.

A special mahalo to James Ingebredtsen, Assistant Director -- and the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System team -- for the invitation, warm welcome, and certificate of appreciation.

And to everyone who came, asked questions, and stayed to talk story: Gracias, Thank You, and Mahalo…!

Hispanic Heritage Month ended yesterday, but these stories belong to our global Hispanic community all year long.

Mari and I are the International Salsa Museum’s (ISM) grant writers. ¡Felicidades to the entire ISM team on the new webs...
10/16/2026

Mari and I are the International Salsa Museum’s (ISM) grant writers.

¡Felicidades to the entire ISM team on the new website!

Growing up in Spanish Harlem, I knew Salsa was more than music. It was the soundtrack of: our streets; our families; our culture; and our neighborhoods.

Seeing that history preserved, shared and celebrated by ISM means a lot to many of us across the globe.

The new site does exactly what the mission promises: it preserves the past; educates the present; and influences the future.

Highlights include: virtual exhibitions; artist interviews with The Recording Academy, Sony Music and Meta; Allen Spatz's photography; and the "Our Thing" podcast with Rosie Perez.

The new donation portal also makes it easier for many people to help build the museum's permanent home in New York City.

I encourage everyone who loves this music to explore the site, share it, and become part of the journey.

¡Que viva la Salsa!

As an Afro-Puerto Rican -- and a former Air Force officer -- I am doubly proud to be the Hispanic Heritage Month guest s...
10/15/2026

As an Afro-Puerto Rican -- and a former Air Force officer -- I am doubly proud to be the Hispanic Heritage Month guest speaker tomorrow at the Daniel Kahikina Akaka VA Clinic in Kapolei.

My topic is "The History of Hispanics in Hawaiʻi: 1794 to the Present."

It covers the contributions Hispanics have made to Hawaiʻi for 232 years.

Contrary to popular belief, Hispanics are not the new kids on the Hawaiian block. We helped build the block!

Our history begins with Francisco de Paula Marín, a Spaniard who arrived in Honolulu around 1794. He served Kamehameha I as: translator; business manager; "doctor,": and vintner. (Yes, he made w**e for the king!)

Since then, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards -- and many Hispanics from around the world – made these islands their home and they contributed to the betterment of our local society.

Hawai’i’s Hispanic population this month is estimated to be 152,000, roughly 10.6%.

That means one-of-every-ten Hawaii resident is Hispanic.

This is what we do...
10/09/2026

This is what we do...

Honolulu's FY2028 Grants-in-Aid Cycle Opens Today The City & County of Honolulu's Office of Grants Management is schedul...
10/09/2026

Honolulu's FY2028 Grants-in-Aid Cycle Opens Today

The City & County of Honolulu's Office of Grants Management is scheduled to release the FY2028 Grants-in-Aid (GIA) RFP today.

Proposals are due: Nov 30, 2 p.m. HST

GIA funds nonprofit services for disadvantaged populations and public-benefit projects in:

- arts
- culture
- economic development
- homeless
- the environment
- education
- workforce training
- health
- seniors
- youth.

Organizations can request up to $150,000 for October 2027 through September 2028 project year.

Mari and I have worked with this program for 10 years. Its one of the most important local funding opportunities for our Oahu nonprofit clients.

Last year we submitted eight applications, and six were funded.

If you're an Oʻahu nonprofit -- or know one -- that wants help with its application, call us at (808) 367-1761 for a free 30-minute consultation.

My topic is "The History of Hispanics in Hawaiʻi: 1794 to the Present." Many people are surprised to learn that Hispanic...
10/09/2026

My topic is "The History of Hispanics in Hawaiʻi: 1794 to the Present."

Many people are surprised to learn that Hispanics – military and civilians -- have lived here and contributed to Hawaii for 232 years.

One trivia fact I present: “Francisco de Paula Marín left the first written record of pineapple cultivation in Hawaiʻi, in his diary entry of January 21, 1813.” Did he plant the first pineapple in the kingdom? That's debated, but he was the first to document planting one.

Over the past 40 years, Ive spoken at Hispanic Heritage Month events at nearly every military installation on Oʻahu.

This will be my first presentation at the new VA clinic. As a former Air Force officer, I'm especially proud to share the history of our community in these beautiful islands with the veterans and staff who serve there.

Hispanic Heritage Month always takes me back to my roots in Spanish Harlem, where I grew up dancing Salsa in the streets...
10/07/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month always takes me back to my roots in Spanish Harlem, where I grew up dancing Salsa in the streets.

That's why serving as grant writer for the International Salsa Museum means so much to me.

Under Co-Founder and Executive Director W***y Rodriguez, the museum is working to build a permanent home in New York City, the birthplace of Salsa.

Its mission is to preserve the history of Salsa, Mambo, Son, and Latin Jazz and to pass it on to the next generation.

This mission is part of my DNA.

¡Que viva la Salsa!

Address

PMB 344 POB
Honolulu, HI
30800

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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(808) 499-9024

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