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Spotlight Now: Hawai‘i Nonprofits Sound Alarm Over Federal Funding Cuts
September 2, 2025

Fellows mentioned in this story:
Shawn Kana‘iaupuni
Yunji de Nies

From Hawai‘i News Now:

Hawai‘i nonprofits may lose millions of dollars in federal funding as President Donald Trump’s administration shifts priorities.

Spotlight Now spoke with economists and nonprofit foundation leaders about potential impacts of federal funding cuts.

Shawn Kana‘iaupuni, CEO of Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF), said its funding is in jeopardy because 70% of its budget comes from federal funding.

One of the foundation’s programs, Tutu & Me, aims to bring childhood education into communities.

Kana‘iaupuni described possible effects if the loss of funding forced its closure.

“If you’re looking at Kauai, for example, we have four Tutu & Me sites there,” said Kana‘iaupuni. “They together serve about 200 families, and if we weren’t there, I’m not sure who would be able to fill that puka for the families that really rely on our services.”

Watch at hawaiinewsnow.com.


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