Hawaiian Council

Hawaiian Council, formerly known as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), is a member-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians. Headquartered in Kapolei, it is a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certified by the U.S. Treasury department and a HUD-Certified Housing Counseling agency. It provides access to capital, financial education, and individualized financial counseling services with a focus on low and moderate-income families, and serves as a National Intermediary providing grants and loans targeting underserved communities in Hawaiʻi. Its programs and services include Rent & Mortgage Relief, Kilohana, and Community Programs, and it operates the Hawaiian Trades Academy.

Hawaiian Council was formerly known as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA). For over two decades, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement continued to uplift and empower Native Hawaiians. The organization moved forward with a name that fully reflects its kuleana (responsibility) and kūlana (role) in Hawaiʻi nei: Hawaiian Council. Like the ʻAha of old — councils of experts who guided and protected the people — Hawaiian Council brings together the strands of the lāhui: cultural practitioners, educators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and community voices. In ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, aho is a single strand of cord, strong on its own but made unbreakable when woven with others into an ʻAha. Its members, partners, and community are those strands, each contributing unique knowledge and skill to collective strength. The new name is described as more than a rebrand — a reaffirmation of the organization's role as a place where every strand is valued, every voice matters, and the community weaves together a future of Hawaiians advancing Hawaiʻi.

A member-based 501(c)3 non-profit and Native CDFI that uplifts lāhui and weaves together cultural practitioners, educators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and community voices.

• Rent & Mortgage Relief

  Helps find resources for ʻohana to thrive, from mortgage to utilities and assistance programs.

• Kilohana

  A collaborative of complementary change agents committed to fulfilling HTA's vision and specific directives.

• Community Programs

  Work with members of the community to develop the skills and resources needed to thrive.

• Hawaiian Trades Academy

  Offers training programs, including a Telehandler Certification Training Course.

1. 1Hawaiian Council | We Uplift Lāhuihawaiiancouncil.org
2. 2About Us | Hawaiian Councilhawaiiancouncil.org
3. 3Annual Reports | Hawaiian Councilhawaiiancouncil.org
4. 4Council for Native Hawaiian Advancementwikidata.org