Hawaii Good Food Alliance

Overview

Mission

The Hawaii Good Food Alliance is a diverse hui of community leaders who share in the production, aggregation, and distribution of food.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, Hawaii Good Food Alliance (HGFA) advanced statewide food system transformation through programs that strengthen local agriculture, health equity, and community resilience. HGFA secured over $6.4 million for local food initiatives, including $450,000 to expand Food is Medicine efforts and develop the Aiaola Center & Community Care Hub. Through the Hawaii Good Food Fund, 20 farm and food businesses received $1 million in direct investment, supporting operational growth and food access. The Hawaii Food Hub Hui generated $32.4 million in local food sales, supporting 1,900 farmers statewide, while the Regional Food Business Center coordinated federal resources across Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, CNMI, and Puerto Rico.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 49% for direct work, and 51% for grants.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834503785
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021
Headquarters
Kailua, HI, USA
Phone
8086461314
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.6%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 90.4%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $292.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 36.3%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.6%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 59.4% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 66.9% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 73.6% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.6% of revenue deployed · 90.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $141K · 11 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $182K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 30 current checks pass · 3 findings to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 3 annual filings from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 20 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 16 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • S Kaiulani Odom (Executive Director): $141,346 total reported compensation
  • Saleh Azizi Fardkhales (Co Project Director): $132,974 total reported compensation
  • Harmonee Williams (Project Manager): $119,900 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.