Lawakua Charitable Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
473731349
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
Phone
8082869228
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$549,491
Expenses
$313,305
Assets
$2,345,424
Liabilities
$7,523

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MATTHEW LEVI (PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD)

People named in this filing

  • MATTHEW LEVI (PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD)
  • NICK DREHER (VICE CHAIRMAN)
  • ALEXANDER FERGUS (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization uses martial arts to teach confidence, coordination, structure, and discipline to youth, with a focus on at-risk and low-income children and to guide disadvantaged youths to a more hopeful future. The organization also provides educational assistance, such as tuition payments and other school costs.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lawakua charitable fund recruits at-risk and low-income children to join its martial arts club. They learn discipline, hard work, self-defense, team collaboration, and respect for others. The organization also uses martial arts to instill confidence, coordination, and structure to guide youth and provide them with educational assistance, such as tuition payments, school supplies, school books, uniforms and meals. The organization also provides all of the necessary martial arts equipment and gear for the children who are participating in the program.in-person kajukenbo classes started up again in 2022 and now are held three times a week on tuesdays, fridays and saturdays. Covid vaccinations are required for all participants. Classes were held at kuhio park terrace only, and no longer offered at palama settlement and halawa housing. Mid 2022, a third class was added on tuesdays. Virtual tutoring services continued as students preferred virtual over in-person sessions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 74% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 45% for direct work, and 55% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 74.1%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 43%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.49; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96% of revenue deployed · 74.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $232K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.