Kailua, HI

KEALAKAI CENTER FOR PACIFIC STRING TRADITIONS

EIN 83-3322371

Arts, Culture & Heritage Cultural Heritage & Traditions Indigenous communities

Mission

To research, restore, and celebrate the pivotal role that Hawaiian and Pacific music and musicians have played in the evolution of contemporary stringed instrument designs and related musical styles, and to preserve and share that cultural and musical legacy through exhibitions, education, and partnerships.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

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About KEALAKAI CENTER FOR PACIFIC STRING TRADITIONS

The Kealakai Center for Pacific String Traditions (KCPS) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Kailua, Hawaiʻi, focused on documenting, conserving, and promoting the history and living practice of Hawaiian and Pacific stringed-instrument traditions. The organization researches historic instruments and repertoires, builds digital and physical exhibits (the Pacific String Museum initiative), and collaborates with museums, universities, and community partners to make those collections accessible to the public. In recent years KCPS has been active in public programming and collection-sharing: contributing historic instruments to university exhibits and concerts, developing an online Pacific String Museum, and securing grants to support cataloguing, conservation, and educational projects. Leadership and advisory board members include local cultural practitioners, luthiers, music scholars, and museum professionals who guide research, curation, and community-facing activities.

Notable achievements

Grammy Museum Grant Award

Awarded a grant through the Grammy Museum grant program to support KCPS programming and preservation work, enabling expanded documentation and public-facing projects.

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Funding

Received foundation funding to support the Center’s arts-and-culture initiatives and project work to catalog and conserve historic Hawaiian string instruments and recordings.

Development of the Pacific String Museum (digital and exhibit loans)

Built and expanded a digital Pacific String Museum and loaned historic ʻukulele and guitar collections for university and museum exhibits and concerts, increasing public access to century-old Hawaiian instruments and their histories.

At a glance

Total assets: $37K
Annual revenue: $280K
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 83-3322371
Location: Kailua, HI
Website: www.kcpstrings.com
On Mahalo since: May 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Operates as a federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 83-3322371) and is listed in public grant and nonprofit disclosure records.

Featured in regional media and public radio coverage for its work documenting Hawaiian music history and building accessible collections and exhibits.

Partnered with cultural and museum organizations (including participation on Google Arts & Culture and collaborations with universities and local museums) to broaden access to its collections and scholarship.

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