Impact
Pacific Tsunami Museum
The Trust has committed $200,000 to the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo. An initial $100,000 gift in 2024 helped the museum keep its doors open and stabilize during a financial crisis. A second $100,000 gift in 2025 brought the total to $200,000 and was used to encourage others to match and invest in the museum’s long-term future.
Vision To Learn & Project Vision Hawaiʻi
Through support for Vision To Learn (in partnership with Project Vision Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education), the Trust helps keiki across Hawaiʻi get the glasses they need to see clearly in school.
Together, this statewide effort has provided more than 50,000 vision screenings, 13,900 eye exams, and 9,700+ pairs of glasses to students in Hawaiʻi—at no cost to children or their families.
University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo & UH Foundation
A $200,000 gift in 2023 to the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management at UH Hilo created the Edmund C. Olson Trust 2 Scholarship, with preference for students from Kaʻū. An additional $100,000 gift in 2024 strengthened the fund and expanded support for future agriculturists and natural resource managers.
Additional giving was provided through the UH Foundation supports student programs, education, and community-focused initiatives that align with the Trust’s mission.
Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation / ʻĪmakakāloa Heiau
In 2025, the Trust made a $100,000 grant to the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation to support the care, restoration, and stewardship of ʻĪmakakāloa Heiau and its surrounding lands in Kaʻalāiki, Kaʻū. This gift builds on years of community work to restore the heiau as a living cultural, educational, and spiritual site, and is intended to help attract additional support from others.
Additional Community Support
Alongside these major commitments, the Trust also makes many gifts to local organizations throughout Hawaiʻi. These contributions help uplift community programs and reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting the people and places Ed cared for.
The Trust’s forthcoming commitments—including planned support for the YMCA of Hilo, YWCA of Hawaiʻi Island, Goodwill Industries of Hawaiʻi, Hilo Palace Theater, and continued giving to UH Hilo and the UH Foundation—are all made with a simple goal:
To inspire others to join in, so that every dollar we give helps unlock additional support for the land and people of Hawaiʻi. If you would like to match any of our donations email us mokuaina@olsontrust.com.
Trustees
Our work is overseen by:
Donald Lam, Trustee – U.S. Mainland
Paul Alston, Trustee – Hawaiʻi
They help ensure that the Trust’s giving remains aligned with Ed’s values and long-term vision.