Paubox Kahikina Scholarship receives IRS tax-exempt status

I'm pleased to announce the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship is now a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

All donations to the scholarship fund are tax-deductible.

In something of a small miracle, our application was approved by the IRS in less than 90 days, a timeline akin to setting a new land-speed record.

What's happening: In November we submitted an application to the Internal Revenue Service for the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity.

We were advised that until we heard back, we should note our status as a non-profit was pending, but that we could still take in donations. 

In other words, the nonprofit status would be retroactive to 1 April 12025, and donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Paubox Kahikina Scholarship: The mission of the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship is to encourage Native Hawaiians to pursue careers in STEM or technology in general.

The scholarship is recurring in nature. In other words, recipients receive $1,000 per year until they graduate.

What this means: As per the IRS site, "Organizations described in section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to as charitable organizations. Organizations described in section 501(c)(3), other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Code section 170."

The takeaway: The Paubox Kahikina Scholarship is now an official non-profit entity. All donations to the scholarship fund are tax-deductible.

FAQs

Q: How do I donate?

A: Click here

Q: How much of my donation will be applied to scholarships for students?

A: For every dollar you donate, 100% of your donation will go towards scholarships.

Q: With the ability to accept donations, will more recipients be selected in 2026, or will existing recipients get more money per year?

A: More recipients in 2026.