Support Us | Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival

Please Support Us

While the festival is free and open to the public, it is completely dependent upon grants and contributions to defray the cost of producing the festival. Festival production and support staff volunteer their time and resources for this event. Festival production expenses including stipends for the professional festival entertainers and instructors, transportation costs for festival personnel, and miscellaneous production and administrative costs are completely supported through grants and donations.

Major Supporters

The Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection provides the festival venue and accommodations for festival musicians and staff.

The Laurence H. Dorcy Hawaiian Foundation was created in 2013 from the Estate of Laurence H. Dorcy offering grants to Hawaiian organizations whose charitable purposes are consistent with Mr. Dorcy's interests.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) provides comprehensive management of tourism for the State of Hawai‘i. The HTA is Hawai‘i's official source for information on tourism market research, partnership opportunities, industry news and timely updates during emergency situations.

Funding through the HTA's Community Enrichment Program provided for 2017 through 2019 festivals.

Funding through the HTA's Kūkulu Ola Program provided for the 2019 Special Edition Festival held in 2020 and the 2022 festival.

The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) promotes, perpetuates, and preserves culture and the arts in Hawai‘i. SFCA funding is provided by the State of Hawai‘i and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Funding provided for festivals in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
This festival is supported in part by the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

Additional Supporters

John Pearse Strings supports NextGen steel guitarists by providing steel guitar strings and accessories to them at no cost.

The Hawai‘i Island Steel Guitar Festival needs and welcomes your donations to help us underwrite festival production costs. If you wish to make a cash donation, please fill out the HIMELE Support Form. Your contribution may be tax-deductible and will go a long way to support and perpetuate music education and the Hawaiian steel guitar. Your kokua is sincerely appreciated. Mahalo!

All contributions will be acknowledged by a Mahalo (thank you) letter from Hawaii Institute for Music Enrichment and Learning Experiences (HIMELE), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and may qualify for a tax deduction. Consult your financial advisor to verify your eligibility.

Mahalo for your support!