Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium
To inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of pacific marine life.
GiveRadar doesn't take a cut. Donate directly on their site.
Make your donationAbout Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium
The Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium (FOWA) is the membership organization of the Waikīkī Aquarium dedicated to supporting its mission.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
To inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of pacific marine life.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar animal welfare in United StatesConcerns
· 1 red flagWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- GiveRadar has verified more about this organization than about 85% of the 40,468 animal welfare charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
- It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyFriends of the Waikiki Aquarium is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Honolulu, HI, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1995 and has been operating for 31 years. Its EIN is 990322295. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 74/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $485K in annual revenue. 45 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.
Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 990322295. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 74 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United States is 90/100.
Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium is located in Honolulu, HI, United States. The organization was established in 1995 and has been active for 31 years.
Based on official tax filings, Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium has $485K in annual revenue. It allocates 54% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 91% for animal welfare charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium is classified as an Animal Welfare organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). It has $485K in annual revenue. The organization has 45 disclosed officers and directors.
GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.
According to GiveRadar's records, Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 54% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 91%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
The Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium (FOWA) is the membership organization of the Waikīkī Aquarium dedicated to supporting its mission. Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1995.
Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: It allocates 54% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 91%. Its annual revenue of $485K is below the peer average of $1M.
Yes, donations to Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 990322295, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTaxes
Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
FRIENDS OF THE WAIKIKI AQUARIUM is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (12)
Source: Public filings
12 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.
Have you donated or volunteered here?
Share your experience - it takes 30 seconds. Verified reviews help other donors decide.
Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United States
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 45 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
-
Financial data · FY2024 on record
-
Named leadership · 45 officers on file
-
Executive pay · Disclosed
-
Government registration · Registered with an official registry
-
Mission statement · Published
-
Official website · On record
-
Headquarters address · On file
-
Direct contact · Email or phone published
-
Tax-deductibility · Verified
-
Founding date · 1995
-
Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyAre you the owner or a board member?
If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong with this charity's page. We review every report and typically reply within 2 business days.
Report sent
Thanks for flagging this. Our team will review it.
Press Esc to close
Save Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium?
Create a free GiveRadar account to save charities and track them in your dashboard.
Quick facts about Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium
- What is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium?
- Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium is a animal welfare supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Honolulu, United States. The Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium (FOWA) is the membership organization of the Waikīkī Aquarium dedicated to supporting its mission.
- When was Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium founded?
- Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium was founded in 1995.
- Who leads Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium?
- Alan Matsui serves as Treasurer.
- Where is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium located?
- Headquartered in Honolulu, HI, United States.
- What is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100K-$1M. 54% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium trustworthy?
- Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 990322295.
- What is Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium's website?
- http://www.fowaquarium.org