501(c)(3) Public Charity · EIN 39-2930549
COTA Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.
We help families and students across Hawaiʻi through two programs: the Community Essentials Program and the Scholarship & Family Support Program.
The IRS granted our tax-exempt status effective 26 February 2026 under EIN 39-2930549.
COTA Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of underserved individuals and families throughout Hawaiʻi. Our registered office is at 176 Mamo St, Hilo, HI 96720.
Our programs address both immediate needs and long-term opportunities. From nutritious meals and essential supplies to scholarships and school resources, every initiative is built around dignity, compassion, and community.
We believe that when families have access to basic necessities and educational opportunities, entire communities become stronger.
To request assistance, volunteer, or partner with us, call (772) 212-0788 or email cotafoundation9@gmail.com. We respond to every enquiry.
COTA Foundation was founded by Shaunna Cota, a lifelong Hawaiʻi Island resident who grew up facing housing instability and hardship in Hilo. She knows what it is to move again, to go without, and to be looked at differently for needing help in a place where everyone knows everyone.
That experience shaped every decision this organization makes. Shaunna saw which kinds of help actually changed a family’s direction and which kinds only got someone through the week. She saw that people rarely needed a lecture — they needed a meal, a ride, a fee paid, and someone who kept showing up.
So every COTA program is rooted in three things together: faith, structure, and real opportunity. Faith gives the work its heart. Structure keeps promises from becoming vague intentions. And real opportunity — a scholarship, a mentorship, a home — is what actually moves a family forward.
COTA Foundation helps anyone in our community who needs it. We do not ask anyone to hold a particular belief, attend a gathering, or take part in any religious activity in order to receive food, clothing, supplies, a scholarship, or any other assistance.
Faith shapes why we do this work. It never decides who we help.
Supporting families through immediate assistance including nutritious meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, household essentials, baby supplies, and school resources.
Our scholarship program helps students and families overcome financial barriers by providing educational assistance and emergency support.
COTA Foundation is directed by its founder, Shaunna Cota, and the work is carried out by volunteers who live on Hawaiʻi Island. In 2026 that team included Teresa Acasia, Tasha Augustus and Quentin Saragosa.
We have no paid fundraising staff. Goods reach families either because someone donated money to buy them, or because a local organization donated the goods themselves. Hilo Coast United Church of Christ is one such partner.
Our mission statement and what it means in practice are set out on our home page. What we actually delivered in 2026 is recorded, with dates and places, on our impact page.
Your support helps COTA Foundation continue providing essential resources to families in our community.
Join our community efforts and help make essential support more accessible.
