A Non-profit 501(c)(3) Organization

The Easter Island Foundation promotes conservation and protection of the fragile cultural heritage of Easter Island. The Foundation was organized in 1989 by a group of concerned scientists and interested persons who together were inspired by Rapa Nui’s incomparable archaeological treasures. The Foundation helped establish the William Mulloy Library (Biblioteca William Mulloy) on the island in 2002 and helped to support its operation, as well as the Biblioteca Rapanui at the Fonck Museum in Viña del Mar, Chile. Today the Easter Island Foundation continues to focus on educational projects that benefit the young people of Rapa Nui. In 2002, the Foundation created a Scholarship Program for college students of Rapanui ancestry. Since that time, the Foundation has awarded scholarships to dozens of Rapanui students, most of whom attend universities in on the Chilean continent, while some attend universities in the United States. The Foundation also supports other educational non-profits on Easter Island such as the Toki Rapa Nui School of Music and Terevaka Archaeological Outreach, both of whom work with educating the youth of the island, Toki via music and the arts, and TAO via programs in natural and cultural heritage preservation. In the past, the Easter Island Foundation has sponsored conferences about Easter Island and the Pacific and has provided books to both schools and libraries on the island.