Economic Resiliency – Areas of Focus

GRANT CATEGORIES

Direct Financial Assistance
Multi-Faceted
Navigation Services
Technology, Logistics, and Transportation
Workforce Development

Direct Financial Assistance 

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i - $5,000,000
Awarded 9/11/23 - $2,000,000
Awarded 5/6/24 - $3,000,000
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i (CCH) provides a range of social services with a focus on those with the greatest need. CCH has helped more than 2,600 fire survivors with housing-related and other financial assistance to cover basic needs and other day-to-day living expenses. Initial funding provided 4-6 months assistance to Maui residents displaced statewide, covering expenses including rent, utility, security deposits, moving expenses, furniture, replace or repair necessary personal property, travel, transportation, other basic needs, and more. CCH also provided support services such as financial literacy, case management, and counseling to work towards healing and sustainability. As CCH provides disaster case management to survivors, which helps create a recovery plan and connects households to community resources, the organization continues to assist those impacted by the fires with immediate and long-term recovery supports. Subsequent funding will be used to facilitate direct financial assistance to households that are FEMA ineligible and/or ineligible for any other financial or housing assistance. Referrals will be vetted through the disaster case management process, which can be accessed through intake with Aloha United Way's 2-1-1 Helpline.

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (10/3/23) - $250,000
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) administers the Host Housing Support Program, which offers financial support to households who are housing individuals and families displaced by the Maui wildfires. During the initial phase of this pilot program, eligible host households can receive $375 per person, per month based on the size of the displaced family being housed. Hosts can receive the monthly stipend for up to four people (up to $1,500), for up to six months. The financial assistance provided through the program can be used to cover additional costs incurred by host families, such as rent, utilities, and groceries. The stipends are also aimed at helping host families make reasonable and necessary home improvements that will better equip them to host, including: purchasing furniture, light fixtures, housewares; putting the funds toward an accessory dwelling unit; or minor improvements to ensure safety, comfort, and other essential criteria in host homes. CNHA estimates the pilot will provide support to approximately 500 individuals. Grant funds will go toward administrative and staff capacity needed to distribute $4 million committed by the American Red Cross. Applications can be completed at CNHA's Kākoʻo Maui Resource Hub in Kahului's Maui Mall, or on CNHA's website.

CNHA Host Housing Support Program (12/19/23) - $750,000
CNHA is increasing the support amount provided to eligible host households to $500 per housed individual, for a maximum monthly stipend of up to $2,000 for up to six months. The previous limit was $375 per individual, under a $1,500 monthly cap. Households across Hawai‘i that have taken in individuals or families displaced by the Maui wildfires still have the opportunity to secure financial support through the program that was launched in October.

Downtown Athletic Club of Hawai‘i (7/11/24) - $325,000
The Downtown Athletic Club of Hawai‘i (DACH) has supported sports in Hawai‘i since 2012 and has been a strong supporter of Lahainaluna High School (LHS) since last August's wildfires, replacing sports equipment and resources so that students could participate in sporting events. DACH has pivoted to supporting the post-secondary needs of recently graduated seniors at LHS, facilitating the first year of a financial aid program that addresses financial shortfalls with scholarships for those attending post-secondary school out-of-state. Funds awarded to DACH cover gaps in financial aid needs of no more than $25,000 to ensure the students can attend schools outside of Hawai‘i, often for participation in athletics programs. DACH will make payments directly to university or college financial aid offices and the LHS counseling department will manage engagement with students during the school year.

Hawaiʻi Community Lending (3/27/24) - $5,000,000
The mission of Hawaiʻi Community Lending, Inc. (HCL), a nonprofit 501(c)3, Native Community Development Financial Institution certified by the US Department of the Treasury, is to increase access to credit and capital for Native Hawaiians and other underserved populations residing in Hawaiʻi. The program is expanding its current work, deploying the Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program assisting owner-occupant homeowners with FEMA/SBA applications and appeals, a grant-funded public insurance adjuster, emergency credit counseling, loss mitigation to obtain first mortgage workouts, and access to other grants and low-interest loans to help fund their temporary living situations, existing mortgage payoffs, and future rebuilds. The program will support an estimated 500 Lahaina owner-occupant homeowners with navigation and support services to ensure they don't lose their homes.

Maui Economic Opportunity - $8,500,000
Awarded 8/14/23 - $250,000
Awarded 8/25/23 - $3,250,000
Awarded 10/24/23 - $5,000,000
Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO) has been providing low-income and underserved communities in Maui County with financial stability, support, and economic security for the past 55 years. In response to the Maui wildfires and in coordination with the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS), MEO will use funding to support 190 households who do not qualify for government emergency response aid due to their legal status. DHS has contracted with MEO to launch the Non-Recurring Short-Term (NRST) assistance program, which aims to help eligible households with incomes at or below 350 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and who have either experienced property damage or loss, lost earnings, or lost employment because of the wildfire disaster. Funding supports those without legal status, while DHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) supports those with legal status.

Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. (MEO) is providing support to individuals and families affected by the Maui fires by securing transitional housing for 6 to 12 months. It will pay rental deposits and provide rental assistance until the individual or family stabilizes. MEO will also assist with job searches and providing essentials not provided through other relief organizations. It is also using its existing transportation network to provide transportation for those in need.

Maui Family Support Services (11/17/23) - $100,000
Maui Family Support Services has been providing direct support to families with children, ensuring basic needs are met for many of Maui's displaced households as well as providing every participating and referred family with disaster preparedness kits. Funding will support the organization’s pivot to focus on addressing unmet needs for families still facing hardships, including deposits for rentals, security deposits for utilities, childcare subsidies, and more.

Maui United Way - $5,000,000
Awarded 8/30/23 - $1,500,000
Awarded 9/8/23 - $3,500,000
Maui United Way (MUW) established the Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) Program in response to the disaster's profound impact and its community's urgent needs. The EFA Program provides direct financial assistance to adult individuals who reside in the fire-affected zones through digital payment (Venmo, Paypal, direct deposit to individuals’ bank accounts) or pre-paid VISA cards (physical and electronic). MUW estimates that between 9,000 – 13,000 individuals have been affected. To date, MUW has already received nearly 9,000 applications, committed $5 million to EFA, and is seeking additional support to operate this program.

Women Helping Women - $179,592
Awarded 8/22/23 - $125,000
Awarded 7/5/24 - $54,592
The mission of Women Helping Women is to end domestic violence through advocacy, education and prevention, and to offer safety, support, and empowerment to women and children facing domestic violence. Initial funding supported security deposits, rental assistance, utilities, transportation, food, and hygiene and other needs for six months for 28 individuals, including children, affected by the wildfires who are seeking to escape domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Subsequent funding will continue to support 25 women and children, until October 2024, as they transition to other resources.

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Multi-Faceted 

Daniel R Sayre Memorial Foundation Inc (7/11/24) - $1,000,000
The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation's mission is to help save lives in Hawaiʻi. For the past 26 years, it has assisted the Hawaiʻi Fire Department and the County of Hawaiʻi by raising funds to purchase fire, emergency rescue, ocean safety, and aeromedical equipment, raising more than $40 million for these efforts, including the purchase of 14 fire trucks and two helicopters for the Hawaiʻi Fire Department to assist them with their life-saving missions. With this award, the Sayre Foundation will leverage support from other private donors to purchase at least four emergency vehicles that will be donated to the Maui Fire Department to ensure they can replace lost equipment and address the vulnerabilities that result from being under-resourced.

Goodwill Hawai‘i (9/1/23) - $250,000
Goodwill Hawai‘i (GH) has set up emergency response centers at five of its program offices statewide, including Kahului (Maui), Hilo and Kona (Hawai‘i Island), as well as Kapolei and Beretania (O‘ahu), to support those impacted with applications for resources and aid, including unemployment benefits, FEMA disaster assistance, food stamps, and emergency housing relief. GH has also offered access to its core employment services, including free job training, education, and placement support. The organization is also distributing emergency vouchers for impacted residents to redeem for clothing and household goods at any Goodwill Store in Hawai'i. These vouchers will be distributed to affected individuals through outreach at the organization's emergency response centers on Maui, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i Island. Funds will be a match to contributions from Goodwill Hawai‘i to support Maui's residents in need.

Grace Bible Church Maui (8/18/23) - $50,000
Grace Bible Church and Preschool is located in Kahului (Central Maui). During the first week of response, the organization was serving as a shelter and preparing 200 to 400 meals per night while also organizing resources and volunteers to those affected by the fires. Currently, the organization is preparing 230 meals, three times a day, to families housed with church members and first responders. With about 3,000 Lahaina students set to attend Central Maui schools, Grace Bible Church will help to meet student needs being reported by teachers who attend the church. Grace Bible Church will help to purchase school and athletic uniforms as well as school supplies for students transitioning to new schools that need the support.

Hale Mākua Health Services (8/14/23) - $500,000
Awarded 8/14/23 - $250,000
Awarded 9/22/23 - $250,000
Hale Mākua (HM) is working in Lahaina and out through Nāpili, in addition to its work in Kīhei and Kula, focusing on temporary and long-term housing solutions, donation gathering, transportation coordination, care navigation, behavioral health support and social work services. It is addressing technological needs and working on a mobile resource center. HM plans to serve at least 1,000 individuals through these ongoing, coordinated efforts. It is partnering with state agencies, the county of Maui, local and national pharmacies, FEMA/MEMA, and other nonprofits.

Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative (9/20/24) - $5,000
Hawai‘i Executive Collaborative (HEC) is a nonprofit organization that serves as a convener and a backbone organization to support Hawai‘i’s leaders in cross-sector collaboration. HEC has provided some backbone support to the Maui Economic Recovery Commission, which gathered a diverse group of recovery-focused stakeholders working to build a long-term economic recovery plan and associated projects. Funding supports incidental costs for the community gathering, leveraging government-provided resources.

Hawaii VA Foundation (10/20/23) - $125,000
Hawaii VA Foundation’s Our Kūpuna program provides shopping assistance, matching volunteers with seniors and persons with disabilities who are homebound, have difficulty shopping for necessities, and lack consistent access to nutrient-dense groceries of their choice. Funding will expand its current volunteer program by paying independent contractors to provide shopping and delivery services to Maui's seniors and persons with disabilities, with a focus on those impacted by the wildfires. Our Kūpuna accepts referrals from other nonprofits and care navigation services, including Hale Makua Health Services, Mālama I Ke Ola, Imua Family Services, and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. It expects to support approximately 100 seniors and persons with disabilities, and will hire 10-20 individuals for this 12-month program.

Nā ʻAikane o Maui (9/8/23) - $250,000
Nā ʻAikane o Maui is serving as a central hub for the Sheraton Kāʻanapali region, supporting nearly 1,200 individuals daily and in position to support all 1,900 residents housed with the hotels. The hub provides essential food and drink supplies; mother and infant care supplies; basic medical and hygiene supplies; batteries and PPE; clothes and toys for children and adults; and traditional healing services such as lomilomi and lāʻau lapaʻau, offered by cultural practitioners. Funds will be used to support the infrastructure of the hub operations, including technology supplies, contractual support, insurance, and other necessary expenses.

UHERO with fiscal sponsor UH Foundation (7/2/24) - $360,000
UHERO, the economic research organization at the University of Hawaiʻi, will support recovery and resilience efforts by serving as the data analytics arm of the recovery work at HCF. Program work will include preparing a report on the economic conditions of Maui and the social outcomes of the fire survivors before and after the fires, updated annually as new data is available to UHERO. The organization will also develop a joint partnership and dashboard with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement to serve as an organizing tool to gather narratives, blogs, and reports that inform topics relevant to recovery and resilience. This award supports three years of incentives for fire survivors to participate in the surveys administered by UHERO. The full program of three years of data collection and analytics will be supported by other leveraged funds.

Youth with a Calling (8/14/23) - $3,500
Nonprofit Youth With a Calling is delivering food and supplies to Lahaina with its boat. The organization is purchasing tools for the recovery, and for when residents are allowed access to search their properties. The organization is leading a team of recovery focused staff that will assist residents searching their damaged properties. All volunteers are unpaid and will dedicate large portions of their time to support individual families in Lahaina. The organization will be collaborating with the Catastrophe Team from Allstate.

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Navigation Services

Family Promise of Hawaiʻi (1/12/24) - $141,929
Family Promise of Hawaiʻi (FPH) provides critical housing services to prevent and end homelessness for children and their families. FPH’s mission is to help homeless and low-income families in Hawai’i achieve sustainable independence by mobilizing existing community resources and support. Funds will help FPH establish a team of six Maui-based staff (5 case managers and 1 supervisor) for the Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP). The staff will work one-on-one with families impacted by the wildfires to holistically address families’ needs and, in a culturally responsive manner, empower families to lead their own journey of recovery. These funds will support start-up costs to establish the DCMP office, supporting the work they will conduct over the next five years under the contracted services for Maui's families impacted by the fires.

Hawaiʻi Community Lending (9/6/23) - $250,000
Hawaiʻi Community Lending (HCL) is establishing a Kānaka Anti-Displacement Fund (KADF) to prevent displacement of Native Hawaiian homeowners from Maui impacted by natural and human-made disasters. The KADF will support homeowners who are referred for loss mitigation services, HUD housing counseling for crisis budgeting, FEMA application assistance, and access to a public insurance adjuster to review homeowner policies. Requested funds will go toward operations, outreach, and Maui-based staff. It will work with the Leialiʻi Homestead in Phase 1 and other Native Hawaiian homeowners in Phase 2.

Hawaiʻi Workers Center (11/17/23) - $200,000
The Hawai‘i Workers Center (HWC) has been supporting workers on Maui who were impacted by the fires, including co-staffing a tenants’ hotline in partnership with the Maui Tenants’ Association. This provided a window into current and emerging needs of those workers: housing access, unemployment assistance, stop-gap financial assistance, navigating government benefits systems, language translation, and more. Funding will support an increase in HWC staffers on Maui who will lead outreach services like resource navigation, the Maui Tenant Hotline, community gatherings, and social media outreach. Funds will also support education initiatives that provide displaced workers with Know Your Rights presentations, and offer support for tenants through counsel and advice. Finally, HWC will organize community through town hall "talk story" meetings, expand neighbor and community engagement, and conduct one-on-one conversations with renters and those impacted with unmet needs, including housing and employment.

Hawaiian Community Assets (2/23/24) - $250,000
A nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the well-being of Native Hawaiians and low- to moderate-income families through comprehensive housing and financial counseling services, Hawaiian Community Assets (HCA) offers a disaster response program with a mission to provide effective assistance to communities affected by natural disasters, with a focus on recent wildfires on Maui. The program aligns with HCA's broader mission by extending its expertise in housing and financial counseling to address the immediate and long-term impacts of disasters, encompassing housing, financial, and emotional aspects. The organization will bring on new housing counselors and a community liason dedicated to the disaster response efforts currently supporting a waitlist of families.

J. Walter Cameron Center (8/14/23) - $50,000
The J. Walter Cameron Center is a crucial hub for coordinating, distributing, and providing essential aid during these challenging times. The demand for services has been substantial, with a surge in requests for essential supplies, counseling, information, and volunteer opportunities. The Center has become a central point of contact for individuals seeking assistance and those wanting to contribute their time and resources. It currently offers coordination between agencies and organizations, resource distribution, counseling services, information center, volunteer mobilization, donation management, and, in the future, long-term recovery support.

Kelea Foundation - $274,720
Awarded 9/22/23 - $25,000
Awarded 4/1/24 - $249,720
The Kelea Foundation has been working with the disability community on Maui since 2018. Funding will secure a site in central Maui to serve as a hub for the Disability Hui, a partnership between Adaptive Maui and Aloha Independent Living to help those with disabilities who have been affected by the Maui fires. The site at 111 Hana Highway will be used for storage and distribution of durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and blood pressure machines, shower equipment, extended size clothing sent to Maui by FEMA, and other goods. It will also serve as a place where medical providers, occupational therapists, social workers, and other providers can pick up equipment for their clients, as well as a central meeting place for case workers and other volunteers, a central community center, a location for other non-profits in the Disability Hui to operate from, and a space for off-island medical providers to meet with patients or work on personalized care equipment service. The second 4/1/24 Maui Strong Fund grant will allow the organization to hire two full-time staff and secure an accessible van for its Inclusive Recovery Plan. Funds will cover one year of support to continue to identify and serve individuals with disabilities as clients of KF programming.

Lāhui Foundation (10/20/23) - $20,000
The Lāhui Foundation is holding ‘Ohana Resource Fairs several times a week in various places on Maui, collecting data and distributing financial assistance to those affected by the fires. Service providers at each fair help with housing, health insurance, document replacement, migration, business assistance, disaster relief, consulates general, and free of charge services like haircuts from area businesses. To ensure participants are given accurate information in their native language, the organization is also training interpreters on Hawaiian values, trauma-informed care, and available resources. The organization is also providing families with Kokua Binders to keep all their important documents and track disaster relief applications in one organized place. Funds will support the Kokua Binders, community navigators, translator services, and some transportation costs.

Live Like Tre' Foundation with fiscal sponsor Aunty Jan's House of Blessings (8/30/23) - $150,000
The Live Like Tre’ Foundation (LLTF), a Maui-based organization, is partnering with Aunty Jan’s House of Blessings to provide direct support to firefighters who have lost their homes and face financial hardships due to the loss of work. LLTF honors the life of Tre’ Evans Dumaran, a Maui firefighter that passed in early 2023. The organization is focusing its initial efforts on the 17 firefighters who lost their homes and face other financial instability due to family members losing their jobs. The initiative offers financial and emotional support to this first-responder community and is working to include other first responders in these efforts in the future. With these funds, LLTF is employing a volunteer case management approach to ensure families are supported with necessary services and resources unique to their needs, including housing, healthcare, education, mental health services, and more.

Mediation Services of Maui, dba Maui Mediation Services (8/24/23) - $50,000
Mediation Services of Maui (MSM) sees a critical need for more mediators as increased demand for legislation about housing and other issues comes in the wake of the fires. MSM's coverage area includes Lahaina, Kīhei, and Kula. During the recent landlord/tenant eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 1,000 cases were referred to MSM and 70 percent of the cases mediated reached an agreement. With these funds, it will facilitate mediation training to ensure qualified mediators from Maui Nui are ready to support those affected by the fires.

PONOlegal (2/23/24) - $200,000
PONOlegal, which stands for Pro Bono Organizations for Native ʻOhana, is a local Maui-based grassroots organization with a mission to connect those impacted by the Maui wildfires with trustworthy legal experts and other service providers who are ready and eager to answer their legal questions on a pro bono basis. PONOlegal has established a centralized referral program aligned with partnered legal organizations and individuals to support matching fire affected individuals and families with a pro bono legal entity. The organization is networked across Maui and will serve as a hub to coordinate services based on the needs requested.

United Policyholders (7/11/24) - $250,000
With a mission to be a trustworthy source of support and an advocate for insurance consumers across the nation, United Policyholders (UP) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that provided services through its Roadmap to Recovery® Program to households in more than 95 disaster-impacted regions since 1991. It assisted Hawai‘i communities after Hurricane Iniki (1992) and the Hawai‘i Island lava flow disaster (2018). With this funding, UP will operate its Roadmap to Recovery Program to offer outreach, education, and advocacy to help Maui homeowners, insured renters, and condo owners impacted by the fires, hosting in-person and virtual workshops and Q&A forums to answer questions related to fire recovery, with a Maui Wildfires Help Library available online.

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Technology, Logistics, and Transportation

Blue Water Rafting (8/11/23) - $5,000
Local boating company Blue Water Rafting, along with partnering local boat captains, are working collectively to transport supplies from Kīhei Harbor to those stranded in and above Lahaina town. Partners on the ground to this boat effort are several local truck drivers who are actively delivering to families in need and have been meeting the boat captains at designated harbors.

Community Workday Program, dba Mālama Maui Nui (8/14/23) - $100,000
Community Workday Program (dba Malama Maui Nui) is a nonprofit poised with vehicle support, volunteer manpower, equipment, and supplies to provide transportation for initial emergent support and then later utilize their heavy-duty trucks and equipment to support cleanup efforts. With their vehicles, they have done supply runs daily to take water, food, first aid, healthcare, and social services to support people in Lahaina. The next phase of their work is to help with waste/debris removal and will coordinate with government officials on this activity. They have experience cleaning up sites and can support with the proper equipment, hard hats, safety vests, gloves, road cones, tents, tables, chairs, high visibility attire, grabbers and reusable trash bags, and other things to create a sustainable approach to the work ahead. They have engaged a variety of partners including the County of Maui, houseless service nonprofits, social service nonprofits, food service providers, and other first responders.

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (3/12/24 - 1/31/25) - $250,000 (contract)
Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement was contracted to procure and manage the Maui Data Hub, a data resource product that houses aggregated data collected during the project term. Utilizing formal data agreements among a variety of agencies, the Maui Data Hub has been a public resource informing decisions by resource partners and other organizations collaborating on recovery programming.

Footprint Project (8/24/23) - $250,000
Footprint Project is coordinating with local NGOs, local government, local solar installers, and microgrid industry partners to provide free emergency power for community relief hubs in Maui. Solar grids are being deployed for community charging hubs, as on-the-ground partners are unable to pinpoint recovery of utilities in the region. As of August 18, four solar microgrids have been deployed at three community relief sites, and there are 12 potential sites available for installation. Funds will be used for solar and battery equipment procurement, installation and maintenance by local solar installers, and disaster program logistics and management. Partners on the ground include: Maui Nui Resiliency Hui, Maui County Council, Regenerative Education Centers, Direct Relief, ITDRC, SmartAID, and Empowered By Light. Industry partners for the technology installation include Hawai‘i Solar Energy Association, Sunrun, Rising Sun Solar, Greentech Renewables, Fortress Power, Schneider Electric, LONGi, Elcco Electric, SimpliPhi Power, and Sol-Ark.

Hawaiʻi Technology Academy - $107,300
Awarded 9/6/23 - $27,300
Awarded 1/12/24 - $80,000
The Hawaiʻi Technology Academy is a K-12 public charter school that operates a blended learning program in which 80 percent of coursework is online and 20 percent is in person. The school has enrolled 21 new high school students from Lahaina who were affected by the fires. Initial funds support transportation costs and laptop purchases for the students. Subsequent funding will help meet the growing demand for educational programming for West Maui students, supporting the purchase of laptops, chromebooks, and 12 weeks of transportation costs for Lahaina students who are enrolling into the program in increasing numbers.

Hawaiian Hope Org (9/6/23) - $225,000
Hawaiian Hope Org is a technology-based nonprofit that specializes in computer refurbishing. The organization seeks to provide 1,500 computers to those impacted by the wildfires. It has 5,000 computers in stock at two sites and has already begun distributing computers that are ready for use. Through these funds, the organization can staff a volunteer coordinator position that will lead the team of volunteers helping to get the hardware ready for use.

J. Walter Cameron Center (11/9/23) - $50,000
The J. Walter Cameron Center’s Laptop Relief Program aims to bridge the digital divide by supplying those in need with laptops, which are essential tools for families and individuals who need to access digital applications and important emails for relief and recovery assistance. The program serves communities island-wide, including Lahaina, Kīhei, Kula, and other areas impacted by the wildfires.

Lahaina Town Action Committee with fiscal sponsor Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua (11/17/23) - $200,000
Started in 1988 by local businesses and residents concerned about a temporary Front Street bridge impeding access to the town, the Lahaina Town Action Committee (LAC) is channeling all its resources to serve as a key facilitator for West Maui’s economic recovery and rebuild. After the fires, each small Maui business is facing an impact to their market—decreased customer base, less expendable income locally, and significant loss of wholesale markets in Lahaina. Funding will support LAC’s coordination, staffing, marketing, lodging, and administrative costs related to its Kokua for Maui - Shop & Show Aloha program that supports Maui small businesses by bringing them to events to sell to the local market in locations across the state, covering costs for travel and lodging, and providing a space for sales thanks to partnerships with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, County of Maui, Maui Office of Economic Development, Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival, Kapalua Resort Association, Royal Hawaiian Center, Southwest Airlines, Turo, K3 Marketing, and more.

Maui Economic Development Board (8/17/23) - $50,000
Maui Economic Development Board Inc. (MEDB) is running a small network of Starlink wi-fi/cell terminals and cell phone charging stations around the Lahaina and Westside impacted areas. The terminals and charging stations are being used nearly around the clock, providing connection to find loved ones and to fill out all the internet forms and resources those affected are being directed to. MEDB is coordinating with the Mayor’s Office, the Maui Police Department, and a range of Maui-based technology companies and donors.

Maui Nui Resiliency Hui - $248,760
Awarded 8/16/23 - $123,760
Awarded 8/25/23 - $125,000
Maui Nui Resiliency Hui (MNRH) is supporting the installation of 12 standalone power stations in Lahaina, where power has not yet been fully restored. Each solar power pack can power a Starlink terminal to provide internet access, and can connect to 128 devices for charging. This power service is critical to families still stranded in Lahaina. The organization is working with county councilmembers and the Maui Police Department to gain access to the secured community. There is a sense of urgency to get power to this community before any impending weather arrives to the islands. This is also considered a long-term need for the area. MNRH is also supporting two month subscriptions for seven Starlink terminals that have been donated to the community through a local partnership. MNRH will ensure the terminals are installed and operating.

Maui Reef Adventures (8/16/23) - $5,000
Maui Reef Adventures has been transporting supplies to Lahaina utilizing both Mala Ramp and Kahana Beach since August 10, 2023. It has completed six round-trip supply runs with Maui Gold Pineapple, which has donated 12,000 pounds of fresh cut and whole pineapple along with bottled water, fuel, non-perishable food, ice, pet food, diapers, and hygiene products. In addition, it recently worked with a company to deliver donated fuel, clothing, baby and pet food, baby bottles, formula, diapers, and non-perishable food products on its behalf. The company is also offering support with transporting individuals stranded by road closures out of Lahaina.

Nurture Cultivate (10/20/23) - $125,000
Since June 2023, Nurture Cultivate Inc. has run the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which helps ensure that qualifying low-income households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. Its focus has been in Koʻolauloa, Oʻahu, but it expanded its work to Maui after the wildfires. The ACP's main objective is to connect eligible community members to affordable internet service, and funding is primarily for on-island staff to conduct outreach and enrollment efforts, assisting with applications, and offering translation services. Funds will support Maui-based staffing costs to ensure Maui families can be signed up for the ACP program and be connected to other available technology-related resources, ensuring that people affected by the Maui fires remain connected and have access to essential services.

Project Strong One (9/8/23) - $8,950
Project Strong One is a nonprofit organization partnering with a collaboration among Maui-based community members seeking resources for their communities. Key partners include Maui Collective Contributor, the VA Clinic Pacific Island System, Tulsi Gabbard's "Helping Hands," and Healing Maui, who are all responding to the Maui fires in Lahaina and Kula. Project Strong One has sourced supplies at the directive of the local partners and is providing assistance in delivering 40 pallets of essential and consumable items. Funds are covering the cost to ship the items to these listed partner agencies and NGOs, who are coordinating pickup and delivery on Maui.

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Workforce Development

Children of the Rainbow Preschool (9/27/23) - $40,000
Located in the heart of Lahaina, Children of the Rainbow Preschool’s facility was severely damaged in the fires, but its staff of five intend to return to work at the site when it is re-opened. The organization has opened a temporary classroom space to continue working with children and families, and grant funds will be used to support child care stabilization, an essential service to families on Maui, through staff re-training and certificate maintenance for all staff members. Staff will complete at least 40 hours per month of training or hands-on experience to stay current in the early childhood field. Funds will cover six months of training for five employees and some materials and costs for the temporary classroom.

ClimbHI - $68,720
Awarded 8/30/23 - $17,000
Awarded 1/12/24 - $51,720
ClimbHI operates a Career and Technical Education program for the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOES) and will fund Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification for Maui residents. CERT-trained individuals are currently being sourced from O‘ahu to assist with Maui relief efforts. ClimbHI works with all the Maui public high schools and Maui College, and its students are eager to meet the need for CERT staff on island by becoming CERT-trained themselves. CERT-trained individuals are entered into the FEMA database and will deploy as needed to support emergencies by assisting with logistics, organizing volunteers, providing shelter support, and offering other skills needed to respond to disaster. ClimbHI is working with Maui's HIDOE staff and Maui College Chancellor to make this in-person training available to students and teachers on a first-come, first-served basis.

Subsequent funding allows ClimbHI’s Youth CERT Leadership Training program to meet the increased demand for participation by more than 100 students. The program is delivered by multiple partners including the American Red Cross Hawai‘i and University of Hawai’i Maui County Cooperative Extension.

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement - $200,000
Awarded 9/8/23 - $100,000
Awarded 11/8/24 - $100,000
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) launched a workforce development program on Maui to provide Maui residents with training to become certified to handle hazardous waste removal, clean-up, and rebuilding. These certifications are required to be able to work for employers that are contracting with FEMA and other government and private organizations engaged in the recovery work in areas destroyed by the wildfires. Training will cover two required certifications: OSHA-30 and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)-40. Initial funds supported fees for instructors, training facilities, materials and equipment, certification fees for 400 individuals, travel, and other administrative costs. Subsequent funding supported CNHA’s participation in the Maui Invitational, a basketball tournament returning to Lahaina after the 2023 wildfires. The program strives to stimulate the economy, highlight resilience, support local businesses, and uplift cultural practitioners through its operation of a Pop-Up Makeke (market) paired with a concert series featuring local artists over three days. In 2024, the tournament returns to Lahaina with intentions of reigniting hope and helping to restore the island’s spirit and economy. The program anticipates that all those attending the tournament will return to a focused effort on rebuilding Maui’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, musicians, and hālau. The program supported 30 small businesses from Maui, 20 of which are from West Maui.

Hawai‘i Land Trust (9/11/23) - $1,135,200
The mission of Hawai‘i Land Trust (HLT) is to protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawai‘i, and to perpetuate Hawaiian values by connecting people with ‘āina. Funding will support green jobs and new skills for 48 individuals from Lahaina who are out of work due to the wildfires, providing full-time employment for six months doing restoration work in Waihe‘e and Nu‘u Refuge.

Hawai‘i People’s Fund (8/23/23) - $100,000
The Hawai‘i People's Fund (HPF) recently established the Maui Aloha Urgent Action (MAUA) process, which provides direct grant funding to community and grantee partners mobilizing in the Relief and Response phase. Nine organizations have been identified and supported, but more are being funded each week. HPF's work is deeply aligned with grassroots community efforts that are meeting needs on the ground, as requested by Maui community voices. HPF is actively receiving gifts from individuals and foundations, is engaged in webinar briefings related to the crisis, and is experiencing an influx of activity related to the recovery efforts on Maui while its usual operations are being diverted. Funds are being used for strategic temporary hires, increasing HPF's capacity to award grants to the community in a timely and efficient manner and to connect with the communities it is serving in a meaningful way.

Hoʻiwai Fund (2/1/24) - $7,995
A 501(c)(3) organization and resource channel that redistributes wealth toward a more equitable and resilient Hawai‘i, Ho‘iwai Fund in partnership with One Shared Future, Inc. used funding to coordinate and facilitate the first Maui Economic Recovery Commission meeting on January 5, 2024, in Kahului.

KUPU (9/11/23) - $900,000
KUPU’s mission is to empower youth to serve their communities through character-building, service-learning, and environmental stewardship opportunities that encourage pono (integrity) with ke akua (God), self, and others. To combat nearly 8,000 reported unemployment cases among Maui residents, funding supports workforce development host sites on Maui, which provide employment with benefits, education awards, and support services through Kupu’s Conservation Leadership Development Program in partnership with AmeriCorps.

PIKO (9/22/23) - $145,000
PIKO works to expedite the reemployment process, enabling individuals to remain on Maui rather than seeking job opportunities elsewhere. It specializes in providing workforce development training for remote roles such as marketing coordinators, bookkeepers, administrative services, and data analysts. Funding supports at least 20 people who have lost jobs due to the wildfires and need to work to cover living expenses, and more people can be helped if placements occur before the full 90-day training.

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