The Maui fires in August 2023 have become one of the largest disasters in Hawaiʻi’s history, requiring a massive relief operation. With public and private organizations and entities coordinating their efforts. Government, business, nonprofits, and community members have all joined forces to help respond to the ever-evolving needs of Maui’s people and places.
HCF’s Role in the Maui Fire Relief Efforts
Community foundations are grantmaking charitable organizations dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. As a community foundation in Hawaiʻi with a more than 106-year history of catalyzing change through philanthropy, and convening partners to build equity, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) is in a unique position to aid in the Maui fire relief efforts. Our work includes not only strategic grantmaking through the Maui Strong Fund, but also sharing information, convening, coordinating, and collaborating with a range of partners.
To give some insight into how HCF is working to support the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places of Maui, here is a brief explanation of our Maui Strong Fund grantmaking process, as well as a few of the main partners and groups we’re working with to ensure a bright future for Maui.
HCF’s Maui Strong Fund Grantmaking Approach
The primary way the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation is engaging in Maui fire relief efforts is by strategically funding partners on the ground with Maui Strong Fund grants and other funding tools.
We are taking a four-phase approach to our disaster relief efforts. The approach acknowledges both the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people and places affected by disaster events, ensuring that the Maui Strong Fund will be available to support relief efforts over the full course of Mauiʻs rebuilding and restoration. (Click here for a PDF of the graphic below.)
We are currently in Phase 3: Recovery and Stabilization. In collaboration with Maui County, State of Hawaii, FEMA, and other partners, we have identified the following priority areas for Maui fire relief efforts:
- housing
- economic resiliency
- health and social service systems
- natural, historical and cultural resources
Once an application is received, our staff evaluates the proposal based on a standard template and those evaluations are considered in a peer review, evaluating on the basis of a structured criteria, including, but not limited to:
- Will the proposed work be effective in meeting the needs of Maui’s people and places affected by the fires?
- Is the applying entity in good standing and able to fulfill its proposed work with the amount of money being requested?
- Does this grant request fill a gap not being met by other funding sources?
The Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s standard grantmaking policies and procedures includes approving all grants above $100,000 with our Special Oversight Committee. The Maui Strong Fund threshold has been updated to align to these practices and policies to ensure consistency of grantmaking for the long-term response to Maui’s fire recovery.
This means that requests for funding of more than $100,000 will be reviewed through three levels of evaluation: a staff peer review, an evaluation committee, and a Special Oversight Committee (Board equivalent) for the final funding decision. All proposals above $1 million will require HCF Board of Governors approval as well.
To ensure that Maui Strong Funds are being used effectively, we require all grantees to document and report back on how their grant money was spent. Any unused funds must be returned to HCF.
When making grants, HCF draws on all available information in order to be able to distribute funds strategically and effectively. Much of this data comes from our work collaborating with partners in a variety of sectors, including government, business and nonprofit, which gives us a cohesive, big-picture look at all the different work being done to aid Maui’s recovery.