The Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund

The Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund is dedicated to supporting statewide disaster and emergency related preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and resilience. Because we can’t predict when or where disaster will strike, the fund is designed to move quickly and flexibly across all islands, deploying resources to where the need is greatest at the moment it arises. Whether it’s Hawai‘i Island, Maui Nui, O‘ahu, or Kaua‘i, no corner of our state is out of reach.

When you give to the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund, you're investing in a resilient Hawaiʻi before, during, and after disaster.

Your Generosity, Coordinated for Greater Impact
When disaster strikes Hawaiʻi, your gift to Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) goes to work immediately and stays at work long after the headlines fade.

HCF has a proven track record of responding to major disasters across our islands, bringing together philanthropic partners, government agencies, and community organizations to make sure every dollar given goes further. We coordinate with trusted partners who know the needs of their communities well.

How your support works
HCF approaches disaster relief in four phases because rebuilding lives and communities won’t happen overnight. Your generosity supports the full journey.

Visit our Stronger Hawaiʻi platform at www.strongerhawaii.org, to learn more about how your investment also helps connect communities with timely information, resources, and responsive grantmaking when crises unfold. The platform grows over time, expanding to meet evolving community needs long after any single disaster.

Give today. Build a stronger Hawaiʻi for tomorrow.

Help us spread the word!
Download our free Social Media Toolkit and share the mission of the Stronger Hawai‘i Fund with your friends, family, and followers. Inside you'll find ready-to-use graphics to make it easy to show your support.

Together, we can build a stronger Hawai‘i — one share at a time.

Are You a Nonprofit Seeking Support?

If your organization is responding to disaster, whether through direct relief, recovery services, or community resilience efforts, want to make it as easy as possible for you to access funding.

Nonprofits seeking support can apply through the Hawaiʻi Resilience and Response Funder Collaborative, a growing network of 25+ funders coordinated by FunderHui. Simply submit a request through the common application linked below.

How It Works

• One application, many funders. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis across the full network of participating funders, meaning a single submission can connect your organization to multiple funding sources.
• Built to reduce burden. We know nonprofits are stretched thin during crisis. This streamlined process is designed to minimize paperwork so you can stay focused on the communities you serve.
• Resources move faster. There are no fixed deadlines. The rolling review ensures funding decisions happen quickly and continuously as needs evolve.

Who Is Eligible?
Nonprofit organizations, fiscally sponsored projects, and community-based groups engaged in direct response, recovery, or resilience efforts across Hawaiʻi. Applicants should demonstrate a clear connection to the communities they serve.

 

As of September 18, 2026, we have made the following awards to Hurricane Lowell grantees from the Stronger Hawai'i Initiative:

• Aloha United Way (Kauaʻi) — $20,000 to connect Kauaʻi residents with critical information, resources, and support through the 211 Hawaiʻi helpline in partnership with Kauaʻi United Way.
• American Red Cross (Kaua'i) — $50,000 to support displaced residents through emergency shelter operations, meals, health services, damage assessments, and coordinated recovery efforts with county and emergency management partners.
• Chef Hui (Kauaʻi) — $30,000 to provide community meals and coordinate food distribution and essential support services in North Kauaʻi through a partnership with Waipā Foundation and Nā Maka Onaona.
• Chef Hui (West O'ahu) — $10,000 to expand access to meals and food resources for Oʻahu residents affected by Hurricane Lowell, particularly in West Oʻahu.
• Child & Family Services (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to provide critical supplies and assistance for Kauaʻi residents impacted by Hurricane Lowell through CFS Family Centers in Waimea and Kapaʻa.
• Hale Halawai (Kauaʻi) — $5,000 to expand access to gas assistance, emergency supplies, and essential resources for vulnerable families and households on Kauaʻi, with a focus on North Shore communities.
• Hanalei Initiative (Kaua'i) — $10,000 to provide fuel and coordinate the sourcing and distribution of emergency supplies for North Shore communities on Kauaʻi impacted by Hurricane Lowell.
• Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi) — $100,000 to strengthen food distribution efforts for communities across Kauaʻi, ensuring access to essential resources during ongoing power and communications disruptions.
• Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi County) — $10,000 to coordinate the procurement, delivery, and staging of preparedness food resources for vulnerable families and households on Kauaʻi through a network of seven emergency partner agencies.
• Iwikua (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to establish a community hub providing internet access, device charging, and connectivity support for Westside residents impacted by Hurricane Lowell.
• Kākoʻo Lāhui (Kauaʻi County) — $2,000 to support vulnerable families and households on Ni‘ihau and West Kaua'i through the procurement and delivery of preparedness resources donated from O'ahu.
• Kākoʻo Lāhui (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to establish a community-led hub in Wainiha providing essential supplies and basic needs for rural and isolated households, especially those with kūpuna.
• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (Kauaʻi) — $40,000 to coordinate the procurement and distribution of emergency resources and supplies across community organizations, including commercial ice, for communities across Kauaʻi impacted by Hurricane Lowell.
• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (Kauaʻi) — $25,000 to address gaps in emergency resources and supplies across Kauaʻi through the coordinated distribution of generators, commercial ice, and other critical support for communities affected by Hurricane Lowell.
• Kauaʻi Humane Society (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to maintain animal care services and shelter operations through emergency power support, food and supply purchases, and other essential resources.
• Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank (Kauaʻi) — $25,000 to coordinate food distribution and emergency resources, including water and meals-ready-to-eat (MREs), for communities across Kauaʻi.
• Keala Foundation (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to coordinate road clearing and debris removal efforts, helping restore access to communities across Kauaʻi's South Shore and surrounding areas.
• Kumano I Ke Ala (Kaua'i) — $10,000 to conduct community-led assessments that identify emerging needs, inform resource coordination, and support community-driven recovery efforts.
• Laulima no nā ʻOhana (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to provide essential support services for kūpuna impacted by Hurricane Lowell, including meal delivery, transportation, household assistance, and access to critical supplies.
• Mālama Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi) — $50,000 to help farmers and ranchers across Kauaʻi recover by providing emergency resources and addressing losses to agricultural infrastructure, equipment, crops, and livestock.
• Nourish Kauaʻi (Kauaʻi) — $15,000 to restore meal delivery and essential support services for kūpuna in impacted communities by reestablishing operations and replacing critical equipment and supplies.
• Project Vision Hawaiʻi (Kauaʻi County) — $10,000 to provide preparedness resources, supply distribution, and mobile outreach for vulnerable, houseless residents on Kauaʻi ahead of Hurricane Lowell.
• Salvation Army Hanapepe Corps (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to provide emergency meals and essential resources for residents near the Hanapēpē location.
• Salvation Army Lihue Corps (Kauaʻi) — $10,000 to provide emergency meals and essential resources for residents near the Līhuʻe location.

As of September 15, 2026 we have made the following awards to Tropical Cyclone Lala grantees from the Stronger Hawai‘i Initiative:

• Chacah Broadcasting Network (Hawaiʻi Island) — $27,800 to restore and strengthen critical radio communications across Kaʻū, Pāhala, and Discovery Harbor, helping residents access timely information and emergency alerts.
• Community First Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi Island) — $249,000 to provide coordinated recovery support and direct community assistance programming following Tropical Cyclone Lala, including financial assistance for households and funding for community-based organizations.
• Hawaiʻi Animal Kuleana Alliance (Hawaiʻi Island) — $50,000 to provide emergency animal assistance and essential resources to pets, livestock, and the communities caring for them following Tropical Storm Lala.
• Hawai’i Island Art Alliance (Hawaiʻi Island) — $10,000 to support recovery and well-being through programming for returning students and school staff at Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary School following Tropical Storm Lala.
• Hawaiʻi Island Humane Society (Hawaiʻi Island) — $20,000 to replace critical veterinary supplies lost during Tropical Cyclone Lala and strengthen emergency response capacity for future disasters.
• Hawaiian Council (Hawaiʻi Island) — $100,000 to provide emergency water resources and other related response measures for local ranching operations impacted by Tropical Cyclone Lala, supporting a vital source of employment and economic stability for local households now in recovery.
• HOPE Services Hawai‘i (Hawai‘i Island) — $10,000 for food & supplies; water; emergency shelter; transportation; communication / info sharing; financial assistance.
• Hui Mauli Ola (Hawaiʻi Island) — $25,000 to provide Hawaiian healing arts programming in partnership with Moku o Keawe Nā Kūpuna, fostering healing and recovery for vulnerable families on Hawaiʻi Island.
• Kākoʻo Lāhui (Hawaiʻi Island) — $5,000 to build community resilience in Wood Valley through the development of a community hub for residents facing limited access due to road conditions.
• Kākoʻo Lāhui (Hawaiʻi Island) — $10,000 to coordinate essential resources and support services across community hubs in Pāhala, Waiohinu, Wood Valley, Nāʻālehu, and Kaʻū, strengthening access to assistance for rural and isolated households affected by Tropical Cyclone Lala.
• KEY Project (O'ahu) — $50,000 to strengthen community response efforts in the Koʻolau Region, including feeding programs and access to power and internet following storm damage and extended outages.
• Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū (Hawaiʻi Island) — $50,000 to remove storm debris and oversized boulders, and restore agricultural infrastructure, helping reopen a Hawaiian language and ʻāina-based learning program serving keiki, makua, and kūpuna in Kaʻū following Tropical Storm Lala.
• Kids Hurt Too (O'ahu) — $50,000 to advance community-led response efforts across the Waiʻanae Coast through a network of local partnerships connecting residents to food, essential supplies, navigation support, and outreach.
• Kupu (Oʻahu) — $16,800 to support hot meals preparation by the Kupu Culinary Program in Wai'anae Coast and across O'ahu for communities impacted by widespread power outages.
• Makai Foundation (Maui County) — $7,500 to provide essential resources, supplies, and recovery support to vulnerable households in Maui affected by both the Kona Low storm and Tropical Storm Lala. 
• Malama Kula (Maui County) — $10,000 to support debris removal and cleanup efforts across Upcountry Maui following storm damage, including green waste disposal services for impacted communities.
• The Food Basket Inc. (Hawaiʻi Island) — $100,000 to support the distribution of water, ready-to-eat food, and non-perishable essentials to affected communities across Hawaiʻi Island.
• The Salvation Army Hilo Corps (Hawai'i Island) — $50,000 to support emergency feeding operations and ensure affected residents have access to meals and basic necessities.
• Vibrant Hawai‘i (Hawai‘i Island) — $10,000 to assess and support immediate community needs and community-led response efforts.
• Vibrant Hawai‘i (Statewide) — $250,000 for financial assistance, food & supplies; water; communication / info sharing; cleanup & recovery.