ABOUT THE APPLICATION:

Help Maui Rise is happy to announce the launch of our Phase 2 grant application! As you all know, transparency has been a priority for us since day one, and we wanted to break down the process and share some of what we’ve been figuring out in this new chapter.

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, Help Maui Rise is no longer operating within the emergency disaster relief window. The emergency charitable granting window is generally six months post-disaster. Given the ongoing devastation, we continued to issue disaster relief grants for an additional two months, with a goal of providing as much direct aid as possible. And we did! In 8 months, we were able to conduct 21 grant rounds and distribute a total of $734,517. That’s $400 to every GoFundMe on our list (1,247 ‘ohana) and $8-900 to 449 ‘ohana from our Lowest Funded tab.

We know that the recovery is ongoing! As we move away from the disaster date, we still hope this fund will be a resource -- to support the longer-term relief needs that we know are critical. We’ve spent the last month working with the amazing team at GoFundMe.org to understand how these charitable granting guidelines work and ensure that our application and granting protocols comply with charitable granting regulations. This setup will allow us to continue providing direct aid for the long haul.

As we enter Phase Two, we are rolling out an application to continue providing direct aid to those impacted by the Maui wildfires. Our priority is to maintain transparency and provide cash assistance while adhering to charitable granting guidelines.

Who Qualifies for Grants:

• Proof of Displacement: Applicants must provide proof of displacement due to the wildfires.

• Income Consideration: We prioritize households with incomes up to 300% of the federal HHS poverty level for Hawai'i. This means families with incomes up to three times the federal poverty level are given priority to account for Hawai'i's high cost of living.

• Receipt Agreement: Applicants must agree to provide receipts as they spend the grant funds.

We will distribute grants based on need stated by the applicant and available funds, with initial grants of up to $2,000 per family and potential additional grants of up to $10,000 as funds allow and as needs are assessed. Our goal is to support as many families as possible through transparent and fair grant allocation.

As we approve new applicants, we will allocate the funds raised regularly and update you as grants are issued to those who qualify.

We did our best to keep the application as simple as possible, breaking it down into two parts: the application itself and a needs assessment to help us best understand the current circumstances of our Maui ‘ohana.

We shared this application with several community members directly impacted by the fires to get as much feedback as possible in hopes of making the application simple and clear. During this process, we noticed several recurring questions and felt it would be useful to address them here as well.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Question #1: If I’ve already received grants from Help Maui Rise in the past, do I still need to apply?

Yes. This application differs from our prior submission form to be included in the Help Maui Rise Google Sheet. Regardless of whether you are already on our list or have received a grant from us during Phase One, you are still required to fill out this application to receive our grants. Please know that the Help Maui Rise Google Sheet remains unchanged; donors can still contribute directly to individual fundraisers. This application is specifically for those seeking grants from the Help Maui Rise One Click Donation collective hub (gofundme.com/helpmauirise) in this second round of grantmaking.

Question #2: How will the granting work?

If your application is approved, GoFundMe.org will distribute funds raised into our One Click Donation via grants. These donations may be  made to qualified GoFundMe fundraisers, or sent directly to grant recipients.  

Here is advice to keep in mind during the application process:

• If you are filling out the application for your ‘ohana, the GoFundMe beneficiary must match the first and last name on the application to qualify.

• Please ensure that your GoFundMe goal matches your current need for assistance. Grants cannot be made to fundraisers that have exceeded their goal.

• Make sure to set up your GoFundMe bank transfers. Click here to learn how.

• We highly recommend creating separate fundraisers for separate households, especially those with different addresses.

Question #3: Will I have to submit receipts to show how the grant funds are utilized?

Yes. It is required to collect proof of grant fund usage from our applicants. In simple terms, we can't legally provide funding to individuals without first fully understanding their need for assistance and collecting proof that the funding is being used as intended. This is because donations to the one-click hub are tax-deductible charitable gifts that are handled by GoFundMe.org and need to be distributed with the certainty of their charitable purpose. We understand that putting more work on fire survivors during these hard times is not ideal, so we will work to make this process as simple as possible. 

Our grants are for those who were displaced by the fires, so receipts for building materials, temporary housing, and replacement costs for lost material items will all suffice. Past receipts from purchases made before our grants are also acceptable if they were paid for with a credit card or loan that was then paid off by the grant.

We will send out detailed instructions on how to send these receipts in the near future after your application has been approved and grants have been distributed. Stay tuned!

All that being said, we are a small team, but we are here to help. Feel free to reach out to our team via Instagram or email (info@helpmauirise.org) with any questions or concerns, and help us spread the word to any affected families.

Mahlalo nui,

The Help Maui Rise team