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Hawaii’s 2022 Legislature may long be mainly remembered for appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars for high-profile needs, but many smaller worthy causes also received extraordinary funding this year.
The bonanza of revenue flowing to the state this year allowed Hawaii lawmakers to restore — and dramatically expand — a grant program for nonprofits.
Administrators of the program awarded $48.9 million in grants this year to 177 organizations that received 188 awards.
The charitable giving by lawmakers this year followed a suspension of the program in the past two years because of budget constraints as Hawaii’s economy was reeling from COVID-19 impacts. Prior to that, distributions from the grant-in-aid program typically totalled around $30 million in recent years, including $30.4 million awarded through 155 grants in 2019.
Rep. Scott Nishimoto (D, McCully-Moiliili-Kapahulu) noted during an April meeting on the state budget that there was considerable pent-up demand for grants in aid this year.
“There was an unprecedented amount of need,” said Nishimoto, chair of the Legislature’s Subcommittee on Grants-in-Aid.
Rep. Sylvia Luke, House Finance Committee chair, noted at the same meeting that she had never seen so many well-established nonprofits apply given that such organizations usually don’t have as much need to seek money from the Legislature.
Grant award amounts ranged from $7,500 to $1.6 million.
In many cases, applicants received less than they had sought, which is common given that lawmakers generally want to help as many applicants as they can with a limited pool of money for the program.
This year the Legislature received about 300 applications, which is similar to recent years.
The smallest award this year went to the Waiehu Chinese Cemetery Association, which sought $10,000 and received $7,500 to protect the historic Kwong Fook Tong cemetery on Maui from people driving vehicles into the grounds and damaging gravesites that date back to between the late 1800s and 1960s. The nonprofit plans to put up a 300-foot-long wood railing between the cemetery and Kahekili Highway to prevent unauthorized vehicle access.
“Over the past 2 years there has been an increase in homeless persons and drug users that are driving onto the cemetery, loitering, dumping trash and creating a nuisance for the community of Waiehu,” Daniel Ornellas, president of the nonprofit, said in the organization’s application.
The largest legislative grant-in-aid this year went to the Institute for Human Services, which sought $4.6 million and received $1.6 million to help the homeless shelter provider serve more people. Oahu-based IHS also received a separate $350,000 grant to improve its information system after seeking $621,000 for the capital improvement project.
Nonprofits receiving grants have a range of missions spanning fields that include health, education, social services, art and culture. To be eligible, a project must serve a public purpose. Separate grants are available for operations as well as for capital improvements.
IHS received one of only two grants this year at or above $1 million. The other one went to Blood Bank of Hawaii, which received a $1.15 million award to help pay for a new $25.5 million facility planned for West Oahu. The organization had sought $1.5 million and is grateful for the contribution.
“The team at Blood Bank of Hawaii is humbled and thankful that the Legislature deeply understands our critical mission to provide a safe and adequate blood supply to the people of our islands and has recommended a generous Grant in Aid,” Kim-Anh Nguyen, the organization’s CEO, said in a statement. “These funds will help to build a facility on the West Side of Oahu that incorporates new technologies to better serve our community. Mahalo to our legislative leaders.”
Release of grant award funds is subject to approval from Gov. David Ige and the state Department of Budget and Finance.
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Large award recipients
A sampling of nonprofits that received grants over $500,000 from the Hawaii Legislature this year.
>> Hawaii Agriculture Research Center
>> Hawaiian Humane Society
>> Kalihi Community Center
>> Maui Arts and Cultural Center
>> Special Olympics Hawaii
>> YMCA
>> Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific
>> Maui Economic Development Board
>> Hamakua Health Center
>> Adult Friends for Youth
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