The legislature awards nearly $50 million to Hawaiian nonprofits

Hawaii‘s 2022 legislative session may be long remembered for providing hundreds of millions of dollars to high-profile needs, but many smaller charities also received exceptional funding that year.

The bonanza of revenue flowing to the state that year allowed Hawaii lawmakers to restore — and dramatically expand — a grants program for nonprofits.

The program’s administrators this year awarded grants totaling $48.9 million to 177 organizations that have received 188 awards.

The legislature’s charitable donations this year followed a suspension of the program for the past two years due to budget constraints as Hawaii’s economy suffered the impact of COVID-19. Previously, grant program distributions in recent years have typically totaled around $30 million, including $30.4 million made by 155 grants in 2019.

Rep. Scott Nishimoto (D, McCully-Moiliili-Kapahulu) noted during an April state budget meeting that there was a significant backlog of aid grants this year.

“There was an unprecedented need,” said Nishimoto, chair of the legislature’s subcommittee on grants.

Rep. Sylvia Luke, chair of the House Finance Committee, remarked at the same session that she had never seen so many well-established non-profit organizations apply because such organizations typically do not have as much need to ask for money from the Legislature.

Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $1.6 million.

In many cases, applicants received less than they applied for, which is common since lawmakers generally want to help as many applicants as possible with a limited pool of funds for the program.

This year, the legislature received about 300 applications, which is similar to previous years.

The smallest award that year went to the Waiehu Chinese Cemetery Association, which requested $10,000 and was awarded $7,500 to protect Maui’s historic Kwong Fook Tong Cemetery from people driving vehicles onto the site and Damage graves that were created between the late 18th century and the 1960s. The nonprofit plans to erect a 300-foot wooden railing between the cemetery and the Kahekili Highway to prevent unauthorized vehicle access.

“Over the past two years, there has been an increase in homeless people and drug users who drive to the cemetery, loiter, dump garbage and are a nuisance to the Waiehu community,” said Daniel Ornellas, president of the nonprofit, in the organization’s application.

The largest government grant this year went to the Institute for Human Services, which requested $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 applying for $621,000 for the capital improvement project.

Nonprofit organizations that receive grants have a range of responsibilities in areas such as health, education, social services, arts and culture. To be eligible, a project must serve a public purpose. Separate grants are available for both operations and capital improvements.

IHS received one of only two grants of at least $1 million this year. The other went to the Blood Bank of Hawaii, which received a $1.15 million award to help fund a new $25.5 million facility planned for West Oahu is. The organization applied for $1.5 million and is grateful for the donation.

“The Blood Bank of Hawaii team is humbled and grateful that the Legislature deeply understands our important mission of providing a safe and adequate blood supply to the people of our islands and has recommended a generous relief grant,” said Kim-Anh Nguyen CEO of the organization said in a statement. “These funds will help build a facility on the west side of Oahu that will integrate new technologies to better serve our community. Mahalo to our legislative leaders.”

Release of grant funds is subject to approval by Governor David Ige and the State Department of Budget and Treasury.