Puna Strong Round 3, Kilauea Recovery Grant Round 2 open for Big Island

Additional rounds of two significant grant programs aimed at supporting recovery and resilience efforts for communities affected by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption on the Island of Hawai‘i have opened.

Puna Strong:

Puna Strong, now in its third year, provides investment directed towards Puna’s nonprofit organizations. Bolstered by partnerships with Hawai’i Community Foundation and the Oak Foundation, this program is poised to extend its influence across an additional 18-month duration, extending its impact into 2025.

In addition to access to grant funding, Puna Strong grantee organizations are supported through an Organizational Assessment program to further evaluate their growth and impact. Puna Strong grant recipients can expect to participate in a learning cohort with other grantees, technical assistance workshops, technical training and site visits.

Nonprofit organizations that are not currently grantees can take the first step by emailing their Letter of Interest to Chelsey Chow of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation at cchow@hcf-hawaii.org by Oct. 16.

After this Letter of Intent stage, new organizations and current grantee organizations will be invited to submit full applications, which will be due on Nov. 2. For more information about the program or how to submit an Letter of Interest, visit our website at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/multimedia/we-are-puna-strong.

Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program:

The Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program is back with its second round, providing recovery funding for nonprofits and community groups working on capital improvement projects in response to the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.

Nonprofits and community groups with nonprofit fiscal sponsors can apply for grants of up to $500,000 to support projects that rebuild or repair structures and infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the eruption, and support and grow programs that serve the communities impacted by the 2018 Kilauea eruption.

Initially established in 2020 through an amendment to Hawaiʻi County Code Chapter 2, Article 47, the program focused on immediate recovery needs.  In August 2023, further amendments provided more flexibility in the second round of the grant program to support ongoing revitalization efforts, focus on long-term resilience, and better support our local nonprofit organizations.

For more information or instructions on how to apply to the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program, visit our website at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/resources/recovery-grants.

Important Dates:

Puna Strong Round 3:

• Letter of Interest period begins: September 22, 2023
• Letter of Interest deadline is October 16, 2023
• Online Application Opens to Invited Organizations: October 20, 2023
• Online Application Due: November 2, 2023
• Award Letters and Payments are sent December 4, 2023
  

Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program Round 2:

• Application period: September 18, 2023
• Application deadline: October 27, 2023
• Decision announcement: November 2023
• First award installments: January 2024
  

Both programs aim to strengthen the long-term resilience of the Puna community and deepen networks and partnerships aligned with the goals of recovery and community well-being.

For more information and to access application materials, please visit our Kīlauea Recovery Website at recovery.hawaiicounty.gov/resources/recovery-grants.