The 2018 Kīlauea eruption destroyed hundreds of homes, covered miles of roadways, and altered the landscape of lower Puna. But, through this adversity, the people of Puna have shown their resilience. The County is aiming to tell the stories that show how residents rose to the challenge and implemented community-driven actions, often with partnership from the County.  Puna Strong is a grant program supported by the County of Hawai'i and Hawai'i Community Foundation that remains focused on disaster readiness and building community resilience for the Puna communities impacted by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption on the Island of Hawai‘i with an investment in nonprofit organizations and partnerships leading community-driven projects.

9/23/24 Puna Strong Collaboration Grants Update:

We are excited to announce a new funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations serving the Puna area through the Puna Strong Collaboration Grants. This grant program is focused on disaster readiness and building community resilience for Puna communities impacted by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations can apply for grants ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 to support projects that foster collaboration among nonprofits, government agencies, and other entities. The deadline to apply is October 10, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. HST.

To assist with the application process, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) hosted a virtual informational session on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. You can view a recording of the session here.

9/23/24 PRESS RELEASE: THE COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI AND HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE PUNA STRONG COLLABORATION GRANTS OPPORTUNITY

9/25/23 PRESS RELEASE: COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I ANNOUNCES OPENING OF PUNA STRONG ROUND 3 AND KĪLAUEA RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM ROUND 2

1/22/24 PRESS RELEASE: THE COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI AND HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE THIRD ROUND OF PUNA STRONG GRANT RECIPIENTS 

For more information on the third round of Puna Strong, please scroll down to "Third Year of Puna Strong."

First Year of Puna Strong:

The first round of grants supported the work of 26 organizations that addressed a range of issues important to the community, including mental health, home and community food production, youth development, cultural grounding, environmental protection, educational opportunities, access to community-focused information, and readiness to respond to community emergencies/disasters.

Second Year of Puna Strong:

The second year of Puna Strong awarded grants to various organizations in the Puna district. Of the 14 organizations that were selected through a rigorous organizational assessment and application review process this year, 13 were involved in the program last year. Grant awards varied between $20,000-$50,000 for each organization.

These 14 organizations are focused on a range of issues important to the community, including community-based disaster management, individual and family resource hubs, support services for targeted populations, protection and preservation of Wahi Pana, and community resource centers.

The approach to Puna Strong drives investments in the organizations of Puna to catalyze impactful projects that build community resilience. The County of Hawai’i and HCF spent months guiding each organization through interviews, assessments, technical assistance, project feasibility analysis, and site visits to help each group fully realize their potential in the community. This second round of Puna Strong also featured larger grant awards than last year, allowing for organizations to expand their capacity. In the coming year, grantees will be engaged in peer learning circles and technical assistance trainings organized by the County of Hawai’i and HCF. 

 

Second year list of recipients:

- Equality HI will develop a pilot program for an LGBTQ+ mentorship program. Through this program, LGBTQ+ individuals can receive assistance and encouragement to develop positive and authentic LGBTQ+ identities to become more resilient

- Girls to Women Mentoring Hawai‘i will provide weekly support groups for girls guided by trained adult mentors that prioritize physical, emotional, relational/social safety.  These groups offer a safe, welcoming and inclusive community that offers caring, support, healthy connections and skills to develop resilience and navigate personal, relational and social-emotional challenges so girls can thrive and grow into connected, healthy, engaged and authentic young women.

- Grassroots Church Pāhoa will accomplish key infrastructure improvements to support agricultural sustainability, especially completion of their greenhouse.  Secondly, team health and capacity building through assembling a strong team to accomplish project management, assistant work, promotions, and grant writing.  In addition, bringing greater clarity and unity to the executive team will allow the organization and project to succeed.

- Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance will develop a multi-agency animal disaster action plan for Hawaii County.  HAKA will engage with community agencies, nonprofits, and stakeholders to create an actionable framework from which to operate. 

- Hawai‘i Tracker will develop a Hawaiian Volcano Education and Resilience pilot program consisting of a Volcano Science STEM Pilot Program to produce educational modules in collaboration with local schools and nonprofits, a second program to implement a Digital Resilience Hub to complement Vibrant Hawaii’s resilience hub program, and third will develop a Social Media Moderation Pilot Training program.

- Hawai‘i’s Volcano Circus will be focusing on aligning their permits and land use status to better reflect the role they play in community, restructure their organization’s HR function to build capacity, and draft a 2-5 year plan to achieve goals in infrastructure, capacity, fundraising and programming.

- Ho`oulu Lāhui will develop 3 resilience hub sites (Nanawale, Nani Mau, Kahuwai) to build community capacity through engaging Kua O Ka Lā ‘ohana and community collaborators in the development of site based plans as well as training for our ‘ohana in disaster preparedness, response and cultural capacities.  They will also be distribution sites for available resources and will provide experiential education and opportunities for ‘ohana to perpetuate and document cultural practices.

 - Mālama O Puna will expand its Food Security programs by working with Hawaii’s Volcano Circus on their gleaning project and working with USDA, State, County, elected officials, hunters, farmers, and homeowners impacted by the feral pig population explosion to develop a wholistic and sustainable solution to the problem.  

- The Men of PA‘A will hire a Programs Director to research plan, develop and implement all programs for MOP and a Programs Manager to coordinate and implement all programs including tracking, data collection, data monitoring, compliance coordination, volunteer recruitment, training, communications, and grant writing.

- Na Maka Haloa o Waipi‘o will design and implement online cultural and environmental learning through Hua ‘Aina Online Design for the broader community and Puna as well as youth mentorship and training experiences through a two week in-residence immersion program and four session Kūkulu Kumuhana o Puna internship for youth training.

- O Maku‘u Ke Kahua Community Center will nurture and sustain local knowledge and wisdom, cultural practice and heritage, and cultural places, values and identity through their Mala Ho‘oulu ‘Ike program which includes the Papa Ku‘i ‘Ai project.

- Pohaku Pelemaka aims to protect and preserve cultural and natural resources along the Puna Coast through culture-based education and community-based security to mitigate the impacts of visitor and resident traffic within wahi pana.

- Puna Rising will be creating a virtual incubator hub for mentoring budding entrepreneurial ideas, grow new businesses, develop new leaders, and establish a program for youth to learn an entrepreneurial mindset. 

- Volcano Friends Feeding Friends will be encouraging members of their community to increase their knowledge and ability to become more independent and self-sufficient by developing skills to grow their own food, reduce their reliance on imported food, and increase healthier attitudes towards physical self by growing through culturally accepted practices.

For information on the launch of the second year of the program, click here. For the latest updates on grantees as they receive their funding, click here.

Third Year of Puna Strong: 

1/22/24 PRESS RELEASE: THE COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI AND HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE THIRD ROUND OF PUNA STRONG GRANT RECIPIENTS  

The County of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) are excited to announce the third round of Puna Strong grant recipients. Puna Strong remains focused on disaster readiness and building resilience for the Puna communities impacted by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption with a $608,000 investment in nonprofit organizations and partnerships leading community-driven projects and building the capacity of local organizations.

“The fact that we are now in the third round of grants is a testament to the tremendous success of this program,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “Our ongoing partnership with HCF continues to be a source of pride for our county. These grants empower local Puna organizations and contribute to their impactful work with our residents.”

The first two rounds of grants supported the work of more than two dozen organizations that addressed a range of issues important to the community, including mental health, home and community food production, youth development, cultural grounding, environmental protection, educational opportunities, access to community-focused information, and readiness to respond to community emergencies/disasters.

“Each grant recipient was carefully chosen for their commitment to supporting and strengthening the long-term resilience of the Puna community,” said Chelsey Chow, program officer for the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “Since the inception of Puna Strong, grantee partners have developed their own capacity and the network of organizations across Puna has been strengthened.”

Grants were awarded to 10 organizations and ranged from $50,000 to $75,000 for an 18-month period:

• Arts & Sciences Center: ASC Beyond School Community Learning
• Equality HI: Cooking for Resiliency, Moving from Neighbors to Ohana
• Hawaiʻi Animal Kuleana Alliance: HAKA’s Emergency Rescue and Disaster Preparedness Programs
• Hawaiian Volcano Education and Resilience Institute: Disaster Preparedness, Outreach and Sustainability Support
• Hawaii’s Volcano Circus: Startup and Realignment for Community Resilience
• Hoʻoulu Lāhui: Planning for Long-Term Resilience
• Men of Paʻa: Resilience and Sustainability - Charting a Path to Recovery
• Nā Maka Hāloa O Waipiʻo: Kūkulu Kaiāulu, Hawaiian Culture, Language, and History
• ‘O Maku‘u Ke Kahua Community Center: Māla Hoʻoulu ʻIke at ʻO Makuʻu Ke Kahua Community Center
• Pōhaku Pelemaka: Community-Based Stewardship Management, Hawaiian Culture, Language, and/or History

Puna Strong Highlight Videos:

 

Presentations: 

June 13, 2023:

If you missed our webinar with Hawai'i Tracker about the AI revolution, not to worry! Check out the video below:

April 19, 2023:

PART I + PART II of the Grants for Grassroots webinars including recordings, slides and additional resources. 

PART I + PART II WEBINAR RESOURCES:

PART I - Grant Vocabulary + Narrative

• Webinar Recording
• Slide deck
• Federal grants training series that includes information on the SAM.gov and DUNS numbers
• More on de minimis rate
• Additional grant vocabulary

PART II - Funder Landscape

• Webinar Recording
• Slide deck
• Common grant terms

On Friday February 24th, 2023, Puna Strong held two Technical Assistance presentations about non-profit board recruitment and board governance. 

Session 1: Board Recruitment slide deck and accompanying audio:



Session 2: Board Governance slide deck and accompanying audio: