Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program Second Round: 

In July 2024 Kīlauea Recovery Grants Phase 2 awarded 16 grants totaling $3,293,400.

Phase 2 projects continue the restoration work started in Phase 1 grants with project area funding in the following areas:

Click Here to view more details on Phase 2 projects 

Second Round of the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program Announcement:

1/29/24 PRESS RELEASE: COUNTY OF HAWAI'I ANNOUNCES SECOND ROUND OF KILAUEA RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM AWARDS

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

The County of Hawai‘i Disaster Recovery Division is excited to announce awarding $3.3 million to 16 organizations in the second round of the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program. Following an overwhelming response from the community, an unprecedented 38 applications totaling $10.6 million in requests were received.

Initially established through ordinance in 2020 to aid communities and residents directly affected by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, the grant program aimed to support immediate recovery needs. A 2023 code amendment provided more flexibility, opening the program up to supporting long-term resilience efforts and assisting eruption impacted populations in Lower Puna.

The first round funded projects like road repairs, agriculture, restoration of farms, affordable housing construction, stewardship, community resilience, and more. In the second round of grants, a broader range of projects is being funded, including non-government road restorations, renovations of farm and agriculture facilities, cultural programs, investment in educational facilities, virtual resilience hubs, disaster preparedness training, animal rescue, and workforce development projects.

The second round of Kīlauea Recovery grants will go to the following recipients:

• Mālama Homesteads Road Restoration, Fiscal Sponsor, Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum $50,000
• Men of Paʻa Workforce Development Program $220,000
• Kealoha Estate Road Restoration, Fiscal Sponsor, Mālama O Puna $125,400
• Arts and Sciences Center Campus Planning Project $336,000
• Nā Maka Hāloa o Waipiʻo Hōʻaʻā i Kanalani Project $140,000
• Nui Lani Farm greenhouse restoration Project, Fiscal Sponsor, Food Security Hawaii $150,000
• Hawaiʻi Volcano Education and Resilience Institute $100,000
• Purple Maiʻa Workforce Development Project $175,000
• Pohaku Pelemaka Stewardship Project $100,000
• Holo Lio Road Restoration Project, Fiscal Sponsor, Pāhoa Lava Zone Museum $125,000
• Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education Facility Renovation Project, Fiscal Sponsor, Hawaiʻiʻs Volcano Circus $497,000
• Hawaiʻi Animal Kuleana Alliance Training program for Animal Rescue Volunteers $125,000
• Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council Floriculture Apprenticeship Program $200,000
• Puna Flower Power Project to Complete Greenhouse restoration, Fiscal Sponsor Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council $300,000
• Hoʻoulu Lāhui Noho Paʻa (Permanent Home) for Kua O Ka Lā $500,000
• ʻO Makuʻu Ke Kahua Community Center Māla Hoʻoulu ʻIke Education Program and Market Access for Native Hawaiians $150,000

To see the full presentation at the County Council Finance Committee, click here.

The recovery grant program was authorized by the County Council to allow recovery funding to be provided to individuals and private organizations through 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. The County Council is required to approve grants above $25,000. The resolution to award grant funds to identified community partners will be introduced at the Finance Committee on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

Grant Timeline:

Applications Open                           September 18, 2023

Application Orientation Webinar      September 27, 2023

Applications Close                           October 27, 2023 at 4:30 pm

Decision Announcement                  November 15, 2023

First award installments                   January 2024

Kilauea Recovery Grant Application Orientation Webinar:

On September 27th, 2023, the County of Hawai'i hosted an orientation webinar for new and existing grantees to help with the application process.

Slide presentation


To read the Kilauea Recovery Grant Ordinance 23 64 put into effect August 25th by the Hawai'i County Council, click here. 

Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program First Round: 

The Hawai‘i County Council adopted Ordinance 2020-028 on April 8, 2020, to allow community nonprofit organizations to access recovery funds. Grants had to serve disaster relief, recovery, mitigation or remediation assistance for physical damages or losses suffered by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.

Grants totaling $3.7 million have been approved. The program is supported by recovery funds provided by the State. Nonprofits receive up to $500,000 to support projects.

The application deadline was July 24, 2020. No decisions have been made about doing a second round of applications through this program.

To learn more about each project, view this PDF.

Phase 1 Grants Approved:

• Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council – $500,000 to support infrastructure development for displaced orchid growers.
• Habitat for Humanity – $500,000 to build five affordable homes for families who lost their homes during the eruption.
• Hooulu-Lahui – $500,000 to assist Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School with bringing its leased property into code compliance.
• Malama O Puna – $375,000 for road repairs in Leilani Estates.
• Food Security Hawaii – $350,000 to assist farm damaged by the eruption.
• Fellowship for Perpetual Growth – $280,000 to assist farming cooperative damaged by the eruption.
• Grassroots Church – $275,000 to support job creation, sustainable agriculture and community engagement for the Kuleana Project in Pahoa. 
• Hawaii Rise Foundation – $250,000 for Kapoho Vacationland project planning.
• Pahoa Lava Museum – $175,124 to restore road access to 16 properties isolated by lava in Malama Homesteads.
• O Maku‘u Ke Kahua Community Center – $154,000 to assist Hawaiian families move from subsistence to commercial farming, strengthen farmer’s market, and address safety and security issues.
• Ono Seeds – $120,000 to assist a farm damaged by the eruption.
• Kapono Red Road – $104,500 to support historical preservation, stewardship and land conservation. (Grant declined by applicant.)
• Self Discovery through Art – $40,750 to support a recovery, resilience, re-creation facilitator training program.
• Yeshua Outreach Center – $25,000 to build capacity as a viable Red Cross shelter.
• Pahoa Lava Museum – $23,584 to open Puamana Road.
• Pahoa Lava Museum – $22,000 to restore road access to Kapoho Crater.
• Polestar Gardens – $7,500 to restore greenhouse, water and irrigation systems for a farm.
• Church of the Holy Apostles – $5,000 for repairs of water lines damaged by earthquakes.