In a span of just four hours Wednesday, the Maui Strong Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation swelled to $1 million, buoyed by people and organizations rushing to help residents affected by the Maui wildfires.
It was just one of many examples of aloha in a wave of donations and volunteerism this week as people in Hawaii and around the globe rallied around the devastated communities on the Valley Isle. (See below for other organizations receiving donations.)
“Hawaii is a very generous community,” Micah Kane, Hawai‘i Community Foundation CEO and president, said at a news conference Wednesday on the Maui Strong Fund. “I’m not surprised at all of the generosity that has stepped up in such a quick manner. I think we hit a million dollars in less than four hours. I anticipate that that will grow. And it just shows how much people care about their neighbors.”
Donations included a $500,000 contribution from the Omidyar Ohana Fund at the foundation; $170,000 in existing funds in the Maui Strong Fund, which had been previously established; $100,000 from Goodfellow Bros.; $50,000 from Hawai‘i Life; $25,000 from Cooke Foundation; $25,000 from Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation; and anonymous donors. A list of donations and receiving organizations will be posted online in coming days, Kane said.
Every donated dollar to the Maui Strong Fund will go to community needs such as shelter, food and financial assistance for residents, and no fees will be collected for administration, foundation officials said.
The public can make online donations to the Maui Strong Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.
Checks also can be mailed to the Maui Strong fund. Checks should be written to “Hawai‘i Community Foundation,” with “Maui Strong Fund” in the memo section. Mail to: Hawai‘i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Nonprofit organizations seeking funding can email requests to mauistrong@hcf-hawaii.org. For questions or additional information on giving, contact the foundation’s donor services at 808-566-5560 or donor services@hcf-hawaii.org.
Separately, American Savings Bank said it would commit $100,000 to nonprofits, including the American Red Cross, to provide assistance to local residents and businesses. The Central Pacific Bank Foundation is donating $50,000 to the Hawaii Red Cross.
And the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement has partnered with Alaka‘ina Foundation Family of Cos. to match up to $100,000 in community donations. Donations to the Kako‘o Maui Donation Campaign can be made online at Hawaiian Council.org/Maui and will be managed through CNHA’s Hawaiian Way Fund.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the destruction that the fires have caused on Front Street and the entire coast of Lahaina. Our Maui ‘ohana are experiencing unimaginable loss — not just their personal possessions, homes and businesses, but also the loss of cherished loved ones,” said Kuhio Lewis, CEO of CNHA. “It’s times like these that we need to come together as a community to support one another.
“Earlier (Wednesday), leaders from multiple Native Hawaiian agencies came together to discuss relief options and more help will be announced in the coming days. This initial Kako‘o Maui Donation Campaign is important because we know resources are going to be needed specifically for the Native Hawaiian community to try to get back on their feet. It is our kuleana to be a part of the leadership structure they need at this moment and help to uplift the community,” Lewis said.
Some other established nonprofits and agencies receiving donations of money, resources and volunteer hours include:
>> Aloha United Way: AUW said its 211 information and referral line is working closely with Maui and Hawaii island organizations to provide updates and information, and to answer questions when possible. The service is available statewide and can also be accessed via email or chat.
John L. Fink, president and CEO of Aloha United Way, said the group’s homepage, auw.org, lists a donation site for the Maui Fire Relief Fund and will send the money to Maui United Way, which will handle distribution over the coming months.
>> Hawaii Emergency Management Agency: The agency is accepting donations and volunteer support, state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara said during a state and county news conference Wednesday. Hara, who is overall incident commander for the wildfires, recommended that people who want to help go to ready.hawaii.gov or call 808-733-4300.
>> Maui County: People on the island of Maui who want to donate or volunteer can call 808-270-7285, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said during the news conference. Names and contacts are being compiled so that resources can be deployed over time.
>> American Red Cross of Hawaii: Money and volunteers are needed at red cross.org/hawaii, said Matthew Wells, regional communications director. The Red Cross is not set up to accept physical donations such as clothes or bedding, he said.
“Ninety cents of every dollar goes right back into the mission. That’s cots, that’s blankets, that’s food, everything that we provide,” Wells said.
“The second thing would be the gift of time. We need volunteers,” he continued. “(The fires were) wildly unexpected and hit so quickly. And the devastation of it is going to create a long-term response.”
HOW TO AVOID DONATION SCAMS
State Attorney General Anne Lopez is urging people to use caution when choosing where to send money and donations to help communities affected by the Maui wildfires.
“I know that the people of Hawaii will come to the aid of our families, neighbors and communities,” Lopez said in a statement. “We are already seeing various fundraising efforts being promoted on social media platforms and online. In moments of crisis, we all must be extra vigilant against bad actors who try to take advantage of people’s goodwill.”
Advice from the state Department of the Attorney General includes:
>> Choose trusted, well-known charities. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If someone is fundraising on behalf of a charity you are familiar with, the best practice is to donate directly to that charity.
>> Verify that the charity is legitimate. Any charity that solicits donations in Hawaii must be registered with the Department of the Attorney General, and its status can be verified at charity.ehawaii.gov/charity/search.html.
>> Use independent online sources. Verify that a charity is legitimate:
• IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search: apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
• Charity Navigator: charitynavigator.org/
• State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs business search: hbe.ehawaii.gov/documents/search.html.
Lopez also said common tactics of scammers include:
>> Rushing you into making a donation. You should take your time to do your research.
>> Asking you to make a donation using cash or gift card. Most legitimate charities will accept credit card and check donations.
>> Using names that sound similar to the names of real charities.
>> Making vague and sentimental claims but giving no specifics about how your donation will be used.
