Hawai’i On Fire – Ways to Help

by Alec Gorynski

We have seen the news reports and perilous videos of the wildfires that have devastated Maui in recent days. Many organizations are galvanizing quickly to provide resources for immediate basic needs as well as longer-term recovery efforts.  
  
Here at Lincoln Community Foundation, we have had the opportunity to forge relationships with our counterparts at the Hawai’i Community Foundation. Our friends at HCF moved quickly to activate their Maui Strong recovery fund to ensure the folks on the ground have access to financial resources as they are needed. We wanted to share the important work of our colleagues in Hawaii via their news release. 

Donations to the Maui Strong Fund may be made online at https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.  

If you are a donor advised fund holder and would like to recommend a grant from your donor advised fund to aid in this relief and recovery effort, you may submit a grant request for Hawai’i Community Foundation. We will ensure it is directed to the Maui Strong campaign.   

Community foundations, such as the Hawai’i Community Foundation, are uniquely positioned to lead fundraising efforts and often play an essential role in disaster relief and recovery. Foundations are natural community conveners and can assist organizations and local government during the three stages of the post-disaster environment:  immediate relief, short-term recovery, and long-term rebuilding. 

Community foundations act quickly in partnership with government and private sector leaders to steward donor dollars from around the world toward the greatest need – proving how nimble and flexible philanthropy can be when it’s needed most.