Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 12, 1 December 2018 — OHA offering $7 million for community grants [ARTICLE]

OHA offering $7 million for community grants

By Ka Wai Ola staff The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has opened the application period for its Community Grants Program, whieh will make available $7 million to projects that contribute to the Native Hawaiian community through seven strategic focus areas. OHA's Community Grants Program is the agency's primary grants program used to distribute larger funding awards to non-profit organizations providing critical services to the Native Hawaiian community. Solicitations are held every two

years in alignment with OHA's hiennium budget. Applicants may request two years of grant funding, provided they have a minimum of 20 percent matching funds. The current solicitations seek applications for funding for Fiscal Year 2020 (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) and Fiscal Year 202 1 (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021) in the following focus areas: • Culture: ($500,000 for FY2020/$500,000 for FY2021) to support the perpetuation of traditional cultural practices and to strengthen Native Hawaiian identity, 'ohana and lāhui; •Education: ($500,000/$500,000)

to improve Native Hawaiian conditions of learning such that Native Hawaiian students achieve aeademic success, cultural eonneeīion and strengthened sense of wellbeing; • Health for Kūpuna Care: ($250,000/$250,000) to improve heahh conditions among Native Hawaiians by implementing wraparound services for kūpuna and their caregivers; • Heahh for Substance Abuse: ($250,000/$250,000) ($250,000/$250,000) to improve heahh and wellness among Native Hawaiians by improving availability and access to culturally sensitive

substance abuse programs; • Housing: ($1 million/$l million) ($1 million/$l million) to increase eeonomie self-sufficiency of Native Hawaiians by increasing their capacity to own or rent a home; • ineome: ($500,000/$500,000) ($500,000/$500,000) to increase eeonomie self-sufficiency of Native Hawaiians through vocational training, GED preparation and employment programs; • Land: ($500,000/$500,000) to support sustainable resource management and responsible stewardship of kīpuka, orparcels of land and adjoining resource areas within

an ahupua'a and/or to promote the development and production of crops of significant value to Native Hawaiians. It is recommended that applicants attend one of 10 orientation sessions that will be held statewide beginning November 28 through December 14. Applications are only available online and are due Friday, January 4, 2019. Community Grants are subject to approval by OHA's Board of Trustees and to the availability of funding. For more information about the Community Grants Program, including the solicitations, online application and orientation schedule, please visit www.oha.org/ grants. ■