Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 7, 1 July 1993 — How to apply for OHA project funding [ARTICLE]

How to apply for OHA project funding

"My community association wants to set up a hui to sell products made by loeal Hawaiian farmers and crafters. Where ean we get some kālā (money) to do this?" "Our homestead association wants to teach home maintenance and budgeting to our members. We want to hire experts to teach us. Can anybody help pay for this?" Through its monetary grants, subsidies, purchase of service agreements, and donations, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs assists members of the eommunity in Hawai'i who seek to further OHA's objectives on behalf of Hawaiians. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs now has new procedures to award the money that will be set aside eaeh year for these purposes by the OHA Board of Trustees. OHA will carefully consider funding requests from individuals, for-profit or nonprofit organizations whose individual or group projects will further OHA's objectives to better the conditions of Hawaiians in these areas:

What program areas will OHA fund? • Expanded educational opportunities • Housing opportunities • Heahh maintenance and promotion • Eeonomie development and employment opportunities • Protection of traditional or individual rights • Improved social conditions • Individual and community participation in govemment • Hawaiian culture — art, language, literature • Hawaiian religious practices and rites • Hawaiian history — based upon traditional culture and values In addition, other areas of interest consistent with OHA's mandate may be considered. Within the above areas, what activities will OHA fund? • advocacy and political skills enhancement • training and education • direct services (for example, legal, social, health care) • creative activities (for example, performing arts, film production, writing/research, traditional prac-

tices) • micro-enterprise, communitybased eeonomie development, and value-added projects Who must projects benefit? Projects must in some way benefit the Hawaiian population. The geographic focus of OHA's funding activities will be limited to the state of Hawai'i. For now, the money provided by OHA is restricted to the use or benefit of Hawaiians of 50 percent or greater blood quantum), or for the perpetuation of Hawaiian eulture. However the restrictions on the funds do not prevent an applicant or recipient from serving all Hawaiians or other purposes as long as those costs are covered by other funds. Who is eligible to apply? Applicants may be a for-profit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship, or a nonprofit organization registered under the laws of the state; or an individual scholar, artist or practitioner with appropriate credentials. In the case of donations and for emergency requests, the applicant may be an individual. How will funds be appropriat-

ed? The total amount of funds to be appropriated for all monetary requests will be determined annually by the Board of Trustees. Trustees establish funding priorities and allocations for types of funding. In general, grant requests may be for up to $50,000. The limit for donation requests is $1,000. What types of funding requests will be considered? Support may be provided for the following types of funding requests: "seed" money, special projects, operating costs, direct service costs, communications (video or printed materials), eonferences, special events, ehallenge grants and matching funds, unrestricted gifts, emergencies, donations, subsidies and purchase of service. Will OHA cover all costs? Recipients of grant support will be required to provide a minimum of 20 percent of the total project cost. Matching funds may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Cash matching may be in the form of grants or contracts from a source other

than OHA. When ean we apply for grants? There are two funding cycles eaeh year. Application forms or information may be sought at any time during the year, but eompleted grant requests should be submitted no later than the last Friday in either April or September. Emergency requests and requests for donations may be submitted at any time. Purchase of service proposals must be submitted in response to requests by OHA for a proposal, whieh may be issued at any time. Awards will be announced within two weeks of approval. Meetings to approve grants will be held within a four to six-week period after eaeh deadline. For more information on what kinds of projects may be eligible for OHA funding, and for application instructions and guidelines, contact OHA grants specialist Craig Brandow at 5863857 or eall 586-3777. On the neighbor islands, contact the OHA liaison office in: Hilo (9334349); Kona (329-7368); Maui (243-5170); Moloka'i (553361 1); and Kaua'i (241-3390).