The Healing Our Island Community Fund is closed. We are no longer accepting grant applications.

The islandwide success of this program is credited to the accomplishments of numerous community individuals and organizations who stood united to carry out drug prevention and education projects.

What research has substantiated is that effective substance abuse prevention must encompass families and whole communities, not just youth and not just individuals considered to be at high risk. http://www.hawaii.gov/health/

Background

In 2003, Healing Our Island was established as one of the Mayor's strategies for fighting the War on Ice. The State Legislature was asked to provide funding for community-based anti-drug efforts so that the residents of Hawaii Island could collectively Heal Our Island from within their own communities.

The Hawaii County Resource Center (HCRC), a program of the Department of Research and Development, has administered this fund through the Healing Our Island Community Fund mini-grant program. The mini-grant process was designed to make funding available to grassroots groups that ordinarily have no access to traditional grant sources.

Purpose

We support community-based programs and collaborative grassroots efforts that provide drug-free lifestyle education and substance abuse prevention measures for community members of all ages. Our goal is to keep Hawaii Island a healthy and safe place for our children and our families. Community building should be an integral component of every Healing Our Island funded project or event.

Grant Award Limit

The maximum grant award is $2,000.00. There is no minimum award.

A Healing Our Island award should not be the only source of support, either cash or in-kind (non-cash contribution of goods and services), for a winning project.

The fund is also not designed to support the same project more than once. In an effort to assist a variety of community groups equitably, the Grant Review Committee has the discretion to modify grant awards (i.e. award less than requested) of repeat applicants for the same project or event.

Grad Nights

High School Grad Night celebrations are popular events across the Island and have been consistently supported by the Healing Our Island Community Fund. Since Grad Nights are recurring annual events, the Healing Our Island program limits funding to $1,000.00 per High School graduating class.

Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds

Healing Our Island Community Fund grant awards cannot be used to pay for:

• Personnel-related expenses of any kind, including stipends, honoraria, speaker fees, musician fees, security guards, etc.
• Equipment purchases--and any purchase costing more than $200.00 per item
• Alcoholic beverages
• Fundraising

Eligible Applicants

Grassroots groups in Hawaii County serving Hawaii County residents are eligible applicants. Grant reviewers look for community partnerships. Partnering with established nonprofit organizations is encouraged, however the lead in a funded project should come from the grassroots of Hawaii County.

Preference is given to first-time applicants. Previous grantees are welcome to apply as long as they have submitted a satisfactory final report for the previously funded project(s).

Ineligible Applicants

Proposals will not be accepted from the following applicants:

• Groups located outside of Hawaii County and/or serving populations located outside of Hawaii County
• Department of Education Administration--we encourage Hawaii County-based schools to be collaborative partners in Healing Our Island projects, but school administration cannot be lead applicants and cannot receive Healing Our Island funds.

Application Deadlines:

There are two important dates to remember: the Priority Application Screening Deadline on the third of every month and the Final Deadline on the tenth of every month.

• Priority Application Screening Deadline: Applications that arrive in either the Hilo or the Kailua-Kona office of the Department of Research and Development by 4:30 p.m. on the third of the month will qualify for priority screening. This means that if an application does not meet the screening criteria, the applicant will be given the chance to make corrections if possible and still be able to resubmit the application for that month's final deadline.
• Final Deadline: Applications that arrive in either the Hilo or the Kailua-Kona office of the Department of Research and Development by 4:30 p.m. on the tenth of the month and that meet screening criteria will be reviewed during the same month. Applications that arrive after 4:30 p.m. on the tenth of the month and meet screening criteria will be reviewed during the following month.

Holidays and Weekends: If either the Priority Application Screening Deadline or the Final Deadline falls on a holiday or on a weekend, the deadline is moved to the next business day. Business days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Project Start Date

Applicants must apply for funds at least eight weeks prior to when they will need the funds. This is the standard minimum time needed to process, review, award, and fund approved project. Healing Our Island grant funds will not be awarded retroactively.

How to Submit a Grant Application

The staff in the Department of Research and Development's Hilo and Kailua-Kona offices accept applications on a daily business. Mail or bring your signed original application (no faxed or e-mailed applications will be accepted) to:

Hilo Mailing Address: Department of Research and Development, Attn: HCRC, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 109, Hilo, HI  96720

Hilo physical address (for hand delivery): Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite PH-1014C

Kailua-Kona mailing and physical address: Department of Research and Development, Attn: HCRC, Lanihau Professional Center, 75-5991 Palani Road, Suite 2001, Kailua-Kona, HI  96740

Applicants need only submit the original signed application; no additional copies are required. Remember though to make a copy for your own records.

Final Report Requirement

Grantees must submit their final reports within 30 days after their completed project or event. A satisfactory final report must be signed by the same team that signed the original application and will include the following:

• Brief but thorough answers to all questions on the final report form
• Complete and accurate final budget
• All original receipts
• Documentation of participation
• Copies of press releases

Healing Our Island Team

In addition to HCRC, the Healing Our Island team has an all-volunteer grant review committee and an experienced group of Healing Our Island District Liaisons who are available to assist potential applicants and grantees through the application and reporting processes.

For general Healing Our Island Community Fund questions, please email hcrc@co.hawaii.hi.us, or call Laverne Omori, Healing Our Island Coordinator, at 327-3665.

PDF Version of the 2009 Healing Our Island Community Grant Application Guidelines

2009 Healing Our Island Community Fund Brochure

New in 2009 Substance Abuse Prevention Strategies

For an idea of how applications are reviewed go to Grant Review Criteria

Application Forms:

2009 PDF Healing Our Island Community Fund Grant Application

2009 PDF Final Report Form

2009 Word-Format Final Report Form

Additional Resources

Official Hawaii Island Healing Our Island Website: http://www.healingourisland.com/

United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration http://www.samhsa.gov/

Join Together, Advancing Effective Alcohol and Drug Policy, Prevention, and Treatment http://www.jointogether.org/

Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America http://www.cadca.org/