Council approves funds for Big Isle nonprofits

A Hawaii County Council committee on Tuesday approved $1.5 million in grants for Big Island nonprofit organizations for fiscal year 2015-16.

Councilwoman Karen Eoff, vice chairwoman of the Human Services and Social Services Committee and one of four members of an ad hoc committee tasked with reviewing grant applications and recommending awards, said narrowing the $5,531,736 in requested funds down to $1.5 million was a difficult and arduous task.

“Although everything is important, some become more important than others when we look at the total,” she said. “And some were overlapping, and we looked at that too to try and make sure that spread the needs between the youth, the aged, those at risk, the abused, the homeless.”

Overall, Eoff said she felt there was an even disbursement of funds throughout the island.

While the number of eligible applications grew from 103 in 2014 to 137 this year, the amount requested dropped from $5,619,770 in 2014. The preliminary budget appropriation for the Nonprofit Grant Program remained at $1.5 million — $500,000 above what is required.

By a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Human Services committee accepted the ad hoc panel’s list of recommended dollar figures without amendments.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island is slated to receive $125,000 of the $280,000 it requested for its five separate Out-of-School Fitness For Life programs. For FY2014-15, the organization received $108,000.

Zavi Brees-Saunders, the Boys and Girls Club’s chief professional officer, said that with the funding from the county her organization will be able to continue serving more than 350 youth per day to ensure they establish healthy lifestyles early on.

“It’s important we continue to offer these opportunities to our youth,” she said. “Families are more and more in need, as we’re seeing through growing numbers and growing need.”

Child and Family Service requested $325,000 and received $94,000, down significantly from the $170,000 it was given this fiscal year. HOPE Services Hawaii Inc. was awarded $119,000 of the $395,000 it requested — up from the $75,000 it received last year.

The largest request came from the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council, which sought $600,000 for its transportation program and $148,235 for its drop-out prevention program. Despite the hefty request, the committee approved a total $55,000 for both, down slightly from $58,500 last year.

The Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation received nothing despite its request for $214,000 to fund an ambulance service in Makalei in West Hawaii.

While Councilman Dennis Onishi suggested the council consider providing a small portion to show its support for the ambulance effort and help lobby the Legislature to fund the rest, Eoff said funding only a portion was too risky, as it could end up going to waste if the rest of the funding isn’t secured.

Among the approximately 10 people who testified during Tuesday’s meeting was David Okumura, associate director of PATCH (People Attentive to Children) of West Hawaii, which received $4,000 of its $7,000 request to support its training transportation initiative.

The recommendation, he said, shows support for children in Hawaii, their families, many of which rely heavily on child care to stay in the workforce, and nonprofits doing important work around the island.

Of the 137 eligible applications it reviewed, the ad hoc committee recommended 134 receive at least a portion of their requested funding.

The nonprofit grant awards will be written into a proposed amendment to the county budget, according to the county clerk’s office.

Email Chris D’Angelo at cdangelo@hawaiitribune-herald.com.