When disaster hits the islands, residents of the state come together to offer assistance to their collective ohana impacted.
With news, photos and videos circulating of the devastation in Lahaina after a fast moving fire decimated the historic village leaving thousands homeless, donations are pouring in from around the state and country.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez is alerting residents to use caution when choosing where to send their money and donations.
“I know that the people of Hawaii will come to the aid of our families, neighbors and communities,” says Lopez. “We are already seeing various fundraising efforts being promoted on social media platforms and online. In moments of crisis, we all must be extra vigilant against bad actors who try to take advantage of people’s goodwill.”
According to the FBI, charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead, the money goes to the fake charity’s creator.
While these scams can happen at any time, they are especially prevalent after high-profile disasters. Criminals often use tragedies to exploit well meaning individuals and others who want to help.
Charity fraud scams can come in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. Always use caution and do your research when you’re looking to donate to charitable causes.
Stay away from suspicious donation requests and be mindful of scammer’s tactics including rushing you into making a donation. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. Take your time to do your research.
Avoid organizations asking you to make a donation using cash or gift card. Most legitimate charities will accept credit card and check donations.
Scammers often use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving.
Scammers make lots of vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics about how your donation will be used.
If you donate, donate to trusted, well-known charities. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website. If someone is fundraising on behalf of a charity you are familiar with, the best practice is to donate directly to that charity.
Donors with any questions or complaints about a scam charity can contact the Tax &Charities Division at (808) 586-1480 or by sending an email to ATG.Charities@hawaii.gov.
Lopez urges people wanting to donate to verify that the charity is legitimate. Any charity that solicits donation in Hawaii must be registered with the Department of the Attorney General, and its status can be verified at charity.ehawaii.gov/charity/search.html.
Additional independent online sources you can use to verify that a charity is legitimate include the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov/app/eos/; Charity Navigator charitynavigator.org/ and DCCA Business Search hbe.ehawaii.gov/documents/search.html.
How to donate
There are several legitimate organizations that are accepting donations for the relief effort.
The Red Cross is currently accepting cash donations only for the disaster recovery in Maui.
Due to the cost of transfer, the Red Cross is encouraging online monetary donations and check donations in lieu of food, clothes and household goods.
“Due to our role of sheltering and feeding, we cannot accept clothing, personal items and other donations because there is no way to transfer it,” said Red Cross Hawaii Island coordinator Marty Moran. “We encourage monetary donations because of the portability of cash. Items need to be cleaned and transported and cannot always be delivered in a timely manner.”
Those interested in donating to the disaster recovery in Maui can do so at redcross.org, or through a check to the American Red Cross, Pacific Islands Region at 4155 Diamond Head Rd. Honolulu, HI 96816.
Those sending checks must make it directly for the fires in Maui.
The Salvation Army’s Kahului Corps has started mass feedings for thousands and is coordinating meals across the shelters in Maui.
The Salvation Army is also asking for monetary donations as they are not collecting physical items at this time.
“During emergencies, the best way the public can help is to provide monetary donations which allows the delivery of the exact relief supplies a community needs,” said Victor Leonardi, Divisional Director of Emergency Services &Safety for The Salvation Army Hawaiian &Pacific Islands Division. “Plus, The Salvation Army uses one-hundred percent of all donations designated ‘disaster relief’ in support of disaster operations.”
Donations may be made online at Hawaii.SalvationArmy.org. Listings of current volunteer opportunities also may be found at Hawaii.SalvationArmy.org.
Maui United Way is accepting donations to its Maui Fire and Disaster Relief fund at mauiunitedway.org/disasterrelief.
The Maui Strong Fund was created by the Hawaii Community Foundation to provide community resilience with resources for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The fund is currently being used to support communities affected by the wildfires on Maui. Donate at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/
Tax deductible donations for the Maui Strong Fund can also be made through Hawaii Bankers Association members at branches across the state including American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Finance Factors, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii National Bank, HomeStreet Bank and Territorial Savings Bank.
The Maui Humane Society is expecting an inundation of hundreds of animals who have been burned or lost during the evacuation process and those in need of critical care due to smoke inhalation.
“Donations will allow us to perform lifesaving medical procedures and purchase supplies for families that have lost everything, so they can keep their animals with them,” the organization posted on their social media page.
Donations to the Maui Humane Society can be made at facebook.com/donate/327209503004154 or through their website at bit.ly/mauihumanesociety.
Kelsey Walling contributed to this story.
