Help Maui Rise: Aid 'Ohana Displaced by Fires

Aloha,

Welcome to the collective hub for Help Maui Rise, the spreadsheet you may have seen circulating that houses the stories of families who have lost their homes and livelihoods in the Maui Wildfires. What started out as a simple Google sheet to share within our inner circles has evolved into a growing resource of over 1,600 affected loved ones, all vetted by our team and reviewed by GoFundMe directly.

In Hawai'i, community is everything, and when the fires began on August 8th, we knew we needed to take action. As community members, our only wish was to provide aid to the displaced 'ohana of Lāhainā & Kula as quickly and directly as possible. The Maui fires took nearly 3,000 homes and businesses. One hundred and one have been confirmed dead and many remained unaccounted for for weeks/months. Families were given no warning and sometimes only seconds to escape, many of them with only the clothes on their backs.

Maui needs us now more than ever. The money you donate will help the displaced families of Lāhainā & Kula to get back on their feet and rise from the ashes. Whether you are from Hawai'i, have visited our island home, or are just learning about this from the news, we humbly ask for your kāko'o (support).

We've created this fundraiser in partnership with GoFundMe.org to provide a single "take action" button. This fund is meant to support all the families who have shared their stories with us and to provide aid for the many people feeling helpless at this moment.

Mahalo nui loa,

The Help Maui Rise Team

#HelpMauiRise

WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING

Starting April 8th, all donations will go directly to the families who have been approved via our application. As our fiscal sponsor, GoFundMe.org will take care of distributing the funds to each fundraiser evenly and on a regular basis.

Donations made before April 8th have been distributed to all fundraisers found on the Help Maui Rise Google sheet (see our latest update for details). As we enter Phase 2 of our One Click Donation, we'll be rolling out an application to continue providing direct aid to those impacted by the Maui wildfires. It is our priority to provide transparency and cash assistance to those in need while remaining compliant with charitable granting guidelines. 

As we approve new applicants, we will divvy up the funds raised on a regular basis (depending on the support we receive here) and update you as grants are issued to those who qualify. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Donate. Anything helps, and your donation is tax-deductible.

2. Share. If you're unable to donate, you can still help in a major way by sharing this link, the doc itself, and reposting our Instagram stories and posts from @helpmauirise.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to keep up the momentum of support for our community as long as possible. As the news coverage begins to fade, amplifying the voices of these families will fall back onto the shoulders of our community, on island and overseas.

HOW CAN I GET MY 'OHANA ON THE LIST?

Many community members have submitted names on behalf of their friends or family, so you may already be on our list. Please do a quick search [Apple: Command + F] or [PC: Ctrl + F] to see if your 'ohana has already been submitted.

If you don't see your name on the list, please reach out to us directly via email or direct message on Instagram to @helpmauirise.

Note: You will only be able to receive a grant from this fundraiser after your Phase 2 application has been reviewed and verified.

MORE ABOUT GOFUNDME.ORG

GoFundMe.org is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 81-2279757). Its mission is to provide fast and effective relief to victims of disaster, and to fund education and other charitable initiatives. Since 2017, GoFundMe.org has raised over $150 million, for distribution to nonprofit organizations serving the same mission, and to individuals who are part of the charitable class. It strives to eliminate the paradox of choice for donors by providing a centralized place to give, knowing that those dollars are disbursed to the right organizations and people. GoFundMe.org operated at a 96% efficient rate, meaning that $.96 on every dollar given, goes straight to delivering help, not our admin costs. Donations to this fund are tax-deductible to the extent permissible by law. Money will be given at the discretion of GoFundMe.org as the need arises.

MAHALO