Kauai nonprofits hit by Hurricane Lowell can apply for state recovery grants of $5,000 or $10,000
A $2 million state program run by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii opened on Oct. 14 to the island's non-agricultural small businesses and nonprofits. Grants go out first come, first served until the money runs out; the deadline is Dec. 15.
Lihue. Nonprofits and small businesses on Kauai that suffered damage or losses from Hurricane Lowell can now apply for one-time state grants of $5,000 or $10,000, the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii announced on Oct. 14. The storm struck the island on Sept. 7 and 8.
The $2 million Kauai Hurricane Lowell Business Recovery Grant is funded by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and administered by the chamber. Grants are awarded in the order applications are received and approved until the money is gone, and the program's deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 15. The County of Kauai's Office of Economic Development, which announced the opening the same day, urged eligible organizations to apply as soon as possible.
Who can apply
The program is for organizations outside agriculture. Nonprofit corporations with annual gross revenue under $250,000 may receive $5,000, and those with revenue of $250,000 to $5 million may receive $10,000. Small businesses fall into matching tiers by revenue and number of employees.
A nonprofit must be registered as a nonprofit corporation with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, have operated from a physical location on Kauai before Sept. 7 and have had 2025 gross revenue of no more than $5 million. Its board members must serve without pay and have no material conflict of interest, and it must be current on state and federal taxes. The grant covers only unmet storm-related needs, not losses already paid for by insurance or other public or private recovery aid.
Applications are filed online; mailed applications are not accepted. Nonprofits submit proof of their nonprofit status, a list of board members, their Form 990, proof that they operated before Sept. 7, records of any other Lowell aid received or pending, and a description of the storm's impact of up to 500 words. Awardees are to be notified within 15 business days of a completed application; help comes in seven languages, Hawaiian among them.
Help and other aid
The Kauai Small Business Development Center offers free help with applications. The state department will hold a free workshop on the program and other business resources on Oct. 29 at 9 a.m. at the Kauai War Memorial Exhibition Center.
Agricultural businesses and producers will be served by a separate state recovery program, with details to come, the county said. The chamber's program page also points nonprofits to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which supports nonprofits' disaster recovery through its Stronger Hawaii campaign.
“Helping businesses recover today is an important part of building resilience for tomorrow, and this experience also reinforces the need to do more proactively to help businesses prepare for and mitigate the impacts of future disasters.”
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