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Hawaii lawmakers hear broad support for bill to provide emergency grants to nonprofits amid federal funding cuts
Summary
Nonprofits, coalitions and public-health advocates urged the House Committee on Finance to pass SB933, saying the bill would help stabilize social services facing federal grant reductions. Testimony pushed for expanded eligibility and faster grant processes.
Supporters of SB933 told the House Committee on Finance the measure would shore up nonprofit capacity as federal funding for social services tightens.
Judith Clark, executive director of Hawaii Youth Services Network, told lawmakers the state’s nonprofit sector delivers housing, health care, and protection from abuse and domestic violence and needs the flexibility to sustain those services amid federal cutbacks. “Federal funding for nonprofit organizations provides critically needed services for vulnerable children, youth, and families,” Clark said.
The bill would create a state-funded emergency grant process to help nonprofits offset sudden federal funding losses. Testifiers gave examples of organizations that rely heavily on federal contracts: Hannah Lisiak of the True Cost Coalition said her coalition represents more than 70 community-based organizations and that “the true cost of these services has increased far more dramatically than appropriations or contract increases have.” Nate Hicks of Hawaii Public Health Institute said roughly 60% of his organization’s budget comes from federal funds and warned recent federal cuts — including to the CDC — are already forcing contingency planning.
The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations asked lawmakers to expand eligibility beyond health, human services and legal service providers; Jody Robinson said the coalition’s sign-on letter reflects 76 nonprofits urging broader access and suggested an expedited GIA (grant-in-aid) application route for emergency funds so the state can reallocate support quickly as needs shift.
Catholic Charities Hawaii, Parents And Children Together (PACT), and other providers stressed the risk to services for homeless youth, seniors, and families if federal contracts shrink. Trisha Kajimura of PACT described the program mix the agency runs (Head Start, early learning, in-home youth behavioral health, domestic-violence shelters and after-school programming) and said state backup funding would allow contingency planning to preserve services for communities across islands.
Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments on the bill. Committee members asked HANO for data about nonprofit longevity and asked whether foundations such as Hawaii Community Foundation align with the groups’ proposals; HANO said it will supply a sector report and follow up with lawmakers.
The committee later moved SB933 forward in a block of measures during decision-making; its recommendation to pass with amendments was adopted by the committee.
