How to help or donate to Maui wildfire victims
Following the deadly wildfires that swept across the Hawaiian island of Maui, many people are looking for ways to support the response and provide relief to those affected.
Philanthropy experts recommend giving to experienced organizations that are well-situated to respond to a specific disaster. Major disaster response organizations like the American Red Cross have said they are already communicating with local and federal governments to provide assistance.
Webster also urged potential donors to support organizations with deep local ties and knowledge of the impacted communities.
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement pledged to match donations — up to $100,000 initially, then increased to $250,000 and subsequently $1 million — for a campaign they began, with initial support from the Alakaʻina Foundation Family of Companies. An online tracker shows that more than $331,000 has been given from almost 2,500 people as of Thursday.
The crowdfunding site, GoFundMe, has vetted fundraisers for individuals and families who lost property or were injured in the fires. That means they've taken steps to verify the identity of the organizer and have collected those campaigns on a hub on their website. GoFundMe will take additional verification steps before releasing the funds to the organizer, as well as deduct a transaction fee.
Direct donations to individuals or families can be a powerful way to make an impact, but potential donors should be careful in responding to appeals on social media for donations to individuals, through electronic payment apps like Venmo or Cash App, experts say.
Potential donors should also consider if it's important to them to claim a tax benefit for their donation. Only tax-exempt nonprofit organizations will provide a receipt that people who itemize their taxes can use to claim a deduction.
The Hawaii Community Foundation has also announced $1 million in support for its Maui Strong Fund. It is collaborating with other nonprofits and the county mayor to deploy those funds to pay for food, shelter and financial assistance, the foundation said in a statement, adding it is also accepting donations and would not collect any fees on gifts to the fund.
Additionally, the Maui United Way has also started a wildfire disaster relief fundraising campaign.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy will work closely with the foundation, Webster said, as it launches a fund specific to the Hawaii wildfires that prioritizes equity in recovery.
"We actually will wait several months before we understand the full range of needs that exist on Maui and other islands that are also facing wildfires," she said. "And we will not invest our funds until such time as we understand what those medium- and long-term needs are."
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