Maui County Budget Watch

Community Grants Tracker

All FY27 proposed community grants with accountability ratings, sorted by amount. Ratings reflect whether outcomes are defined, reported, and independently verified.

Total Grants Budget

$5.8M

FY27 Proposed

+75% since FY23

No Accountability

$2.9M

7 grants

Zero measurable outcomes

Total Active Grants

15

Across 4 departments

Avg Tenure

9 yrs

Average years active

Many renewed without review

15 grants — $5,845,000 totalFY27 Proposed
Recipient Amount Accountability Yrs Stated Outcome
Maui Arts & Cultural Center
General operating support for arts programming
No performance metrics required. Attendance figures self-reported.
$1,850,000No Accountability8None reported
Maui Economic Development Board
Workforce development and economic diversification programs
Cost per job created: ~$23,333. No independent verification of job numbers.
$980,000Low14Jobs created (self-reported): 42
Aloha United Way — Maui
Social services coordination and community needs assessment
Annual report submitted but no county-defined KPIs or outcomes tracked.
$425,000Low11None reported
University of Hawaii Maui College Foundation
STEM workforce pipeline and internship programs
Cost per placement ~$12,500. Outcomes not tracked post-placement.
$350,000Low7Internships placed: 28 (reported)
Maui Food Bank
Food distribution to low-income residents
Reasonable outcome reporting; cost-per-meal roughly comparable to similar programs.
$310,000Medium6Meals distributed: 580,000 (reported)
Maui Visitor Industry Educational Foundation
Hospitality industry training and tourism promotion
Benefits a private industry. No public benefit metrics defined or reported.
$290,000No Accountability12None reported
Imua Family Services
Early intervention services for children with disabilities
Provides direct services; reporting has improved in recent years.
$275,000Medium10Families served: 210 (reported)
Maui Youth & Family Services
At-risk youth counseling and diversion programs
Program outcomes self-reported; recidivism and long-term data not tracked.
$240,000Medium13Youth served: 320 (reported)
Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Operations and native plant conservation
No outcome metrics submitted in FY25 or FY26 annual reports.
$220,000No Accountability9None reported
Hana Health Inc.
Rural health services in Hana community
One of the better-performing grants. Serves an underserved community with clear metrics.
$195,000High15Patient visits: 4,200 (reported)
Maui Human Services Coalition
Coordination of social service agencies
Pays for meetings and coordination — no direct service delivery tracked.
$185,000No Accountability5None reported
Maui Recycling Group
Community recycling education and drop-off events
Activity-based reporting only; no tonnage or diversion rate data.
$165,000Low8Events held: 12 (reported). Materials diverted: unverified
Maui Cultural Lands
Hawaiian cultural education and land stewardship
No formal reporting structure. Grant renewed without evaluation.
$145,000No Accountability4None reported
Pacific Whale Foundation
Ocean conservation education and tourism research
Primarily benefits a nonprofit that generates revenue from whale watch tours. No county benefit metrics.
$120,000No Accountability9None reported
Maui Nui Solid Waste Council
Zero waste community education and advocacy
Advocacy organization receiving public funds. No measurable waste reduction targets.
$95,000No Accountability6None reported
Data note: Grant figures sourced from the FY27 proposed budget documents and prior-year accountability reports. Accountability ratings are editorial assessments — not official county ratings — based on whether outcomes are defined in the grant agreement, reported to the county, and independently verified.