Business Development and Support Division

The Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, through the Strategic Marketing and Support Division’s (SMSD) Community Economic Development (CED) Program applied for and was successfully awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding of $250,000.

The purpose of this grant program is to build the capacity of government offices (and their designees) to assist nonprofit organizations in addressing the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities, including helping low-income individuals secure and retain employment, earn higher wages, obtain better-quality jobs, and gain greater access to state and federal benefits and tax credits.

Program grantees will use the funds in the following three areas:

• Conducting outreach and education aimed at increasing the involvement of nonprofit organizations in the economic recovery.
• Providing training and technical assistance aimed at building the capacity of nonprofit organizations to address the broad economic recovery issues present in their communities.
• Building the capacity of their State, local or Native American/Tribal government office or designee to better involve nonprofit organizations in the economic recovery.

Through capacity building activities in these three areas, it is expected that grantees will increase the involvement of nonprofit organizations in the economic recovery by facilitating partnerships (i.e., informal networks, coalitions, or more formal financial relationships) between and among nonprofits and other government agencies.  Capacity building activities are designed to increase an organization’s sustainability and effectiveness, enhance its ability to provide social services, and create collaborations to better serve those most in need.