Kahua Card Program
The Kahua Card Program, run by Maui-based mutual aid nonprofit Maui Rapid Response (MRR), provides $700 per month on a prepaid Mastercard for 12 months to Lahaina wildfire survivors who were excluded from traditional fire relief programs. It is funded by more than 4,000 small-dollar donors (gifts of $5 or more) and aims to serve 100-150 'ohana across three sequential cohorts. The program grew out of an 18-household, six-month pilot that gave up to $1,100/month scaled to family size. As of March 2026, 69 households had been enrolled across the first two of three planned cohorts, with the current round having begun in December 2025.
Wildfire recovery, Disaster relief, Guaranteed income pilot, Crowdfunded, Native Hawaiian community, Lahaina fire survivors, Mutual aid
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Maui Rapid Response (MRR)
- City
- Kahului
- State / Province
- Hawaii
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 808 758 5571
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 150
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 8,400 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 700 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Prepaid Debit Card (Mastercard)
- Benefit details
Selected 'ohana receive $700 per month loaded onto a prepaid Kahua Mastercard for 12 months, usable at participant discretion for needs such as food, transportation, utilities, healthcare, or housing. The current design enrolls participants across three sequential cohorts; as of March 2026, 69 of a targeted 100-150 households had been enrolled in the first two cohorts. An earlier six-month pilot (18 households) provided up to $1,100/month scaled to family size before the current flat $700/month, 12-month structure was adopted. Spending data from the pilot showed funds went mainly to food, transportation, utilities, and personal items.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Open to survivors of the August 2023 Lahaina/Maui wildfires who were excluded from traditional or official fire relief programs. The program specifically targets those facing compounding barriers such as housing insecurity, poverty, mental health struggles, caregiving responsibilities, trauma, or legal barriers that made it hard to access other assistance. Selection prioritizes those in the hardest circumstances first, guided by Hawaiian values (aloha, kokua, kuleana, malama). Participants are chosen via nomination (self- or third-party) followed by an eligibility review and random lottery, not first-come-first-served.
Housing
- Housing status
- Displaced
Health
- Health conditions
- Mental health struggles (cited as a common barrier among eligible participants, not a strict eligibility requirement)
Geography
- US states covered
- Hawaii
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Maui County
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
Nominations open for a two-week window via MRR's online Kahua Nomination Form (form.jotform.com); individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else on their behalf.
- Selection process
MRR staff review nominations against eligibility criteria, then eligible 'ohana are selected via random lottery for fairness and transparency, with priority guided by Hawaiian values of helping those in the hardest place first.
