The Kuleana Connect Grant Program

Award recipients will enter into a grant agreement with HSRHA outlining the approved project, budget, funding period, award period, and reporting requirements. Prior to project implementation, award recipients will work with HSRHA to incorporate a standardized participant registration process that includes a brief baseline assessment developed by HSRHA. This assessment will support evaluation of short-, intermediate-, and long-term program outcomes. HSRHA will administer post-project and annual follow-up assessments as part of the Kuleana Connect evaluation framework. Projects must be completed within the approved award period, which generally will not exceed 12 months unless otherwise approved by HSRHA. Funds must be used only for approved project activities, and recipients will be asked to submit a brief final report describing project accomplishments, outcomes, lessons learned, and how grant funds were used.

Yes. To comply with federal funding requirements, grant funds may not be used for food, beverages, catering, gift cards, prizes, cash incentives, lobbying or political activities, fundraising activities, or expenses incurred before an award is approved. HSRHA reserves the right to determine the allowability of all proposed expenses.

The Kuleana Connect Grant Program uses a standardized evaluation framework to better understand how community-driven projects strengthen provider well-being, community connectedness, and rural healthcare workforce recruitment and retention. Award recipients will incorporate a brief HSRHA-developed baseline assessment into participant registration, while HSRHA will administer post-project and annual follow-up assessments to evaluate short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes. Findings will be used to support continuous program improvement, demonstrate program impact, and inform future rural health workforce initiatives. The Kuleana Connect evaluation framework is grounded in a community-engaged Theory of Change and informed by Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Participatory Action Research (PAR). These approaches emphasize collaboration with healthcare providers, community organizations, and community members to identify, implement, and evaluate locally driven solutions.