Public Ideas Portal
Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that you do not see answered below, please submit it via our contact page.

Getting Started

  • The Green Fee Public Ideas Portal is a year-round platform where community members can explore project ideas, share feedback and help inform future Green Fee funding priorities.

    Through the portal, participants can browse previously submitted ideas, search and filter project ideas by category or subcategory, review funding status, upvote ideas, comment and submit new ideas.

    Visit greenfeehawaii.org/ideas to get started

  • The Public Ideas Portal is open to community members who wish to share ideas that support the Green Fee’s three priority areas: Environmental Stewardship, Climate and Hazard Resilience and Sustainable Tourism.

    Individuals, community organizations, nonprofits, businesses and other stakeholders are encouraged to share ideas and feedback. However, submitting an idea does not establish eligibility for Green Fee funding. Any future funding opportunities will be subject to the requirements of the administering state department.

  • Community members can explore publicly available project idea information without creating an account.

    A free account is required to upvote project ideas. For other activities, including commenting and submitting new ideas, participants should follow the instructions displayed in the portal.

  • No. The Public Ideas Portal is intended to gather community ideas and feedback to inform the Green Fee Advisory Council’s (GFAC) funding recommendations. It is not a formal grant application or Request for Proposals (RFP) platform.

    Under Act 96, the Hawai‘i State Legislature appropriates Green Fee funding to state departments, not directly to organizations via the portal.

    Departments may later issue separate funding opportunities, including RFPs, through which eligible organizations can apply.

Submitting Ideas and Providing Feedback

  • Community members are encouraged to submit new project ideas, comments and other feedback via the Public Ideas Portal by 11:59 p.m. HST on November 1, 2026, for consideration in GFAC’s Fiscal Years 2028 and 2029 (FY28/FY29) recommendation cycle.

    This is a public-input consideration deadline, not a formal grant or funding application deadline.

  • Yes. The Public Ideas Portal will remain open year-round, offering ongoing opportunities for community participation.

    Ideas and feedback received after November 1, 2026, will not be included in GFAC’s current FY28/FY29 recommendations to the Governor, but may inform future Green Fee review cycles and funding priorities.

  • No. A formal project proposal, detailed budget, or grant application is not required to participate in the Public Ideas Portal.

    Community members are encouraged to provide a clear description of the issue they hope to address, their proposed solution, the location or community that would benefit and any anticipated environmental or community benefits.

    Participants should complete the required fields in the portal but are not expected to prepare the same level of documentation as a formal funding application.

  • We encourage participants to review existing submissions before submitting a new idea.

    If a similar project idea is already represented, consider upvoting the existing idea or adding a comment with additional information, suggestions, or feedback.

    This consolidates community input, reduces duplicate submissions and gives GFAC a clearer sense of community priorities.

  • Comments and upvotes let community members show support, raise concerns and share additional information about project ideas.

    While this feedback helps GFAC better understand community priorities, upvotes are not the sole basis for funding recommendations.

    The council also considers state department funding requests, previously unfunded submissions and applicable evaluation criteria. A project idea with a high number of upvotes is not guaranteed a funding recommendation or legislative appropriation.

Understanding Project Idea Statuses

  • The Public Ideas Portal provides funding-status information to help community members understand where project ideas stand in the Green Fee review and funding process. The statuses include: 

    • Funding Appropriated: The Legislature has appropriated funding for the project.

    • Recommended for Funding: GFAC recommended the project idea for funding consideration.

    • Not Yet Evaluated: The project idea has not yet completed the applicable Council review process.

    • Not Recommended: GFAC evaluated the project idea but did not recommend it in the relevant review cycle.

     These statuses reflect different stages of the process. A GFAC recommendation does not guarantee legislative funding;  an appropriation does not necessarily mean funding has been released or spent.

  • Previously unfunded project idea submissions from the inaugural Green Fee process are being carried forward for consideration in the FY28/FY29 review.

    These ideas are included in the updated Public Ideas Portal, where community members can review them, express support and provide additional feedback.

    However, inclusion in the portal does not guarantee a future funding recommendation or legislative appropriation.

  • If you cannot find a Year 1 project idea submission, try searching the portal with different keywords, locations, categories, or related terms. Some previously submitted ideas may appear under updated or summarized titles and descriptions.

    New submissions and comments may also be subject to applicable review and moderation procedures before they appear publicly.

     If you still cannot locate your submission or have questions about its status, please contact info@greenfeehawaii.org for assistance.