Wildfire Relief Fund 2020 Impact

The 2020 wildfire season was a record-setting year for wildfires in California. At the end of the year, nearly 10,000 fires had burned over 4.2 million acres, more than 4% of the state’s roughly 100 million acres of land.* Tens of thousands were forced to flee their communities with many destined to never see their homes standing again. Most vulnerable to the economic impacts of wildfires are lower-income residents, renters (who typically don’t carry insurance), immigrants ineligible for federal assistance and residents with less formal educations.

With this is mind CCF’s 2020 Wildfire Relief Fund grants focused on addressing intermediate and long-term recovery efforts that focused on the populations most vulnerable to these disasters including: disabled persons, farmworkers and other migrant communities whose homes and employment were impacted by wildfires, Native American populations living on or proximate to tribal lands impacted by wildfires, and vulnerable populations impacted by wildfires whose lives have also been affected by structural racism which limit their access to disaster recovery resources.

As of January 26, 2021, 19 proposals have been funded totaling $4,812,500 in relief, recovery and resiliency grants. See complete list of grantees below:

• American Red Cross
• CA State Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Deaf Plus Adult Community (DPAC)
• Direct Relief
• Equal Justice Works
• International Medical Corps
• Listos California
• MySafe: LA
• National Immigration Forum
• Northern California Indian Development Council
• Paws 4 Life K9 Rescue
• Project:Camp
• Radio Bilingüe
• Team Rubicon USA
• World Central Kitchen

The following grants were made to community foundations, which in turn are providing grants to multiple partner organizations positioned in the communities they serve.

• American Muslim Community Foundation
• Humboldt Area Foundation
• Latino Community Foundation
• Sierra Health Foundation: Center for Health Program Management

To read more about our impact, visit us at LAtogether. For more information, contact us at disaster [@] calfund [.] org or call 213-413-4130.

ABOUT THE WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND
Since 2003, the fund has granted more than $24 million to support relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of devastating California wildfires.

Grants from the Wildfire Relief Fund have supported those who were displaced or lost housing, belongings and/or employment, or suffered physical or mental health problems; helped to rebuild homes; provided case management services, basic needs assistance, mental health services and financial assistance; upgraded 2-1-1 phone and information system; assisted California wildfire victims with follow-up medical care and supplies; provided in-home care providers, domestic workers, and day laborers with financial assistance, health and safety education; provided financial disaster aid, information on farmworker labor laws, immigration services, and immigrant rights support to low-wage immigrant or mixed status families; and provided firefighters with updated safety equipment.

* https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/