The widespread funding mobilization directly targets intermediate and long-term support for the thousands of Angelenos facing catastrophic displacement and loss.
Los Angeles, CA – As Los Angeles County continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of raging wildfires that have claimed at least 10 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and displaced more than 180,000 Angelenos, the California Community Foundation (CCF) has received $4 million in donations to date to fuel relief and hope. CCF’s Wildfire Recovery Fund provides critical support to communities, complementing immediate relief with the intermediate recovery and long-term resilience efforts needed to rebuild and restore the lives of California’s most affected communities.
“As Angelenos, there isn’t one among us that hasn’t been personally impacted by the catastrophic wreckage that the wildfires and windstorms have left on our neighbors, family, friends, and this Los Angeles community we love so deeply,” said Miguel Santana, President & CEO of the California Community Foundation. “The continued generosity of donors across Los Angeles and the nation in just 48 hours proves that we are not alone. We will be able to rise from this, together, stronger and more resilient than we were before.”
CCF has a long history of making a direct and meaningful impact on individuals and families in need, ensuring that support reaches those most affected. The CCF Wildfire Recovery Fund has existed since 2003, doling out more than $30 million to communities in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CCF also launched its COVID Relief Fund, offering critical assistance to aging populations, single parents, immigrants, and others by covering essential needs like rent and utility costs and providing vaccines to individuals facing barriers to care, including the unhoused and those with language access challenges.
CCF partners closely with community-based organizations and government partners to ensure that all funding is allocated responsibly to the most critical community priorities. They also leverage data from various tools, including CalFire and the Center for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index, to ensure critical resources reach underserved and hard-to-reach communities, which can be overlooked in times of disaster.
CCF’s Wildfire Recovery Fund complements immediate relief, addressing the long-term recovery needs of neighborhoods long after media attention has shifted away. It supports an array of critical recovery services, including housing, case management, mental health, and medical care for displaced residents. It also aids in rebuilding essential infrastructure like emergency communication systems and offers financial disaster assistance, labor law education, and immigration services to low-wage workers and immigrant families. For more information on the fund, or to learn how you can help, visit our website: Wildfire Recovery Fund.
About the California Community Foundation (CCF):
Since 1915, CCF has served Los Angeles County as a public charitable organization dedicated to leading systemic change that strengthens communities. Managing $2.3 billion in assets and overseeing 1,900 charitable foundations, funds and legacies, CCF’s mission is to invest in, partner with and amplify the power of community toward a good life. For more information, visit www.calfund.org.