California Disaster Response

Philanthropy California is an alliance of Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties. We partner with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to support immediate disaster relief and long-term recovery efforts. Philanthropy California monitors wildfires & natural hazard events and provides individual and institutional funders with vetted funds, resources, and events on this response page.

 

Philanthropy California is deploying its deep work in disaster resilience efforts toward:

  • Publicizing trusted funds for place-based relief and recovery
  • Prioritizing funds that support marginalized or under-resourced communities
  • Sharing emerging issues, and where funders can make the most of their contributions
  • Advising how best to meet short and long-term recovery needs
  • Connecting funders, government partners, and organizations active in responding to disasters
  • Supporting funders with tools, connections, and expertise

Philanthropy California does not:

  • Directly connect community-based organizations to funders
  • Provide general public information on wildfire or natural hazard events. For more information on active wildfires/hazard events or emergency response efforts please visit the CalOES webpage or the California Resiliency Alliance (CRA) wildfire quick-links
  • Direct fire or disaster-impacted individuals to resources. If you have been affected by a recent disaster in California you can call 211 for information on where to find help locally

Please visit our government & non-profit partner websites, California Resiliency Alliance, CalVolunteers and CalOES, for more information about how you can help, as well as how to prepare for and recover from wildfires and other natural hazards.

 

  

 

If you have questions about Philanthropy California's disaster response, please contact:

 

Contact: Lily, Bui, Director of Climate & Disaster Preparedness and Resilience (lily@socalgrantmakers.org).

 

Philanthropy California believes that, in addition to funding immediate and long-term recovery efforts, it’s essential for funders to support building long lasting wildfire & disaster resilience. For every dollar spent on building disaster resilience, communities save six on recovery costs.  If you are a funder interested in supporting wildfire & disaster resilience efforts across the state get in touch with us!

The Philanthropy California team has vetted the list below to help you direct resources to funds supporting non-profits active in place-based relief and recovery efforts with a special focus on supporting communities facing structural inequities. Additionally, some funds specifically support long-term resilience building & recovery efforts, which provide support for communities recovering in the years after a hazard event.

 

You can filter funds based on region to view locally established relief/recovery funds, or you can support statewide funds that re-distribute money to disaster-affected communities. Tags for specific disaster events or hazard categories will be added as needed.

 

Interested in submitting a fund to this page? Please complete our Philanthropy California Disaster Fund - Intake Form below. Our team will review, vet, and list the funds that meet our criteria.

 

Complete Fund Intake Form

 

Calaveras Community Foundation: Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund

The Gann Fire is at almost 10,000 acres in Calaveras County. Northern California Grantmakers is working to understand the conditions with Philanthropy CA, CalOES’s Office of Private Sector/NGO Coordination, the Governor’s Office and the League of California Community Foundations to hear about emerging issues, unmet needs, and how the philanthropic sector can leverage public disaster response efforts.

This is the Calaveras Community Foundation's standing disaster response fund, providing critical assistance to individuals and families affected by wildfires and other local disasters. Working with trusted community partners, the Foundation ensures these funds are directed where they are needed most, offering timely relief, essential resources, and hope during times of crisis.

VISIT FUND

League of California Community Foundations: Disaster Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Fund

This fund supports relief, recovery and resilience for natural hazard events in communities across the state of California. Through a statewide coalition of community foundations, funds support:

 

Relief

  • Provide emergency disaster relief for individuals, families, and communities
  • Fill critical gaps in local safety net services that may include food and housing security, physical and mental health access and support, and emergency assistance

Recovery

  • Support the long-term recovery of impacted individuals, families, and communities
  • Support the capacity of organizations to provide long-term recovery services
  • Support case management, project management and construction management associated with recovery
  • Support community-based leadership activities such as convening recovery committees

Resilience

  • Prepare for and minimize damage from catastrophic events
  • Invest in hazard mitigation and prevention for communities at risk of and impacted by natural hazards
  • Support coordinated planning with public/private sector entities, reduce duplication of efforts, and increase the overall effectiveness of disaster prevention and preparedness activities

 

VISIT FUND

Mutual Aid List

Philanthropy CA maintains this live list of mutual aid resources in and around the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. Watch this space for resources pertaining to community health, rapid response funds, legal aid, housing, basic needs, access and functional needs, language access and trusted messaging, mental health, youth and children, news/information, and disaster coordination meetings/briefings

 

2-1-1

211 is a free information and referral service that connects people to health and human services in their community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  211 serves people of all income levels, languages and cultural backgrounds and is available to 96% of Californians and to 85% of U.S. households. 211 also plays a critical role in providing information and support in times of disaster, such as evacuation, shelter, food, medical and recovery information, and provides public officials with feedback from callers about changing conditions.  211 programs are supported by United Way, public and private funders, city and county agencies and more. California United Ways operate and/or provide major funding for 2-1-1 programs throughout the state.

 

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) connects residents with a wide range of services and programs targeted specifically at those who have been affected by wildfires.

 

California Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD)

 VOAD associations improve outcomes for people affected by disasters by facilitating cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration among nonprofit organizations, community-based groups, government agencies, and for-profit companies. Contact your local VOAD to learn how your organization can support disaster relief and recovery efforts.

 

California Resiliency Alliance (CRA)

The California Resiliency Alliance (CRA) is a 501C(3) non-profit sitting at the nexus between the public and private sectors facilitating cross-sector information sharing and partnerships to empower local and regional resilience. The CRA facilitates information sharing across public-private sectors and across industry sectors. For information on active wildfires visit CRA’s wildfire quick-links webpage

 

Disaster Relief Guide

You'll find support for business assistance, capital programs, cybersecurity for business, and additional resources.

 

Get Earthquake Alerts: MyShake

Earthquake Warning California is the country’s first publicly available, statewide warning system providing California residents crucial seconds to take cover before you feel shaking. Managed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Earthquake Warning California uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and can notify Californians to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in advance of an earthquake.

 

Guide to Disaster Assistance Services

The State of California’s Guide to Disaster Assistance Services for Immigrant Californians provides information on health, housing, emergency supplies, employment and other services available to all Californians, regardless of their immigration status.

 

Listos California Resource Hub

Listos California has free materials in many languages that you can use and share to promote disaster preparedness in your home and community.

 

National Weather Service

Provides information on weather conditions across the United States and California. Includes current active alerts, forecast maps, radar, rivers, lakes & rainfall information, air quality, satellite, and past weather data.

In order for a fund to be listed on our Philanthropy California Disaster Response page, it must meet the following vetting criteria:

  • Must be an experienced grantmaking organization
  • Must have an anti-discrimination clause in its grantmaking process (this can be on the website, mission statement, or in annual reporting language, etc.)
  • Must have: (a) experience working in the affected community; (b) have pre-existing relationships with organizations with experience working in the affected community; or  is planning to transfer all funds to a grantmaker with either (a) or (b) 
  • If community foundation, must be accredited with National Standard or be recommended by a trusted partner.
  • Must agree to data sharing with Philanthropy California on total funds raised while fund is activated*
  • If the fund does not meet above guidelines, it must meet an otherwise unmet need.

If you are interested in submitting a fund, please complete this form. Our team will review, vet, and list the funds that meet our criteria. 

 

*Information shared on total funds raised will be aggregated with all other listed funds. Philanthropy California will never share identifiable information about funds raised by any individual organizations. This data will be used to track philanthropic disaster giving in California.

 

Complete Fund Intake Form

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