Announcing nearly $1.5 million in wildfire recovery grants

Extreme heat and drought have spread across the western part of the U.S. and beyond, causing millions of acres to burn across the country. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is pleased to support these communities as we announce $1,489,420 in grants to address the recovery needs and support sustainable mitigation in communities affected by fires over the last several months.

CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund

The CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund supports communities across the state as they rebuild and recover from wildfires and look to implement changes that mitigate the effects of future fires. Here are the most recent grants awarded from this fund:

• COPE (Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) Northern Sonoma County – $80,000 to support the organization’s growth and build its capacity for continued response to California’s extended wildfire season and the effects of drought and climate change on their communities.
• Corazon Healdsburg – $99,734 to support “Estamos Listos” Family Wildfire Disaster Readiness Workshops to help prepare their community for future wildfires and provide culturally appropriate tools to help them cope with the lingering trauma caused by these events.
• Northern California Grantmakers and Philanthropy California – $300,000 to help increase philanthropic investments in reducing the community’s risks and vulnerability to disasters and climate crises, and supporting equitable long-term disaster recovery efforts. Additionally, funding will help advance equitable disaster and climate change policies at the municipal, state and federal levels. The funded project also strengthens statewide coordination linking philanthropy across California with key government, private and statewide nonprofit partners to leverage resources to support recovery and resilience.

CDP Colorado Wildfires Recovery Fund

The CDP Colorado Wildfires Recovery Fund funds organizations assisting Colorado communities to recover from devastating wildfires. Our latest grants include:

• Impact on Education Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools – $309,686 to hire four additional Mental Health Advocates to be deployed in the Boulder Valley School District’s seven schools most directly affected by the Marshall Fire in December 2021. On this project, CDP collaborates with other local funders to meet the needs of children, educators and families in the area.
• Marshall ROC (Restoring Our Community) – $250,000 to provide the Marshall Fire Recovery Center in a centralized location to expedite the access and delivery of disaster-related services and resources. The center will house Recovery Navigators, a public-private partnership providing disaster case management support to fire survivors in Superior, Louisville and Unincorporated Boulder County as they navigate the complexity of their recovery. The center will also provide space for mental health and technical professionals and help facilitate coordination and collaboration among local, national and governmental organizations.
• The Nature Conservancy – $100,000 to build local capacity for climate-forward reforestation of the Calwood and Cameron Peak burn scars. Wildfires pose a tremendous threat to our forests, water and infrastructure, and reforestation is essential in reducing these impacts on surrounding communities. This project builds the capacity for reforestation by evaluating gaps in seed stock and prioritizing collection areas, creating a seed tree network and training land managers in native cone collection.

CDP Disaster Recovery Fund

CDP’s Disaster Recovery Fund allows donors to target contributions to meet specific philanthropic goals for any domestic disaster to help communities rebuild stronger and prepare for future disasters.

Texas (Eastland Complex and Big L Fires):  

• United Rescue Alliance (URA) – $100,000 to provide skilled case managers to support recovery from the Eastland Complex Fire that devastated this area in West Texas earlier this year. This project empowers the community affected to connect individual needs to available resources systematically. Providing case managers and case management software will enable the URA team to mentor community leaders and facilitate the entire recovery process.

Our work continues as wildfires devastate communities in several western states, including New Mexico, Alaska, Arizona, Montana and Oklahoma. All while more fires burn in Texas, Colorado and California. Supporting recovery and preparedness in these communities helps us mitigate against future damage from these fires, as we see an increase in extreme heat and drought brought on by the effects of climate change. Share on X