2018 California Wildfires

Through its California Wildfires Recovery Fund (2018), the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) raised $1.6 million and issued seven grants:

• Butte County Office of Education’s Response and Recovery Project received $500,000 to support expanded mental health outreach, assistance and services for school-aged children and their families across Butte County.
• Camp Fire Long Term Recovery Group was awarded $114,656 to support their Camp Fire Resource Center which will become the “storefront” for community recovery resources, services and assistance for the entire county.
• Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) received $250,000 to support the reconstruction of affordable multi-family housing in Paradise destroyed by the Camp Fire.
• Disaster Leadership Team was awarded $30,000 to continue providing direct mentorship support to the Camp Fire Long Term Recovery Group and Los Angeles Region Long Term Recovery Group.
• The Workforce Housing Project (a project of the North Valley Community Foundation) received $250,000. This partnership of funders and stakeholders is working to provide solutions for more stable temporary housing among Camp Fire displaced residents.
• United Policyholders received $143,140 to scale-up their Roadmap to Recovery program in Los Angeles and Ventura counties in addition to increasing available resources for wildfire recovery in the housing sector in southern California.
• Ventura County Community Foundation was awarded $250,000 to support local nonprofits providing housing and/or mental health support or services in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Other philanthropic support includes:

North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) has issued $35 million in grants through the Butte Strong Fund, the Camp Fire Relief Fund and donor-designated funds. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the North Valley Community Foundation awarded grants for the immediate and overwhelming need for emergency relief and response. Learn more about CDP’s partnerships with NVCF in our Disaster Philanthropy Playbook.

• Through the Camp Fire Relief Fund, in the six months after the fire, NVCF awarded 210 grants for relief and response totaling more than $3.6 million. The money was given to organizations and government agencies working directly with Camp Fire survivors, often in the form of direct assistance. See examples grants made by the Camp Fire Relief Fund here.
• The Butte Strong Fund is a partnership of NVCF, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund. It was set up to work alongside communities for years after the fire. It has issued $22 million in grants in five categories: housing, business recovery, community development, health and wellness, and children and youth services. See examples of the grants made by the Butte Strong Fund here.

In 2018, the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Giving Program committed up to $1 million to the American Red Crossand other organizations to help Camp Fire victims in Northern California. The funds will support community-based and faith-based organizations helping people recover from these disasters. Kaiser Permanente has also deployed medical and nursing volunteers to provide care to displaced families and seniors now living in shelters. They also donated $500,000 to the United Way of Greater Los Angeles for immediate relief efforts as well as longer-term recovery support to organizations serving low-income residents impacted by the California wildfires. A third donation for $350,000 was made to the United Way of Ventura County to provide food, shelter and comfort to victims of the California wildfires throughout the impacted counties.

Vizient Foundation made a $10,000 grant to Sutter Health, in support of and individual employee who was impacted by a FEMA-declared disasters in accordance with the Vizient foundation’s disaster relief policy.

FEMA issued a Major Disaster Declaration (DR-4407) for three counties – Butte, Los Angeles and Ventura – to provide Individual Assistance and Public Assistance (Categories A-G) for these three fires. As of Nov. 10, 2020, a total of 8,074 applications had been approved for a total funds distribution of nearly $91 million. In addition, $981.1 million was allocated for Public Assistance and $20.3 was obligated through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

On the second anniversary of the Camp Fire on Nov. 8, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a press release emphasizing their commitment to Butte County’s recovery. They said, “Two years ago, the Camp Fire – California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire in history – swept through 153,336 acres over 16 days. It destroyed 18,804 structures, prompted the evacuation of more than 30,000 residents and took the lives of 85 individuals. Such wide-spread damage required a coordinated effort between local, state and federal government, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector and volunteers to support Butte County in its response and long-term recovery efforts. Since 2018, FEMA has provided more than $238 million in assistance to local and state government agencies, and residents to support recovery from the Camp Fire.  Individuals and households received $84 million to manage rental expenses, home repair and home replacement costs, in addition to grants to replace personal property and cover other disaster-related expenses. As part of an extensive direct housing mission, FEMA also developed the 72-acre Gridley Industrial Park, with 289 manufactured housing units and mobile homes for thousands of displaced Butte County residents. … Due to the size and severity of the Camp Fire, FEMA established a long-term community recovery office in Paradise to take a holistic, long-term view of critical recovery needs and coordinate the mobilization of resources at the federal, state and community levels. Collectively, we are vested in and committed to the area’s long-term recovery plan to restore a functioning, healthy economy, improve infrastructure, expand housing, address environmental considerations, and make Butte County and the Town of Paradise more resistant to future disasters.”