How to Help: A Guide to Organizations Providing Relief to Those Impacted By L.A. Wildfires
In the wake of devastating wildfires around Los Angeles, various organizations have mobilized aid efforts, including ones intended for first responders and for members of the entertainment community impacted by the natural disaster.
Firefighters are still working to fully contain the two largest fires in L.A. County, the Palisades and Eaton fires, which are at 31 percent and 65 percent containment, respectively. The wildfires in the area have led to 24 deaths between the Palisades and Eaton fires and destroyed over 12,300 structures, according to CalFire.
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Below are some of the entertainment organizations donating resources, offering assistance and providing relief to those impacted by the fires.
ASCAP: The association for songwriters, composers and music publishers canceled its 2025 Grammy brunch, while also announcing the creation of a relief fund. “To support our LA Community, ASCAP has created an emergency relief fund in the amount of $1 million for ASCAP songwriter and composer members in the Los Angeles area who have suffered loss or damage to their homes or studios, or been evacuated from their homes as a result of the LA fires,” the association said in a statement.
Amazon: The tech giant donated $10 million from its Culver City entertainment division to American Red Cross of Southern California, FireAid, MusiCares Fire Relief Effort, World Central Kitchen, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and more. The company has donated 145,000 essential items to 17 L.A. organizations, according to a state- ment released Monday. Amazon also offered “in-kind advertising opportunities” on its streaming service Prime Video for nonprofits supporting fire relief.
CAA, CORE & LAUSD: Creative Artists Agency’s philanthropic arm, the CAA Foundation, Sean Penn and Ann Lee’s aid organization CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Education Foundation came together to create the SoCal Fire Fund. The relief fund was started to support recovery initiatives that aid students, school employees and families impacted by the wildfires. The coalition said it was seeking additional partners to join their efforts after initial donations from CAA’s leadership. In addition to the team up, CORE, which has responded to wildfire relief efforts in California for years, initially deployed a team to L.A. evacuation shelters to distribute masks, go-kits, hygiene kits and other resources.
Comcast NBCUniversal: The studio giant provided $2.5 million as the first corporate partner for the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBUILD L.A. initiative. The funding was part of an overall $10 million donation to support relief efforts through the Entertainment Industry Foundation SoCal Fire Fund, L.A. Regional Food Bank and more. In a release, the company also noted it was providing affected team members emergency financial funds, with access to temporary housing and discounted hotel rates.
Concert for America: The previously announced Inauguration Day concert, produced by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley Jackson, will now benefit the California Community Foundation, which supports wildfire recovery in L.A. The concert, taking place in New York, will now have an L.A. live stream portion with a slew of TV, film and Broadway talent.
Defy:Disaster: A program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), Defy:Disaster is accepting donations from members of the entertainment community and the public to offer support to firefighters, first responders, and neighborhoods affected by the fires. EIF, which was founded in 1942, has a long history of disaster response — after the deadly Camp and Woolsey fires in 2018, the organization directed more than $2 million to first responders across California, as well as other organizations that provide long-term aid to survivors. “Our hearts go out to all who have lost their homes and those who are uncertain what the days ahead will hold,” EIF president and CEO Nicole Sexton said in a statement. “There is an urgent need to provide shelter, food and water, medical care for individuals and families, as well as care for pets that have been displaced.” In 2023, Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson launched People’s Fund of Maui, administered by EIF. That fund supported those who lost homes in the fires in Lahaina and Kula, delivering $60 million to residents’ bank accounts in six months.
Directors Guild of America: The union’s foundation launched a disaster relief grant program for its members that will be administered by the MPTF, offering $2,000 grants in the wake of the wildfires. The fund was established by an initial donation of $250,000 from the foundation, with the DGA authorizing another $100,000 to cover additional member needs.
Disney: The Burbank-based studio announced a hefty donation of $15 million to L.A.-area fire relief and rebuilding efforts. In a Jan. 10 release, Disney said it would be supporting organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and more. The studio noted that many employees have been impacted by the devastating fire, and it plans to add resources to its employee relief fund.
Eva Longoria Foundation: The actress and her foundation have donated $1 million of the $50 million Bezos Courage and Civility Award she was awarded in March. The funds will be going toward the Latino Community Foundation and California Community Foundation. Longoria previously posted on her Instagram that she would match $50,000 to charitable organization This Is About Humanity’s efforts to support frontline workers, farm workers, day laborers and families impacted by the wildfires.
L.A. Gives Back: Fire Relief: IHEARTCOMIX, Brownies & Lemonade, Another Planet Entertainment and Teragram will present the seventh edition of the fundraiser on Jan. 29 at The Bellweather. The event, which will confirm the lineup at a later date, will “rally” the community to raise funds for unspecified charities supporting the wildfires.
L.A. Wildfire Relief LIVE: Fundraising platform Tiltify has partnered with Real Good Touring, WCPG and CMPS for a star-studded digital telethon. Some of the stars on the lineup include Josh Brolin, Ben Schwartz, Jean Smart, Rhett & Link, The Try Guys and Ke Huy Quan. The event will be broadcast from the Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills with other joining remotely, including from Sundance Film Festival.
Motion Picture and Television Fund: The organization, known for providing assistance to entertainment industry workers during the pandemic and dual strikes, pivoted to providing aid for those impacted by the L.A. wildfires. The fund, now with a dedicated page on its website, has begun providing financial assistance, supportive counseling and assistance navigating insurance needs. “Right now, [victims] are often running on adrenaline, operating from a state of shock and grief,” MPTF’s director of community social services Jennifer Jorge tells THR. “But it can only last so long. That’s where we come in.”
Netflix: The streaming giant pledged $10 million to such organizations as Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Community Fund Wildfire Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, Motion Picture and Television Fund and Entertainment Community Fund. In a memo sent to staff, CEO Ted Sarandos said the company would in addition be offering Netflix employees who have lost their homes assistance with temporary housing.
Paramount: In a memo sent to staff, Paramount Global‘s co-chiefs Brian Robbins, Chris McCarthy and George Cheeks announced that it would be donating $1 million to on-the-ground organizations like LAFD, California Fire Foundation, Red Cross, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen and Best Friends Animal Society. It also offered support to impacted employees through cash grants to help with evacuation, recovery and unexpected costs through its employee assistance fund.
Producers Guild of America: The union linked up with the Entertainment Community Fund to create a fund, which already has $300,000 committed, per the PGA, to support producers impacted by the deadly fires. The producer-centric guild says it will donate a portion of the net proceeds from the Producers Guild Awards and will accept donations from members.
Re:wild: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio in partnership with the nonprofit, which he founded with a group of conservation scientists, has committed $1 million dollars. The funds have been dispersed to several charities including L.A. Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society and SoCal Fire Fund.
SAG-AFTRA: The actors union, which canceled its in-person announcement of the SAG Awards nominations due to the fires, previously announced it was accepting donations to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s natural disaster relief fund to help the guild’s community. The union later pledged $1 million to directly help SAG-AFTRA members impacted by the devastating fires through the foundation. “We hope this pledge helps relieve suffering and assists those impacted in putting their lives back together after this calamity,” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Dresche said in a statement.
The Sona Foundation: The nonprofit, dedicated to providing songwriters and composers with resources and support, relaunched its songwriter fund, a grant program for songwriters and composers financially impacted by the fires. The fund will be a “long-term effort as the fires are ongoing and the grieving and recovery process will continue long after the flames are extinguished,” according to a release.
Sony: Sony Group Corporation, the parent organization of Sony Pictures Entertainment, gifted $5 million to unspecified local relief organizations supporting first responders, community relief and rebuilding efforts, and employee assistance programs. The studio has also provided emergency support for displaced employees and guidance on accessing critical medical, mental health and insurance services, along with childcare support, sources tell THR.
South Coast Plaza and Segerstrom Family: Orange County’s destination for luxury shopping, the South Coast Plaza, and the Segerstrom donated $1 million to L.A. fire relief. The funds, being put towards immediate and long term relief, are being distributed to several organizations including LAFD Fire Foundation, California Community Foundation, Baby2Baby, Center for Cultural Innovation, Pasadena Humane Society, Best Friends Animal Society.
Warner Bros. Discovery: The David Zaslav-led studio announced it would be donating $15 million to unspecified organizations focusing on immediate relief and subsequent rebuilding in L.A. “Our studio has called Burbank home for more than 100 years, and we are focused on what needs to be done to help those impacted rebound from this disaster and rebuild in the weeks, months and years ahead,” a spokesperson for the company said.
Writers Guild of America: The union launched a fund to aid members who have lost their homes or been displaced in the fires. “A number of guild members and the board have already committed over $700,000 to this fund to support fellow writers,” a statement released Tuesday announced.
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation: The organization is providing emergency grants to those in the theatrical distribution and exhibition community that have been affected by the ongoing wildfires. Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation has waived the three-year employment minimum eligibility to apply for the one-time emergency stipend, however, those that have worked in the industry for three or more years might be eligible for further assistance.
WME: The agency joined forces with its longtime partner Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) to provide meals and hygiene kits for incarcerated firefighters. “We’re currently and will continue to provide meals for 600 plus incarcerated firefighters coming off the frontlines of the Southern California fires,” a post on the agency’s Instagram said.
YouTube: The Google-owned platform committed $15 million to relief efforts through organizations such as the Emergency Network Los Angeles, American Red Cross, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Institute for Nonprofit News. In an announcement posted on Wednesday, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said once it’s deemed safe to reopen the L.A. office, the company plans to “offer YouTube production facilities to impacted creators and artists as they begin to recover and rebuild their businesses.”
UTA: Through its employee giving program, UTA has activated a donation match with LA Regional Foodbank and Project Angel Food. Its personnel are also volunteering with local organizations. In addition, the agency is on the leadership committee for Habitat for Humanity’s ReBuild LA initiative, which will be assisting uninsured and underinsured homeowners impacted by the fires.
In addition to the entertainment industry-specific aid efforts, many more general wildfire-related philanthropies are getting involved. Below are some of the organizations and relief funds that have been established.
Americares: The health-focused relief and development organization has launched a California wildfire relief fund and offered assistance to more than 70 partner health facilities in the path of the fires.
Boys & Girls Club of Malibu: The youth organization reactivated its Emergency Relief Fund to “provide direct financial assistance, essential supplies, mental health services, and resource connections for residents facing home loss, displacement or job loss,” according to a release. The fund was initially established in 2018 during the Woolsey Fire.
GoFundMe: The crowdfunding platform has established a growing hub for its verified pages related to the local wildfires. One fundraiser is to assist the nonprofit canine rescue Rags2Wags. “The Palisades fire has forced an evacuation of the rescue,” the page explains. “Getting each dog into a safe and appropriate location is both difficult and expensive.” Other efforts describe losing homes and belongings in bluntly personal terms. “The fire took everything,” one organizer explains of her mother’s plight.
GlobalGiving: The nonprofit, which specializes in partnering with local organizations on disaster assistance and is highly ranked by Charity Navigator, has announced its California Wildfire Relief Fund to support longer-term recovery efforts. More immediately, its focus includes providing food and emergency medical supplies to impacted residents and their animals, as well as other aid to front-line workers.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows: The Santa Monica hotel has set up a donation drive to gain essential items for those impacted by the fires. In partnership with Westside Food Bank, donations can be dropped off at the hotel’s Starlight Ballroom.
Instacart: The grocery delivery service launched “community carts” for 10 local YMCAs, a first for the app. The service explains the program as reimagining “traditional food drives, making it easy for people to donate groceries and supplies directly from the Instacart App.”
International Medical Corps: The L.A.-based humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical services, is delivering relief supplies—including hygiene kits and first-aid kits—to communities affected by the fires.
Jewish Federation Los Angeles: The organization has compiled a bank of resources for mental health support, warm meals, shelter and space for those displaced individuals in the fires.
LAFD: The LA Fire Department Foundation issued a funding alert calling for donations to help cover the costs of tools and safety equipment for LAFD firefighters after the first fire broke out on Jan. 7. The Annenberg and Wasserman foundations immediately provided $1 million to the fund, which helps equip LAFD members with supplies like emergency fire shelters and hydration backpacks.
United Way: The nonprofit, which is focused on longer term recovery efforts to support the community, has created a fund for members of the community addressing “urgent, ongoing needs, which include support for low-income individuals whose livelihood has been disrupted, people experiencing homelessness and those who provide services to support them and disruptions to community organizations and small businesses.
Vintage Land: The flea market announced that Los Feliz Flea will host a donation drop-off and volunteer event on Jan. 18 to support impacted community members at Vintage Land. In a release, the company encouraged visitors to donate essential items that will go directly to the Pasadena Humane Society and Flintridge Retreat Center in Pasadena. The flea market says it also plans to donate a portion of this week’s vendor fees to the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles.
World Central Kitchen: Chef José Andrés’ food relief nonprofit is on hand in L.A. to provide first responders and people who have evacuated with sandwiches and water. The organization has provided more than 180,000 meals to impacted communities, according to an updated Thursday, having expanded to 50 meal distribution sites across the region, 20 of which are specifically for first responders.
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