Wildfire season has descended on Northern California with a vengeance, sparked by lightning, heat and high winds. With more than half a million acres burned and evacuations in full progress across the Bay Area, many people have begun wondering how they can help. Here are a few options.
American Red Cross: Donations will go to the Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts. https://www.redcross.org/donate/
Big Basin Redwoods Recovery Fund: Donations are needed to rebuild Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Click the donate button at: www.thatsmypark.org/parks-and-beaches/big-basin-redwoods-state-park/
California Fire Foundation: This foundation provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. Find details on how to help at https://www.cafirefoundation.org/.
CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund: Help the Center for Disaster Philanthropy support those affected by the wildfires. https://disasterphilanthropy.org/issue-insight/wildfires/
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County: This foundation is seeking help to support those affected by the lightning complex fires. www.cfscc.org/updates/fire-response-fund
Everest Effect: Connecting donors to people in crisis and getting them access to critical supplies, including diapers, wipes, pantry staples, student supplies and more. www.everesteffect.com/
GlobalGiving — California Wildfire: Providing support for firefighters and supplying food, water and medicine to people in need. www.globalgiving.org/california-wildfires/
GoFundMe: Has launched a centralized hub of fundraisers that will help residents who have lost their homes and have been displaced by the fires. www.gofundme.com/c/safety/gofundme-guarantee. In addition, they have launched California Wildfire Cause General Fund to offer relief to Californians in need. www.gofundme.com/f/CaliforniaWildfireReliefFund
Hobee’s Providing Meals to Fire Evacuees & Heroes: All five Hobee locations are working together to feed those affected by CZU and SCU Lightning Complex fires. They have put together a gofundme so that they can cover the food costs of the meals. https://www.gofundme.com/f/hobee039s
Latino Community Foundation NorCal Wildfire Relief Fund: Supporting frontline community partners, who are helping those affected by the August 2020 wildfires. https://latinocf.org/norcal-wildfire-relief-fund/
Meals of Gratitude: This organization sends meals to firefighters, evacuees and volunteer frontline support. Find out how you can help at http://mealsofgratitude.org/.
Monterey County Community Resilience Program: Send supplies, donate money or lend a hand to those impacted by the River Fire. https://montereyco.recovers.org/
Napa Valley Community Foundation’s 2020 Napa County Wildfire Fund: Providing relief and recovery services to those affected by this most recent disaster in Napa Valley. https://www.napavalleycf.org/
National First Responders Fund: Providing support to first responders with post-traumatic stress injuries. www.nfrf.org
North Valley Community Foundation Wildfire Relief and Recovery Fund: This fund helps support nonprofits and agencies providing assistance to evacuees, animals and others impacted by the fires in Glenn and Tehama counties in Northern California. Learn more at www.nvcf.org/donate.
Off the Grid NorCal Fire Fund: Donations will provide meals to those affected by the Bay Area fire. https://offthegrid.com/relief-efforts/. If you are a corporate partner or food truck business and wish to help, join the effort at https://offthegrid.com/norcal-fire-relief/.
One Tree Planted — Reforestation: Donations will help plant trees in California’s forests, where 2020’s fire season has consumed close to 3 million acres. Hundreds of millions of trees will need to be replaced. A $1 donation plants one tree. https://onetreeplanted.org/collections/united-states/
Puente: Donations needed to help provide staffing at the Half Moon Bay Evacuation Center 24/7 and hotel vouchers. https://mypuente.org/
Ranger Foundation: Wildfire relief grants are available to park workers, including volunteers, seasonals and retirees, who have suffered loss due to the wildfires. www.cspra.com/rangerfoundation/index.html
The Real Cowboy 911: Find information on this group that offers assistance with livestock and pets in emergency situations at bayareane.ws/RealCowboy911.
The Salvation Army: Donations support disaster relief for the current wildfires as well as potential future disasters. https://deloro.salvationarmy.org/del_oro/august-2020-wildfires
San Mateo and Santa Clara County Fire Relief Fund: The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has established a fund that benefits individuals and families affected by the wildfires. www.siliconvalleycf.org/
Santa Cruz County Warehouse: Donate non-perishable goods and new items for evacuees. High-need new items include men and women’s clothing, towels, bed sheets, sleeping pads, pillowcases and ice chests. The warehouse is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1082 Emeline, Santa Cruz. www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/FireResources.aspx
Solano Disaster Relief Fund: Grants from this fund will help nonprofits provide individuals and families impacted by the wildfires. https://www.solanocf.org/Funds/
Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation: ARF partners in emergency disaster relief and provides help with animals in need. https://secure3.convio.net/arf/site/Donation
United Way Greater Bay Area Central Coast Wildfire Relief Fund: The Wildfire Relief Fund provides immediate and long-term recovery assistance to residents affected by the wildfires. Working together, United Way Bay Area, United Way of the Wine Country, United Way of Northern California, United Way Monterey County and United Way of Santa Cruz County will assist residents and community agencies in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Donations to the Greater Bay Area Central Coast Wildfire Relief Fund can be made at https://uwba.org/wildfirerelief/
Vema Net: Volunteers for the Emergency Management of Animals Network is a free online bulletin board where people can offer or ask for help with animals in need of evacuation and a temporary safe haven. http://vemanet.org
Volunteer Center: The Volunteer Mobilization Fund helps coordinate volunteers to address fire-response needs. https://scvolunteercenter.org/about-us/donate-volunteer-center/
Wildfire Relief Fund: Supporting immediate, mid- and long term recovery efforts for major California wildfires. https://www.calfund.org/wildfire-relief-fund/
Woodside Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund: Help support large animal disaster relief. https://woodsidegiving.org/disaster-relief-update.html
World Central Kitchen: Chef José Andres’ World Central Kitchen is feeding firefighters and evacuees. Donations needed. https://wck.org/
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