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Wildfire & Disaster Relief
wildfire reliefdisaster reliefrecovery+1 more
Who can apply: Organizations working on the ground in impacted areas; specific eligibility and funding strategies are assessed by the Foundation.
About California Fire Foundation
The California Fire Foundation provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect.
Focus Areas
Vegetation Mitigation & Fuels ReductionPlanning, Public Education, and Community Outreach CampaignsPersonal Protective EquipmentSpecialized Firefighting EquipmentFirst Responder TrainingRelief & RecoveryScholarships for children of fallen firefightersDisaster preparedness and immediate survivor assistance (SAVE)
Who They Fund
wildfire-affected households / victimsfire departments and first responderscommunities in fire-prone areas
About California Fire Foundation
The California Fire Foundation pairs emergency aid with long-horizon support for fire-affected communities, and its largest recent grant shows that mix clearly: $671,358 to the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association in Honolulu for disaster relief. The foundation also backs victim assistance at scale, including $165,000 to the Ventura County Community Foundation in Camarillo for wildfire mitigation and victim support, and $150,000 to Shasta Regional Community Foundation in Redding for victim aid. Across its recent grants, the organization supports fire departments, firefighter associations, community foundations, nonprofits, and some public institutions working on relief, preparedness, education, and recovery. Its grantmaking reaches both immediate household needs and broader community response work, from disaster recovery to wildfire mitigation and fire service support. The pattern suggests a funder that responds to active incidents while also investing in the infrastructure around those incidents: community relief partners, fire service organizations, and education-oriented groups. The foundation’s portfolio also includes grants for fire safety education, awareness, and research-related work, alongside assistance tied to firefighters and the communities they serve.
What California Fire Foundation Funds
Wildfire mitigation is a recurring theme in the California Fire Foundation’s recent awards. It gave $100,000 to El Dorado Community Foundation in Placerville for wildfire mitigation and victim support, and later awarded $25,000 to Bridgeport Fire Protection District in Bridgeport for wildfire mitigation. Relief and recovery is another clear area: $115,000 went to Projectcamp in Los Angeles for victim aid, and $25,000 went to 805 Undocufund in Ventura for victim aid. The foundation also funds education and research. It provided $45,000 to The California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation in Sacramento for education and research, and $27,708 to Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento for education and research. Fire safety education appears as a separate line of support as well, including $25,000 to Latino Community Foundation in San Francisco for fire education.
How California Fire Foundation Gives
Typical awards are clustered in a narrow band: p25 is $10,000, median is $15,000, and p75 is $15,483. The recent grant list also shows several larger, targeted awards, especially for disaster relief and victim aid. The foundation appears to make repeated grants to some recipients across multiple years, including Projectcamp, Hawaii Fire Fighters Association, El Dorado Community Foundation, and North Coast–area partners. It is a regular funder and operates as a local grantmaker. Unsolicited applications are accepted in several active grant programs, including the general grant cycles and wildfire disaster relief opportunities.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$20.7M
Total Revenue
$5.3M
Total Expenses
$7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
Local5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MIKE LOPEZ
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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