Recovery from wildfires is long and complex. The recent wildfires in LA County are considered the most destructive in California’s history, and communities will need continued funding and support for many years to come. 

CDP Director of Innovation and Special Projects Natalie Chang moderated a discussion about how funders can help support long term recovery for this and future wildfire disasters with the following panelists:

This webinar was co-sponsored by Giving Compass, Philanthropy California, SoCal Grantmakers, The Funders Network, Philanthropy New York, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and Alliance Magazine.

What are issues in recovery that funders and survivors may not consider in the aftermath of a wildfire disaster? 

Survivors may need one or two years to begin itemizing their insurable losses. Sometimes people discover that what they thought was insured was not, or that there are issues with the land they own that they didn’t know before the disaster. Then, they must decide whether and how they’d like to rebuild and begin removing debris from their property. 

“Duplication of benefits is a big issue for survivors who spend insurance proceeds, understandably on temporary housing after a fire, but find they have to replenish those funds years later to qualify for a housing reconstruction subsidy,” said Simmons. Federal and state agencies only want to provide funds that fill private insurance gaps, so it’s important to understand federal and state exclusions in order to identify how to spend charitable funds. 

Who is most likely to fall through the cracks and what strategies are needed to reach them?

In wildfires, older populations and those living with disability and/or mobility issues tend to account for the majority of deaths. In the LA fires, 29 people died, most of them from these populations. Many people don’t receive evacuation alerts, or if they do, they may not be able to leave their homes. They may be awaiting rescue that might never come, or they may just have nowhere to go. 

“I spoke with our LA County Department of Aging and Disabilities and our director there said that they've gathered over 40 agencies to advocate to the state of California around ensuring that there are evacuation plans explicitly articulated in future disaster efforts [for vulnerable populations] here in the state of California,” said Veniegas. 

Additionally, in LA county, there are immigrant communities who do not want to be found right now, which increases their vulnerability. 

Why should funders consider giving as locally as possible?

Not all fires are equal in scale or the attention and funding they receive, but “all homes lost are equally destroyed,” said Simmons. Fires that do not receive media attention are severely under funded in recovery, whereas larger fires that make international news often draw funding from around the globe. “Charitable dollars may go further in smaller scale disasters when there's little risk of duplicating federal and state benefits and a critical lack of subsidies,” said Simmons.

It’s difficult to know from looking at the news what the needs really are in recovery, and if the fire falls below the media threshold it’s even harder. So, when planning to donate, talk with local agencies and governments about gaps in public assistance projects. Talk with community foundations that make donations directly to survivors in schools and locally vetted groups. Most importantly, ensure that there’s flexibility in the money you donate so that those in charge of recovery have the flexibility to make decisions about how to use charitable funds.

How can communities prepare for and mitigate a disaster before it happens?

Preparing the environment in your community before the disaster happens is crucial. Funding projects like urban greening, creating community gardens, planting trees, etc. help mitigate the effects of disasters. Sadly, budget cuts for these types of projects as well as those that improve infrastructure, like pavement work, storm water drainage, etc., tend to have the most detrimental effect in more disadvantaged communities, making them more vulnerable when disaster strikes. 

Preparedness also means meeting people in communities where they are. It’s important to hold information sessions on disaster preparedness, including how to navigate insurance and other funds as they come in after a disaster because it can be incredibly confusing. Communities should have a plan before disaster strikes – what should be in a “go bag?” What does wildfire or flood insurance cover and not cover? How can communities plant more trees in key areas? 

Said Knierim, “I just really want the funders to know that money doesn't have to go to a specific targeted disaster as it occurs, especially whenever it may be full flush with cash from other areas, the federal government, FEMA. But the post-recovery and long-term recovery really falls on a lot of the nonprofits, the volunteer organizations active in disaster, where the money flows to...So if we don't have funding to help…people either rebuild or navigate…the long-term recovery aspects of FEMA and other federal funds, then there isn't anyone to help them.”

Watch the full webinar recording now.