California Wildfire Relief Fund 2020

It seems almost absurd to be writing that we are “closing out” our 2020 California Wildfire Relief Fund as the Dixie Fire—the largest standalone fire in state history—has burned more than 500,000 acres. 

But rest assured, while GlobalGiving’s 2020 fund is now closed, the final donations are on their way to local organizations supporting communities impacted by last year’s fires and preparing for the ongoing season. We’ve also already created a new fund for the 2021 fires to respond to devastating fires that are already spreading across northern California.

Here’s a snapshot of how your donation helped some of our incredible local partners in our final round of flexible grants:

• Nuestra Comunidad and Puertas Abiertas are working with migrant communities impacted by the Sonoma and Napa county fires in 2020. GlobalGiving has funded them to support predominantly undocumented families. Despite providing tremendous value to the California economy and local communities, these California residents continue to live in conditions that I can only describe as woefully subpar. In recent years drought, fire, and unfriendly federal policies have made these conditions even worse. Nuestra Comunidad and Puertas Abiertas are providing rent subsidies and ‘Go Kits’ packed with evacuation essentials to help families impacted by the Glass fires recover and prepare for the possibility of another round of fires.

• The Wildlife Disaster Recovery Network is showing care for wildlife heavily impacted by the fires. A team of veterinarians, wildlife biologists, ecologists, and trained animal care volunteers came together through the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to assist wildlife and livestock after the fires in 2020.  The VERT network also set up a hotline so residents can call for help when they see wildlife in need of support—bringing a new level of care to wildlife affected by wildfire.

• The Amah Mutsun Land Trust is helping revitalize Indigenous fire management techniques. Indigenous groups have been conducting controlled burning to mitigate wildfire risk for centuries. In Santa Cruz County, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s stewardship program has seen positive results from its cultural burning program—even during last year’s terrible fire. A grant from GlobalGiving’s 2020 fund will further this community-led effort and help make the county more fire resistant in the future. 

As we wrap up this round of grants for areas most impacted by the 2020 fires, we are already actively responding to fires raging across northern California.  If you would like to continue supporting our efforts, you can find us at our new California Wildfire Relief Fund. 

From a native Californian, thank you for your incredible generosity.

With Gratitude, 

Donna Callejon + the GlobalGiving Team