Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund Distributes $2.2 Million to Community Organizations
California Black Freedom Fund is honored to announce that the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund will distribute $2.2 million to community organizations working on the ground to meet the immediate and long-term needs of Black communities impacted by the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County.
The fund was established by the California Black Freedom Fund (CBFF), in partnership with the California Community Foundation (CCF), days after the Eaton Fire to ensure a community-led and centered relief, recovery and rebuilding process.
“I am profoundly moved by the community leaders we’ve met since we opened this fund. Collectively, they are providing direct relief, advocating for the needs of those displaced and impacted by the fires, and doing the important work of rebuilding their community during one of the singular greatest climate crises the region has ever seen.”
– Marc Philpart, Executive Director of CBFF
“Donors must step up to help impacted communities rise from the ashes. This is our opportunity to support the Black community in shaping the future they envision.”
– Miguel Santana, President and CEO of CCF
This commitment to equity and resilience is at the heart of the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund. For its first round of funding, CBFF identified 28 trusted organizations rooted in the community and connected with those most impacted. These organizations are building power among residents so they can return, reclaim, and rebuild amidst political and financial threats like land grabs and gentrification.
The impact and reach of these organizations are significant:
- Over 80% are engaged in civic engagement or community organizing
- Over 70% are providing direct financial support to fire survivors
- Over 60% are offering healing and health advocacy
- About half are focused on youth development
- And 75% have annual budgets under $1 million—underscoring the importance of resourcing smaller, grassroots organizations doing outsized work
“We have seen that disasters don’t discriminate, recovery does, and we are working hard to make sure this is not our community’s reality. Altadena and Pasadena have always stood strong in the face of adversity, and now, that resilience and unity are driving real action. I’m continually inspired by the power of our community—how we rise, organize, and support one another. This moment reaffirms that, together, we can tackle even our most complex challenges.”
— Brandon Lamar, Founder of DENA Relief Drive
“Not only is our unity a miracle, it’s our secret weapon for rebuilding — what we’re doing right now is transforming our pain into power and our loss into a legacy of strength.”
– Pastor Jonathan DeCuir, Victory Bible Church of Pasadena
“We refuse to let speculative investors and non-community minded developers profit from the financial distress our community is facing. We are committed to ensuring that the Black and Brown communities of Altadena can rebuild, restore, and remain in the community, and that the rich legacy of Black homeownership in Altadena is not lost.”
– Jasmin Shupper, Greenline Housing Foundation
“We want to be sure that the officials, the county supervisors, the governor — those who are making decisions for our Altadena, know that we are the community, we are the culture of Altadena, we are the people of Altadena. And we’re not going to get erased.”
– Heavenly Hughes, My Tribe Rise
Meet the first round of grantees!
- Abolitionist Sanctuary
- Alkebulan Cultural Center
- Altadena Historical Society
- Altadena NAACP
- A Sisterhood for Fatherless Daughters
- Community Women Vital Voices
- Essie Justice Group
- First African Methodist Episcopal Church – Pasadena
- Greenline Housing Foundation
- Hands In The Soil
- Harambee Ministries
- Hope Now Community Resource Center
- The Juicy Little Society
- Lift International
- Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development
- My TRIBE Rise
- Neighborhood Survants
- New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church
- Pasadena/Altadena Ivy Foundation
- Pasadena Church
- Pasadena Friendship Community Development Corporation
- Pasadena Senior Center
- Project Passion
- Rockwood Leadership Institute
- Shepherd’s Door Domestic
- The Center for Restorative Justice
- Stars: Illuminate, Educate, Advocate
- Victory Bible Church of Pasadena, Inc.
We will be sharing more stories of the impact of these organizations in the weeks and months to come. To date, the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund has raised $6.7 million and will be distributing additional funding to support ongoing phases of recovery efforts. For more information or to make a donation to the Black LA Relief & Recovery Fund, please visit blackla.cablackfreedomfund.org or text BlackLA to 707070.