New Research: LA County Wildfires Are Impacting Nonprofits—Essential Partners in Regional Recovery
As wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles County, we are witnessing not just the loss of homes and businesses but also the decimation of our region’s social safety net. Nonprofit organizations—many of which serve as critical lifelines for underserved, low to moderate-income, BIPOC, and immigrant communities—are among the hardest hit, with potential losses in the billions across Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and the greater Los Angeles area.
New research from the Center for Nonprofit Management highlights the threat of severe impact the wildfires might be having on nonprofits and the essential services they provide. We are tracking the real-time effects of this ongoing crisis to inform relief efforts, guide policy decisions, and ensure that vulnerable communities are not left behind.
Key Findings
The Social Safety Net is at Risk:
The wildfires have put Los Angeles County’s social safety net at serious risk, impacting nonprofits that provide essential services like food, housing, and emergency aid. Many are operating in wildfire-affected areas, facing displacement, financial strain, and service disruptions. Supporting these organizations is critical to ensuring communities receive the help they need during recovery.
- Over 10% of all nonprofits in LA County were located in ZIP codes partially burned or under evacuation orders/warnings. These ZIP codes contained 55% more nonprofit organizations per ZIP code than LA County ZIP codes that were not directly impacted.
- 4,195 nonprofits were in wildfire-affected areas, including:
- 1,790 nonprofits within the fire perimeter
- 2,405 nonprofits in at-risk areas
Billions in Assets Disrupted or Lost:
The financial impact of the wildfires will extend beyond property damage, profoundly affecting the organizations that provide critical services to communities in need. Many nonprofits in wildfire-impacted areas face disruptions that jeopardize their ability to deliver essential support, such as food assistance, housing aid, healthcare, and workforce development programs. These disruptions threaten to undermine the safety nets that vulnerable populations rely on, creating ripple effects that could last far beyond the immediate recovery period. Supporting the recovery of these organizations is essential to rebuilding infrastructure and the community networks that sustain resilience and hope in times of crisis.
- Nonprofits in impacted areas represent $9.5 billion in assets and resources that may have been interrupted, lost, or encumbered.
- Organizations in the fire perimeter alone accounted for $3 billion in potential losses.
The scale of nonprofit losses is an economic and social issue that could impact jobs and threaten the well-being of those most impacted. These organizations provide essential services in housing, food security, education, health care, and disaster response—and now, many of them struggle to recover in a time when affected families and communities will need them most.
Take Action to Support LA County’s Impacted Nonprofits:
- View the full data analysis to understand the broader impact.
- Share this research on social platforms to elevate the stories of affected nonprofits.
- Reach out to your local government. Let our leaders know that recovery should include timely, flexible support that helps organizations maintain services, retain staff, and aid in community recovery.
- Support relief efforts: Donate to response funds vetted by Philanthropy CA that support nonprofits active in relief and recovery efforts, which includes the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, the Pasadena Community Foundation Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, and more.
We are inspired by those stepping up to help their neighbors, and we urge continued action to ensure that nonprofits and the communities they serve are not left behind in recovery efforts. This data is just the beginning of deeper work we hope to do with our community over the next few weeks. Our commitment remains, the recovery and rebuilding process must also be equitable and intentional. We must ensure our sector and the value it brings to LA County is not left behind.
Data Sources:
Data on nonprofits was obtained from 2024 IRS 990 data. Geographic data to identify fire perimeter and at-risk zones was compiled from Protect Genasys.
