2025 Wildfire Disaster Relief

The Rotary District 5280 Charitable Foundation is accepting donations to assist those affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Your donation is tax deductible and will directly impact those most devastated by this disaster. The tax ID of the Charitable Foundation is 95-4597691.

• Donate by credit card:
  • Please click HERE to make your donation via credit card.
• Donate by check: 
  • Please make your check payable to "Rotary District 5280 Charitable Foundation"
  • Mail the check to Rotary District 5280 Office at: 8055 W. Manchester Ave, Suite 460, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
  • Please put "Wildfire Disaster Relief" in the memo
• Questions or technical issues with your donation? Please contact the Rotary District 5280 office at 310-670-9792 or office@rotary5280.org

Rotary District 5280 has created a Disaster Relief directory for Rotarians to personally list any resources they can provide to those displaced by the fires

Dear Rotary Friends,

Two months ago, wildfires tore through our communities, leaving devastation in their wake. In that moment of need, the Rotary world responded with overwhelming generosity, demonstrating what it truly means to be people of action. Your contributions to the Rotary District 5280 Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Fund have allowed us to bring hope and tangible support to those most affected.

Because of you, we’ve been able to directly aid families who lost their homes, assist small businesses struggling to rebuild, and stand beside our brave first responders. We’ve already distributed over $200,000 in relief efforts, ensuring that help reaches those who need it most.

Your generosity has:

• Provided hot meals for students unable to attend school in the early days of the disaster.
• Supplied hygiene kits to exhausted first responders working tirelessly to keep us safe.
• Supported city and county linemen, ensuring they had nourishment and resources while restoring critical power and communication lines in Altadena and the Palisades area.
• Offering rental assistance to families striving to regain stability in the aftermath.

While we’ve done a great job responding to immediate needs, our work is far from over. As we look ahead to the summer, we recognize the need for long-term support. Rebuilding takes time, and we must work alongside key partners to assist in this process. Our district is beginning to strategize on how we can play a role in supporting the city and county with rebuilding efforts. I will keep you all informed as we move forward and identify the most pressing needs.

From Malibu to Palisades, from Altadena to beyond, your generosity has made a difference. While our district neighbors Altadena and District 5300, we proudly stand united—because in Rotary, there are no boundaries, only love and service for our fellow human beings. Thank you for believing in the power of Rotary, for answering the call, and for showing the world what compassion in action looks like.

With deep gratitude,
District Governor Albert Hernandez

Here are some fundraising and support initiatives we have implemented:

1. Disaster Relief Fund:
   District 5280 has created a Disaster Relief Fund to collect funds that will be utilized to bring hope and real solutions to our community. 
   Click here to make a donation to our District Wildfire Disaster Fund
   
   a) Organizations on the Frontlines - Supporting agencies that are serving on the frontlines. Organizations who have received funding include American Red Cross, LA Regional Food Bank, California Fire Foundation, and the Upper Ojai Relief.
   
   
   b) Rotarian Relief Fund - If you are a Rotarian in our District and in need of financial assistance, please fill out the Rotarian Relief Fund application. This application is only for Rotary members in District 5280 affected by the wildfires and in need of financial assistance.  If you are a Rotarian, please complete the application below and the Disaster Relief team will be in touch with you. If you are not a member of a Rotary club, see the instructions on our Wildfire Disaster Relief page under “Households Impact by Fires Grant” then contact your local Rotary Club who will complete the application for you.

2. 
   
   
   c) District 5280 Wildfire Relief Grants - Rotary and Rotaract Clubs that would like to conduct a service project for the victims of first responders from the LA Wildfires may download the grant application here and email the completed document to office@rotary5280.org *Please read the application and complete each section. Applications will be reviewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each Club may qualify for up to $3,500 and may apply for only three Wildfire Relief Grants per Rotary year. If application is approved, it will take the committee 3 - 5 business days to get you your funding. 
   
   d) Fire Victim Relief Grants - The District is making funds available to households who have been impacted by the wildfires. Applications must be completed by the Rotary Club in support of a household in need. Each club may apply for up to 3 grants per Rotary year. The maximum amount a household may qualify for is $2,000. The application can be downloaded here and must be emailed to office@Rotary5280.org If application is approved, it will take the committee 3 to 5 business days to receive your funding. 
   
   

3. Rotarians Housing Support
   If you have an available home that Rotarians can connect with you on renting, leasing or purchasing please click the link below to provide those details. 
   Click here to connect with Rotarians who have listings of available housing for those who lost their homes in the fires

4. Volunteer Opportunities:
   We’ve compiled a list of evacuation centers and shelters in the affected areas (see below) and encourage your club to coordinate their donations and support efforts. To ensure efficiency and maximize impact, we’ve created a donation spreadsheet for clubs to document the items they plan to donate, the location, and the date of delivery.
   
   Suggested contributions include blankets, bottled water, face masks, warm meals, snacks, or items for animals at the dedicated Animal Shelters.
   
   For those planning to support the evacuation centers we strongly urge you to contact them in advance and ask for their needs and best time to drop off. While these events just happened, we have realized many of the evacuation centers are at maximum capacity. This may not be the case in w or 3 weeks. Be patient and communicate.

5. Evacuation Centers/Shelters:
   Palisades Fire: Westwood Community Center, 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
   Hurst Fire: Ritchie Valens Community Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331
   Eaton Fire: Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA
   
   Animal Shelters:
   Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA
   Pierce College Equestrian Center, 7100 El Rancho Dr, Woodland Hills, CA
   Rose Bowl (for larger animals), 1001 Rose Bowl Dr, Pasadena, CA
   Click here to sign your club up for a in-kind donation 
   
   We know things are changing constantly. We will try to communicate as much as possible to give everyone updated on what the Rotarians in our District are reporting back.