Our Vision in Action:
LA Strong Disaster Response Fund
Did you know?
$3 million raised for disaster relief with over $2 million already deployed.
Provided direct aid to 480+ students and 40+ employees.
Subgrants distributed to colleges and community partners.
Four-pronged strategy: student aid, employee aid, college subgrants, and workforce development.
Ongoing commitment to leveraging the expertise and resources of our nine colleges to support rebuilding efforts.
Overview
The January 2025 wildfires upended the lives of thousands across Los Angeles. Students, faculty, and staff at the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) have faced displacement, instability, and loss, many without a financial safety net. In response, the Fund launched the LA Strong: Disaster Response Fund to meet immediate needs while leveraging the scale and infrastructure of the community college system. With generous support from donors, we’re implementing a four-part strategy:
Direct aid to students
Direct aid to employees
Subgrants to LACCD colleges and regional partners
Aligned workforce development activities
This approach ensures flexible, far-reaching support for recovery, rebuilding, and long-term resilience.
Our Impact
To date, the Foundation has received over $3 million in gifts and pledges. We’ve deployed over $2 million, including:
$1,033,838 in support to 487 students
$395,000 in support to 44 employees
$949,000 in subgrants to colleges and community partners
Student grants cover critical needs such as temporary housing, groceries, transportation, academic supplies, and emergency childcare. Employee aid has helped stabilize those facing parallel losses. Subgrants have enabled colleges and trusted partners to tailor relief to their campus communities.
We are continuing outreach to the hundreds of impacted students we have yet to serve and are continuing to explore support aligned workforce development strategies.
“I lost everything in the fires except my hope. This support helped me rebuild more than just my school life. It gave me back my sense of stability.”
— Anonymous LACCD Student + Fire Fund Recipient
