The organizers of the massive FireAid benefit concert have announced the first round of grants from the estimated $100 million the show raised in January.
Organizers said in a statement that the first $50 million, distributed Tuesday, “prioritizes community-based organizations that are on the front lines of wildfire relief. The selected organizations have the infrastructure, experience, and relationships necessary to efficiently and equitably deliver assistance to fire-impacted individuals.”
These grants will prioritize immediate recovery services for displaced residents, workers, small-business owners and first responders, including food aid, child care and healthcare services, housing and rental relief, and legal resources for navigating government benefits.
This tranche of funding is expected to be fully distributed by the end of February, and a second round focused on rebuilding and fire resiliency efforts will come later in the year.
The full list of local organizations receiving the initial grant money is documented here. Local groups can still apply for smaller individual grants, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
January’s FireAid concert featured dozens of artists, including Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day and Joni Mitchell, at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum. It drew 50 million viewers over 28 streaming platforms, many of which will continue to host the show for streaming for the remainder of the year,