Victims of LA Fires Left Out of $100 Million Raised for Them
The disastrous Los Angeles fires early this year caused damage worth billions of dollars. Shortly afterwards, the FireAid benefit concert raised some $100 million to help the victims of these devastating fires. But six months later, none of the affected residents of the area have reportedly received any aid from the funds. Where did the money go?
Investigative journalist Sue Pascoe, who lost her house to the fires, has been trying to find the answer to this question and she had some success in her quest. Last week, Pascoe appeared on Fox News to share what she learnt when she asked The Annenberg Foundation, the organization responsible for overseeing the funds, about how the concert funds were distributed. And she was left speechless when she was told by the organization’s spokesperson that the victims of the wildfires weren’t going to get the money. Moneywise.com wrote of Pascoe (July 18):
She was shocked to learn that the FireAid proceeds would not go to residents affected by the devastating fires. Instead, the money would be distributed to several nonprofits affiliated with the Annenberg Foundation.
Following the thread of her investigation, Pascoe then looked further into what nonprofits received the funds and whether they distributed the money to the deserving residents affected by the fires. She found that more than 100 nonprofits received $50 million from the FireAid benefit concert money. She asked some of those organizations about the money and then verified from the respective residents that they were supposed to help. Pascoe found that the victims had not received any help or service.
Republican congressman from Northern California Kevin Kiley posted the video clip of Pascoe’s interview with Fox on his X page, adding that he had asked Attorney General Pam Bondi for an investigation into this matter. Kiley noted that many of these nonprofits have nothing to do with fire relief.
Independent journalist James Li did his own research on the FireAid proceeds story and revealed some interesting findings including the information that The Annenberg Foundation spends only one-third of their annual funds on actual charity programs while two-thirds are spent within the organization on “administrative costs.”
The left-leaning CBS News presented a counter narrative on the issue of accountability and transparency, including praise for the nonprofits that had received the funds. Citing an investigation by the Los Angeles Times – also a left-leaning publication, the story wrote:
The LA Times reported that the funds reached those organizations and that the money was a lifeline, helping to feed survivors, clothe fire victims, provide mental health services and save animals’ lives.
Ah, to be Dumpster diving with our resident whacky Packi pugilistic maga warrior against anything American as Joe’s DEI poster child, on the story of funds not making it to victims in California’s wildfires. It’s not that The Dumpster loves California or feels for those victims, he does not. It’s just his chance to slam liberals and anything liberal. His goal: pit us against each other for his personal profits. His discovery was that the $100M collected from a benefit concert went to 529’s, not individuals. Then the 529’s would distribute to victims. Oh, the horror of it all.
The FireAid website is pretty clear and transparent on what’s happening:
“The first round of grants, distributed in February 2025, provided $50 million in immediate relief to more than 120 nonprofit organizations, reaching over 150,000 Angelenos. These grants supported families, displaced homeowners, foster youth, seniors, small business owners, first responders, artists, and others with emergency housing, food assistance, trauma counseling, direct financial relief, childcare, and animal welfare services.”
They continue for Phase II grants:
“In this second phase, FireAid is shifting focus toward long-term recovery and restoring stability, connection and well-being across entire communities. The new $25 million in grants supports initiatives around financial and housing stability, mental health and trauma services for families and individuals, and community infrastructure. Additional funding will also go toward environmental remediation, soil testing, permitting support, and sustainable rebuilding efforts, while educational support helps students regain a sense of normalcy. Aid for small business and displaced workers strengthens the local economy and supports overall recovery efforts. The final phase of grants will be coming by year end. Please share your thoughts on where help is still needed by emailing us at donations@fireaidla.org or apply for a Round 3 grant.”
Their statement, refuting what’s found in The Dumpster, that The Dumpster will not print because he is a biased, incompetent, Pakistani journalistic DEI hack, is here: *https://www.fireaidla.org/*
IF The Dumpster had bothered to fully research the topic, he might have run into CBS News which reports: “The Los Angeles Times published an extensive investigation of FireAid funds, in which its journalists contacted more than 100 nonprofits listed as recipients of the concert, on the same day Kiley demanded an investigation. The LA Times reported that the funds reached those organizations and that the money was a lifeline, helping to feed survivors, clothe fire victims, provide mental health services and save animals’ lives.
“We got exactly what we were promised and we’re putting it to good use,” McManus said.
BUSTED
The Clippers stated that all the money has been accounted for and offered to show Kiley the receipts.
“The organization itself has actually reached out and offered to provide some visibility into how they handled the funding,” Kiley said. “I think that’s the important thing is just restoring public confidence.”
BUSTED.
The Annenberg Foundation was hired to distribute the funds to 529’s closer to the victims to do the final distribution. There is no way that the author could determine: “ The Annenberg Foundation spends only one-third of their annual funds on actual charity programs while two-thirds are spent within the organization on “administrative costs.” The Annenberg Foundation does not report these stats and the author has no way to determine them. He is lying. He is a liar. He is an incompetent, inexperienced, journalistically uneducated, partisan hack, probably Muslim, PoS from Pakistan. I have no issue with calling for transparency from The Annenberg Foundation.
So who stole their money? Come on Dunger. You claim to know everything.
I don’t claim to know everything. You claim that.
There is no proof any of the money is missing. There is no proof that these 529’s are misappropriating money or ripping off donors. There are allegations that appear to be shot down. The Clippers that hosted the event are happy. The 529’s offer to open their books.
It’s all in the sources and links provided. Read them. Learn something. Or believe Dempsey who I just proved, with facts, is a liar. Or do you always believe Pakistani Muslims? Well. I guess you would believe his lies over truth from a liberal American born in goid ole NJ. Strange times.