Philanthropy California is an alliance of Northern California Grantmakers (NCG), Southern California Grantmakers (SCG), and Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, representing more than 600 foundations, corporate funders, philanthropic individuals and families, giving circles, and government agencies who invest billions every year to support communities across the state, the country, and worldwide.
Increasing philanthropic investments in reducing communities’ vulnerability to disasters and climate crises, advancing equitable disaster and climate policies, and strengthening statewide coordination by linking philanthropy with key government and private partners.
Natural hazards like wildfires, heatwaves, and earthquakes test the resilience of communities, and they worsen the already dramatic disparities of wealth and power along racial and economic lines. Philanthropy invests most of its dollars immediately following a disaster. Less than 5% of philanthropic dollars go toward reducing hazard risk and preparing our communities for disasters. Only 2% of global philanthropic giving is earmarked for climate mitigation, with an even smaller portion of funding going into BIPOC communities and BIPOC-led organizations. Studies show pre-disaster funding goes further; every $1 spent on mitigation saves $6.
Programming, quarterly meetings, and convenings on issues that intersect climate and disaster resilience; advocacy for climate and disaster resilience in Sacramento and Washington, DC; statewide programs focused on wildfire resilience and disaster resilience; and regional and local programs on environmental, social equity, and food equity grantmaking.
Connect with Us
Visit our website, philanthropyca.org.
Initiatives and reports include:
• Building Wildfire Resilience in the West report.
• Building Wildfire Resilience in the West Virtual Series of reports and session recordings.
• Social Equity Collaborative Fund’s Advancing Racial & Climate Justice in Our Region (San Diego).
• Philanthropy California’s Disaster Resilience Program supports and connects funders around disaster resilience.
• Catalyst’s Social Equity Collaborative Fund and San Diego Food Funders, funder collaboratives that support grassroots efforts to improve the economic, social, and physical well-being of San Diego County residents and the creation of an equitable food system.
Alan Kwok, Director of Disaster Resilience, akwok@ncg.org