How to donate to LA fire victims, and avoid falling for scams

Find ways to help from afar after natural disasters, such as the The fires of Los Angelesit is not always simple.

Despite the best of intentions, people can sometimes do more harm than good, overwhelming local organizations with unnecessary donations or inadvertently undermining relief efforts by making uninformed decisions about how best to donate or volunteer.

And then there are the scams. The chaotic aftermath of disasters is a prime environment for scammers to set up fraudulent funding campaigns or otherwise exploit the situation for nefarious purposes, siphoning the necessary donations from well-intentioned people.

If you are looking for ways to help the victims and the recovery efforts of the LA firesHere’s a helpful guide on how to find reliable resources. We’ve also provided some best practices for navigating the online situation.

Find out where to donate

Considered one of the most devastating fires in the history of Los Angeles, there is a large number of people who need help, and, then, a lot of information about their needs, which leads to confusion about how to help.

If you’re trying to sift through this mountain of information for things you can do, start by researching verified and reliable organizations that work on the ground so that the money or goods you donate go to the right places. Look at local and federal government and established non-profit sites that provide verified resources.

U The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the official California website have regular updates on what is needed and where to donate. For monetary donations, the LAFD lists their foundation to provide equipment and fire equipment, the California Community Foundation Fire Recovery Fundu American Red Crossand the Salvation Army as options. The LAFD also got involved LAworks.com which supports local Los Angeles non-profits for volunteer opportunities and resources.

The official website of California, CA.gov also has a list of verified organizations to donate money and volunteer opportunities through the Governor’s Office California Volunteers department

U Los Angeles Mutual Aid Network (MALAN), a center of mutual aid efforts and resources, has a regularly updated database of local organizations and information about what they ask for and the needs of volunteers.

If you are looking to directly help individuals and families who have been displaced by the fires, GoFundMe has a dedicated section of fundraising campaigns that have been verified by the site’s Trust and Safety team.

The Pasadena Humane Society is no longer accepting donations of pet supplies, but they still need monetary donations, which can be made. here.

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Find out how to best donate and what these organizations need

As you do your research, look carefully and often at what organizations are doing and no need The LAFD urges people not to drop off donations at fire stations and shelters, as it “impacts the critical operations of these frontline responders.” Likewise, the city of Pasadena announced on X that he is “addressed with the quantity [of food and other basic supplies] and we are no longer accepting additional donations.”

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Organizations often specify what items are needed. Secondhand clothing or used/opened packages of food and toiletries are not always welcome. MALAN, the mutual aid network based in LA, has provided detailed real-time information on what each donation unit needs and whether they accept volunteers.

In this note, there is an impulse to present on the door of an organization ready to pitch in. However, training volunteers often requires time and effort that could be better spent elsewhere. during an ongoing disaster like the LA fires. So double-check with their websites and social media accounts for updated information on how to make the most of your time or resources. Sometimes the most needed resource is just money.

Share trusted information

With emotions running high and social media doing what it always does, disinformation thrives during crises like the LA fires.

When firefighting efforts in the Pacific Palisades ran out of water, rumors that it was due to broken fire hydrants prompted the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to set the record straight. The fire hydrants were not broken, it was because of “unprecedented and extreme demand for water to fight the fire without aerial support”.

Viral satellite images of the burning Altadena do not represent the fire, it is the infrared images that show heat maps of the fire. So while the devastation is real, it’s not what the fire looked like to the naked eye.

Meanwhile, fact-checking sites like Snopes and Politifact have been busy debunking it fake looting, misleading claims about budget cutsand finger tips from politicians.

Now is a particularly good time to read social media with extra scrutiny, and think carefully before reposting or sharing anything online. Ask if a post seems like rage-bait, about the original source of the information, and if you have enough context of the news you are reading.

A good strategy for quickly evaluating online information you might want to share is a The SIFT methodwhich was developed by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield. SIFT is an acronym that means 1. Stop, 2. Investigate the source, 3. Find better coverage, and 4. Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.

At the very least, be careful what information you believe, and re-share, from your social feeds.

Beware of scams

Scammers prey on people in times like these by exploiting their emotional investment and capitalizing on the urgency and gravity of the situation. Aside from luring people to donate through fake fundraising campaigns, scammers are also going on the offensive, targeting people through phishing calls, texts, emails and direct messages on social media.

Through social engineering, they may not even directly ask for money, but tease sensitive information from you, such as contact information and passwords, under the pretext of needing help or offering help in the your name If you’re donating outside of official channels, like sending money through Venmo or shipping to someone, it’s best to go through trusted networks of people you know or people who can vouch for them.

If you think someone is trying to scam you, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau have some advice. Find out specific information about the charity that you can research and verify and do not give money or personal information until you have verified the organization.

Scammers often emphasize the urgency of the situation and try to get you to donate immediately. But legitimate charities will have websites with secure donation portals, so if it’s a real organization, you can always search and donate later.

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