FireAid Investigative Report

The 2025 FireAid benefit concert and associated donations raised an estimated $100 million for relief following the Eaton and Palisades fires in Los Angeles.

Despite the massive sum raised, reports surfaced claiming that none of the individual fire victims from the Eaton or Palisades fires received any direct cash payments from the FireAid fund. Instead, the organization disbursed the money in grants to numerous nonprofit organizations.

As a victim of the 2025 Palisades Fire, I personally have not received any money directly from FireAid, nor have any others.

Investigation and Findings

• The controversy stemmed from the method of distribution, as FireAid’s grants, totaling approximately $75 million distributed by September 2025, were given to over 160 nonprofits, schools, and community organizations. Critics and politicians argued these funds were being “diverted” to third-party nonprofits instead of providing direct relief to affected residents, as many donors allegedly expected.
• An independent investigation conducted by a law firm, Latham & Watkins, concluded in September 2025 that FireAid had not misused or misappropriated the funds. The report clarified that FireAid never intended to provide direct cash payments to individuals. Its purpose, consistent with its founding documents and public statements, was to fund organizations that, in turn, provide a broad spectrum of services, including housing assistance, mental health support, food aid, and some forms of direct cash assistance (like gift cards or pre-loaded debit cards) to survivors and communities.
  Full report: fireaid_investigative_report_09-08-2025.pdf
• The final $25 million of the $100 million is expected to be distributed by the end of 2025, with all allocations slated for an independent audit afterward.

This video scrutinizes where the $100 million raised by the FireAid concert went and discusses the claims that many affected families had received nothing.