CAA, Sean Penn’s CORE and LAUSD Launch Fund to Aid Wildfire Recovery

In response to the wildfires that have devastated communities across Southern California, the CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Creative Artists Agency; CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), the aid organization co-founded by Sean Penn and Ann Lee; and the Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation have come together to launch the SoCal Fire Fund.

The SoCal Fire Fund will support recovery initiatives that aid students, school employees and families impacted by the January 2025 fires. With initial donations made by CAA leadership, the coalition is seeking additional partners to join their efforts in the fund, which will be administered by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). 

“The scope of loss for neighbors across Los Angeles is immense and calls for a robust, compassionate, and flexible response—one that prioritizes their immediate and long-term recovery needs,” said Natalie Tran, executive director of the CAA Foundation, in a statement. “We are grateful for the expertise of our long-standing partners for coming together to provide this unique and holistic approach. We invite all individuals, networks, and companies to join us as we face this still-unfolding crisis.”

The SoCal Fire Fund is one of multiple relief efforts underway in response to the fires, which have killed 11 people, destroyed more than 10,000 structures and led to evacuations from the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena, Pasadena and more areas of the city.

Disney has said it will donate $15 million to various relief efforts, including the American Red Cross and the L.A. Fire Department Foundation; Live Nation is producing a benefit concert — FireAid — at the Intuit Dome on Jan. 30; and GoFundMe has established a growing hub for its verified pages related to the fires. 

The SoCal Fire Fund is intended to provide equitable recovery through flexible funding and the targeting of vulnerable communities, its organizers said.

“Through a network of case managers working throughout Los Angeles County, CORE will utilize the infrastructure that we’ve built to support over the long-term those impacted by the fires to rebuild their lives,” said Ann Lee, the co-founder and CEO of CORE, which has responded to wildfire relief efforts in California for years. “Our collective work with the SoCal Fire Fund is focused on delivering immediate support to vulnerable families and individuals displaced by the fires, while also laying the groundwork for years to come to strengthen neighborhoods that are the most marginalized.”

In addition to the LAUSD, the LAUSD Education Foundation will collaborate with neighboring school districts, including the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation and the Pasadena Education Foundation.

“Our region’s public schools are community hubs, offering resources, connection, and safety,” said Alberto M. Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “LAUSD will continue to coordinate with the LAUSD Education Foundation and neighboring districts – harnessing the power of public-private partnerships – to ensure families and employees receive immediate, targeted, and strategic support during this tragic time.”