‘Los Angeles is our home’: Companies with SoCal ties donate millions for wildfire relief

In the days since twin major fires devastated the region, several companies with ties to Southern California have pledged millions of dollars in relief funds.

The scope of loss from the Eaton and Palisades fires will reshape the region for decades — devastating families, razing entire neighborhoods and creating economic losses estimated at $50 billion. In the immediate aftermath, many local shops and restaurants offered free clothing and food to families who lost their homes, while others pledged to give the proceeds from special sales to relief groups.

Here are some of the major companies that have vowed to donate millions.

The company founded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, said it planned to donate $15 million to address immediate food and shelter needs and to support first responders. The company is, along with several other entities, also hosting FireAid, a benefit concert Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome and nearby Kia Forum.

The biopharmaceutical company based in Thousand Oaks has, along with the Amgen Foundation, vowed to donate $10 million. The company said its foundation will also match donations from employees. In a statement, its chief executive said that many employees live in or around the fire zones.

The giant agricultural company headquartered in Los Angeles has pledged $10 million, including $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and $500,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation. The company behind the brand Wonderful Pistachios said the remaining funds will go toward broader relief efforts.

The foundation started by singer Beyoncé pledged $2.5 million, which it said it intends to distribute directly to families who lost their homes in Altadena and Pasadena. Some funds, the organization said, will also go to churches and community centers helping displaced residents.

One of the main internet and cable providers in Los Angeles County, the telecommunications company said it plans to donate $2.5 million in cash and services — $500,000 in cash doled out to foundations, as well as $1 million each for small-business loans through its fund and airtime that nonprofits can use for public service announcements about wildfire recovery efforts.

The Los Angeles company, a major manufacturer of plastic pipe, donated $1.5 million, including $500,000 each to the California Fire Foundation, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Los Angeles Police Foundation. Funds will include assistance for 12 first responders whose homes were destroyed in the fires, as well as the purchase of a bulldozer for firefighting and two sandbag-making machines.

The sneaker company based in Manhattan Beach said it will donate more than $1 million. The company’s president said in a note that, although it is a global brand, “Los Angeles is our home.” Company executives said they plan to partner with several local organizations, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides essentials, such as diapers and formula.

The financial institution that, in 2023, moved its headquarters to Los Angeles said it would put $1 million into a relief and recovery fund, noting that anyone looking to help could make tax-deductible donations to the fund. Its chief executive said in a statement that the bank had started the fund, in part, because it got so many inquiries from people across the country eager to help.

The camera company has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help those affected by the wildfires. Although its U.S. headquarters is in New York, company executives said in a statement that California is a particularly critical region for them.

The satellite TV company based in El Segundo has pledged $1 million. The company said the funds will go toward rebuilding and FireAid, the benefit concert, which the company said it plans to stream for free.

As previously reported, studios and streaming giants in Hollywood made big pledges. Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery and Google each committed $15 million to relief and recovery efforts, while Comcast, Netflix and Amazon said they would each donate $10 million.