48 Non-Profits Supporting Low-Income Fires Survivors Receive Funding
SAN FRANCISCO (October 9, 2018) — Today, Tipping Point Community, a non-profit organization working to break the cycle of poverty in the Bay Area, announced it has raised and allocated $33.8 million to organizations supporting low-income communities hit hardest by last year’s deadly fires in Sonoma, Napa, Lake, and Mendocino Counties.
More than 3,300 donors and 220 companies contributed to the Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, which launched four days after the fires broke last October. 100 percent of the funds raised have been allocated to 48 non-profits working on the front lines of the recovery effort. Grants were focused in four areas: housing, health, employment, and social services.
“We knew that low-income communities would have the steepest and longest road to recovery following the fires,” said Daniel Lurie, CEO + Founder of Tipping Point. “Amidst the devastation, we witnessed incredible generosity from individuals and companies throughout our region. There continues to be great need in the North Bay, and the fires highlighted what we can accomplish when we come together as a community.”
“We continue to see an influx of people coming to us for services. Some lost their jobs or business due to the fires. Other people were already on the brink of homelessness prior to the fires and then were evicted due to the downward pressure of the housing crisis,” said Len Marabella, CEO of Catholic Charities Santa Rosa. “Tipping Point’s funding is making it possible for us to help the most vulnerable fire survivors who need long-term support to rebuild their lives. The grant will help build our new affordable housing and homeless services development, Caritas Village, which will double our capacity to serve people experiencing homelessness and create affordable housing units for 137 families.”
Examples of Tipping Point’s investments include:
- Housing (37% of fund): Approximately 7,000 homes in the region were destroyed and hundreds of families who are low-income lost their housing. Tipping Point’s largest grant went to Catholic Charities Santa Rosa: $5 million to double the capacity for serving homeless individuals in its plans to build Caritas Village, an affordable housing development.
- Health (25% of fund): One of the largest clinics in the region serving the low-income community was Santa Rosa Community Health’s Vista Clinic, which was destroyed in the fires. $4 million went to Santa Rosa Community Health for temporary exam rooms to enable continued care and accommodate the growing need.
- Employment (19% of fund): At least 6,000 construction workers are needed to build and rebuild housing for the region. Tipping Point awarded $1.5 million to La Luz to help fill the construction pipeline by training workers, while also equipping them with new skills for long-term gainful employment opportunities.
- Social Services (19% of fund): Around 38,500 immigrants call the North Bay region home. Tipping Point provided $1,000,000 in financial assistance to Undocufund to provide mental health services and high-quality legal support for immigrants impacted by the fires.
“Tipping Point’s investment enabled us to build our capacity to support the community at a time when resources were limited and need was at an all-time high,” said Juan Hernandez, Executive Director of La Luz who was featured in a short film produced by Tipping Point about the fires, response, and recovery effort. “The investment jump started our construction training program, which provides economic opportunity while contributing to the rebuilding effort in the region.”
In the days following the fires, Tipping Point collaborated with more than 90 Bay Area business and community leaders to host a series of benefit concerts. The largest, Band Together Bay Area, was hosted at a sold-out AT&T Park featuring musical acts including Metallica, Dead & Company, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, G-Eazy, Rancid, and Raphael Saadiq. With 100% of ticket sales going to the Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, this concert alone raised $17 million for North Bay recovery efforts. The Band Together effort was launched by founding sponsors Another Planet Entertainment, Lynne and Marc Benioff, the Ron Conway Family, Google, Kaiser Permanente, Erica and Jeff Lawson, Live Nation, Salesforce, the San Francisco Giants and Twilio.
To make additional contributions to the fire relief effort, donors are invited to give to one of the 48 Tipping Point beneficiaries. To see a list of all groups and watch a film on the response, visit www.tippingpoint.org/relief.
To learn more about Tipping Point’s efforts to fight poverty throughout the Bay Area, visit www.tippingpoint.org.
Available Visual Assets:
Short film (~3 minutes) — Features fire destruction, interviews with Tipping Point and spotlight on beneficiary, La Luz. 1-minute version of film also available.
Infographic — Outlining Tipping Point’s $33.8 million investment areas, project spotlights.
About Tipping Point Community
Tipping Point Community works to break the cycle of poverty for individuals and families in the Bay Area. Since 2005, Tipping Point has raised over $200 million to support the 1.3 million people in the Bay Area who are too poor to meet their basic needs. We leverage the resources and expertise of our community to invest in solutions that prevent poverty: a nurturing early childhood, strong education, gainful employment, and secure housing. Our Board covers 100% of our overhead, so every dollar donated goes where it’s needed most. To learn more, visit www.tippingpoint.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marisa Giller, 415.341.9561 (office), 314.630.4123 (mobile) mgiller@tippingpoint.org
