The Wildfire Resilience Funders Network is an emergent learning and action network of philanthropic professionals working to promote wildfire-adapted landscapes and wildfire-resilient communities in the western United States.
The network connects philanthropic professionals who are working on wildfire-adapted landscapes and wildfire-resilient communities in the western United States.
The idea for the network grew from a series of meetings in 2020 and 2021, where a core group of funders and philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) took stock of the increasing severity and magnitude of western wildfires that has come with a changing climate, as well as the potential to share their experiences and coordinate their efforts.
The network has grown rapidly to include more than 50 funding organizations investing more than $80M per year on this issue, and actively sharing information through meetings and updates, hosting wildfire action groups around topics of shared concern, and identifying opportunities to improve alignment and maximize impact.
If you work with a philanthropic organization that is active or interested in western wildfire issues, please click on the box above to sign up for our mailing list and apply to join the network. If you have questions about the network, or your eligibility for membership, please contact the network coordinator, Kerry Hastings.
Resources for Funders
Slides | Video Recording - Accelerating Adaptation to Wildfire presented by Patty Hernandez, Headwaters Economics (November 2023)
Slides | Video Recording - Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report presented by Bob Roper (October 2023)
Slides | Video Recording - The Future of Climate and Wildfire presented by Kate Dargan Marquis, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (September 2023)
Summary Report - Lake Tahoe Convening (May 2023)
Building Wildfire in the West Series - Report and webinar links (Completed 2020)
Wildfire Funder Landscape Survey and Analysis (Completed 2022)
State of FireTech (Completed 2022)
Recent History
The idea to develop the Network grew from a series of meetings and webinars starting in 2020, where a core group of funders and philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) began working together to take stock of the rapidly advancing wildfire crisis and work towards a shared understanding of key issues and opportunities. In the intervening years and months, a core group sponsored a 6-part webinar series, supported a landscape analysis to assess the field, and hosted a 2-day convening in Sonoma, CA in 2022. Read more about the Network’s background and history below.
These events made clear that there is a clear need and interest in greater alignment and collaboration among funders working on wildfire resilience. As a result, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has stepped forward to enable the development of the Network. The Climate Resilience Fund has agreed to shepherd this development process.
Over the course of 2023, and possibly longer, the Climate Resilience Fund will provide a home for the Wildfire Resilience Funders Network and learning space.
Guided by a Design Team of wildfire funders and PSOs, the network will actively engage its members in shaping strategic priorities, creating working groups, identifying short-, medium- and long-term opportunities for funder alignment and collaboration, and in building a sustainable infrastructure to move forward on our collective goals.
To learn more about the work, please contact Kerry Hastings.
Beginning in 2020, a core group of funders and philanthropy-serving organizations began working together to take stock of the rapidly advancing wildfire crisis and work towards a shared understanding of key issues and opportunities. In 2021, the group sponsored a 6-part webinar series, and in May 2022 hosted a 2-day convening in Sonoma, CA. The planning committee included representatives from Hewlett Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Google.org, Resources Legacy Fund, Philanthropy California, and Smart Growth California.
From these activities several takeaways emerged:
1) the ongoing, increasing severity and magnitude of wildfires in the Western US has gained the interest of a significant and growing number of funders;
2) funders are interested in addressing many related issues stemming from this emergent crisis;
3) there is keen interest amongst this group in aligning strategies, collaborating with each other, and leveraging resources.
At the same time, the scale of the wildfire crisis is enormous. Its many facets intertwine, creating a complex dynamic that is challenging to center. This, combined with a wide array of funder interests and geographic priorities has made it difficult to identify an obvious path forward for a collaborative effort.
The need for greater alignment and collaboration among funders working on wildfire resilience is imperative. Over the course of 2023, the Climate Resilience Fund will explore the launch of a Western US wildfire funder learning space and network. Guided by a design team representing various aspects of wildfire resilience funding, we will explore shared strategies and develop a sustainable structure that will support future aligned and collaborative funding efforts.
