Donate to the California Drought Relief Fund

Donate to the California Drought Relief Fund

Posted on August 25, 2015

Businessperson, philanthropist and clean energy advocate Tom Steyer and his wife Kat Taylor have joined a coalition of businesses and nonprofits, including Self-Help Enterprises, to announce the launch of the California Drought Relief Fund, a new effort to crowdfund support for marginalized communities hit hard by the state’s unprecedented drought, now in its fourth year.

The Fund will support local relief organizations helping families who have run out of water, primarily in the Central and Salinas Valleys, as well as victims of mega wildfires, which have inflicted more damage due to drought conditions.

Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor have made an initial seed grant of $100,000 towards the overall goal of $250,000. One hundred percent of funds raised will be divided among three local relief organizations — Self Help Enterprises, the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW), and the California Fire Foundation (CFF).

Self-Help Enterprises and EJCW are helping households whose wells have run dry by providing emergency bottled water, installing temporary water storage tanks, connecting houses to municipal water supplies, and arranging low interest loans for new water well construction. CFF supports firefighters and operates the SAVE program, which helps first responders distribute immediate cash relief to wildfire victims.

The California drought is the worst in the past 1,200 years. Ninety-five percent of the state is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought, and it’s clear that climate change is playing a role, increasing chances that low precipitation and high heat coincide to create crushing drought. Self-Help Enterprises is now working with seven of the eight counties in our service area on drought relief efforts. New staff have been hired to meet the demand for interim water tanks and coordination for long-term solutions.

The California Drought Relief Fund will accept contributions throughout summer 2015. Visit www.droughtrelief.org to learn more and to make a contribution. Follow the campaign on social media using the hashtag #CADroughtRelief.