Olivia Rodrigo; Stevie Nicks; Stevie Wonder; Pink were among the A-list of stars who performed to raise money for fire victims.
(Editor’s note: CTN ran a story on May 12, “Fire Aid Concerts Net $100 Million: Fire Victims Ask Where’s the Money?” Subsequently the Westside Current ran the story on May 13. The Pacific Palisades Community Council sent the letter (below) on May 15. KABC Radio Host Randy Wang has invited this editor to speak about the story on Monday, May 19. He takes comments from callers and you are invited to dial in.)
To Annenberg Foundation: Via email communications@annenberg.org, Wallis Annenberg, Chair, Board of Directors Via email info@annenberg.org, Cinny Kennard, Executive Director Via email ckinnard@annenberg.org, Barbara Chen, Media Strategist Via email bchen@annenberg.org
Re: FireAid Concert Donations – Accounting
Dear Ms. Annenberg, Ms. Kinnard and Ms. Chen:
Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) has been the most broad-based community organization and voice of Pacific Palisades since 1973. As you know, our community was devastated by the massive Palisades Fire in January 2025. Community members were forced to evacuate on an emergency basis, with many fleeing on foot from encroaching flames.
Thousands of our members, friends and neighbors lost their homes and a lifetime of possessions (including all three of the undersigned); our business community was largely destroyed; our beloved recreation center was substantially damaged; our library, our houses of worship and other landmark gathering places are gone; and all community members were traumatized by this unprecedented catastrophe.
In addition, hundreds if not thousands of Palisades homeowners were uninsured or underinsured. As a result, innumerable Palisadians will be faced with the difficult choice of either leaving the Palisades – where they expected to live out the remainder of their lives – or substantially reducing their retirement funds in order to rebuild, placing them in a potentially precarious economic position going forward.
Against this backdrop, we were heartened to learn of the FireAid Concert, which reportedly raised over $100 million (and by some recent reports, purportedly over $800 million) in donations that were intended to help victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires. We were also encouraged that the Annenberg Foundation would oversee distribution of the funds raised. We thank the Foundation and Concert organizers for their work in raising these substantial funds to assist communities affected by the fires.
However, almost four months after the Concert, we now write to inquire as to the extent to which any of the donated funds have in fact been distributed to assist actual victims of the Palisades Fire.
Unfortunately, this information is not available either on https://annenberg.org/ or on https://fireaidla.org/.
When your website indicates that the Annenberg Foundation advised the “FireAid Grants Advisory Committee” as to distribution of grants from donated funds, which were in turn awarded by the “FireAid Board of Directors” (unfortunately, there is no information on the FireAid website as to who are members of the FireAid Board). The FireAid website also states that donations are continuing to be received, with matching funds (“dollar for dollar”) donated by Connie and Steve Ballmer (https://fireaidla.org/#donate).
Moreover, the Annenberg Foundation website states that additional donations totaling $3.175 million have been paid or committed by the Foundation to “over fifty nonprofit community partners” for fire relief (aside from FireAid grants). There is no information after February 2025 on either the Annenberg Foundation website or the FireAid website as to the status of FireAid grants, other donations made or committed, or donations received for fire aid and relief.
One of the undersigned recently repeatedly called your office for more information, she received no response to her calls and messages.
Moreover, the FireAid website (a link buried on your website) lists only names of organizations, not the amounts given to each and whether or how any funds were distributed to victims of the Palisades Fire. In fact, our investigation mirrors the efforts described by a local journalist in the Westside Current: click here.
More specifically, the FireAid website names only three Palisades organizations that received grants (among almost 120 organizations listed as receiving grants, none of whom are specific to Pacific Palisades): Kehillat Israel, Chabad of Pacific Palisades and Palisades Charter High School.
While we are pleased that these respected community entities received grants, it is not clear how distributions to these organizations specifically helped fire victims throughout the Palisades. Indeed, other than funds to rebuild Palisades High (which are greatly appreciated), it is currently unclear whether any of the tens of millions of dollars in FireAid funds have actually gone to help the wider Palisades community or specific fire victims, either in the short or long term.
As the voice of the Palisades, PPCC accordingly requests that the Annenberg Foundation provide an accounting of all funds donated in connection with the FireAid Concert, including any and all matching funds for donated amounts provided by the Ballmers; the grant amounts that were received by each of the organizations listed on the FireAid website; all funds donated or committed to be donated by the Annenberg Foundation (aside from FireAid) for fire relief, and the specific amounts that have been distributed to date to actual victims of the Palisades Fire and/or toward recovery and rebuilding from the Fire.
We also request that you provide a more detailed explanation as to how the FireAid Grants Advisory Committee determined to make grants to the recipients listed on the FireAid website, including an explanation as to why only three Palisades-specific organizations were included.
Finally, we ask that you please advise whether the Annenberg Foundation or FireAid websites will be updated as of May 2025 to list any additional grants made since February 2025.
Thank you for your consideration and anticipated prompt attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Sue Kohl, President
Christina Spitz, At-large Representative
Kimberly Bloom Area 5 Representative
Pacific Palisades Community Council
www.pacpalicc.org
Tahitian Terrace and Palisades Bowl mobile homes parks were destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Those victims have received no funds from FireAid.
Thank you, Sue Pascoe and the Pacific Palisades Community Council for your reporting and your letter
How about getting the local television stations, the Los Angeles area newspapers, the LA District Attorney, and the California and US Attorney General’s involved. This money was raised because of our collective trauma. To not use it to benefit only the fire ravaged communities and its fire victims smells like fraud and it is disgusting.
Were the LA Times, WSJ and NYT copied?
Thank you Sue P and Sue K for pursuing the distribution of the FireAid Concerts funds. I recommend that we provide the Annenberg Foundation one week to respond. Failure to do so should lead the community to share the same letter to public media, elected officials. All 501C3 organizations are required to make public reports on their fund activties.
They were not–put please feel free to let them know if you have a contact.
Thanks.
Sue
Thank you for pursuing this important matter of accountability. I’m sure the Annenberg Foundation wants to be responsible stewards of donors hard-earned money intended to help fire victims. I’d be happy to compile a list of GoFundMe pages from local businesses that are desperate to rebuild like Vittorios – or workers struggling to feed their families as is the case for Casa Nostra employees. The library, rec center, houses of worship for Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians would be a good start. Praying for an answer.
What about victims in Altadena, why are you only referring to the Palisades population? My daughter and her partner lost their home and are struggling with funds to rebuild. They could surely use a donation from this huge amount of money
Laura,
Please tell them to send an email to donations@fireaidla.org, too.
Both communities need the money–Please tell them to send the link to as many people as they can and request money, too.
Sue
Look, it’s a nice letter but it’s pretty obvious what’s happened here. The Annenberg Foundation has literally stolen the funds. At some point a PR firm will come up with some way to spin this, but we all know the truth. Makes me sick that this happens.
The ONLY way to claw back that money is for the IRS to investigate – and they WILL investigate. I’d encourage as many people as possible to file IRS form 13909 and insist that the IRS start investigating immediately – before Annenberg can hide all of the money.
Get this news out to the NYT, LAT, SF Chronicle, everyone. This state is a cesspool for scumbags “raising money for victims” IE lining their pockets and not doing a GD thing to help anyone. Pull Cynthia Kennard into court, demand to see all public records and receipts on the money and if(when) we discover the amount she’s paid herself and her friends, hang them by their thumbs in the town civic center. These frauds have been raping CA for 6 decades. Time for the day of reckoning. Sorry for the passionate language but I am disgusted and fed up with reading about these “nonprofits” where the C-suite employees make 500k yearly.
What most people fail to recognize is that ‘Non-Profits’ only donate what they take in AFTER deducting ‘Operating & Administrative’ costs, therefore depending on how much the Non-Profit claims to expend on fundraising, office rent, light bills, cars leases, etc, etc, often very little to none of the donated funds leave the non-profit. All the owner has to do is keep increasing their own salary, in order to siphon off the donated funds to themself. It’s a well known racket if you’re an accountant. I’m aware of one owner of a chain of Goodwill stores that has paid himself as much as $6 Million a year, leaving just a few drops of the cash income gusher to support whatever ‘Job Training’ program they claim to operate as a charitable effort out of the kindness of their hearts, lol. A Non-profit pays no taxes on donations it raises (is given) due to IRS rules for 501(c)(3) corps, so the non-profit owners can make a killing while re-directing charitable donations into their own pockets. Those who distribute funds as a master distributor (like Annenberg) often have developed relationships with the non-profits who depend on them, and can get kickbacks from the non-profit receiving the distribution, not that I’m accusing Annenberg of anything worse than stupidity and mismanagement. Long story short, if Annenberg gave 100% of the funds to a single non-profit rather than 100 of them, the bulk of the capital would’ve been preserved to a far greater extent than having 100 non-profits each taking a whack at the cash for their ‘Administrative Expenses’, and it’d be far much easier to track, given that corruption in the non-profit sector is rife, with the owner’s family members typically having fraudulent ‘services’ companies that will get the cash rather than the intended recipients it was raised for to begin with. It’s a racket… the cash isn’t misdirected by mistake, but purposely. I’m sure the producers made out financially, and they’re necessary to staging the entire show or nothing happens, but I imagine the performers will be less than thrilled to learn that their donated work delivered nothing, or just pennies on the dollar to the victims of the disaster.
Dear Cinny,
I hope this note finds you well — and thriving. It’s been a long time since our USC days, but I’ve always remembered you with great admiration and gratitude.
I’m writing now not only as one of your former students, but as a fellow Angeleno and Pacific Palisades fire survivor. Since the devastating January 7th wildfire, I’ve been doing everything I can — legally, publicly, and emotionally — to advocate for our community and ensure that those impacted have a voice and real access to the help they need.
You may have seen recent news coverage regarding questions about where the funds raised for fire relief have been allocated. That’s where our paths seem to intersect once again — I understand you’re helping lead Annenberg’s philanthropic efforts connected to this cause. I would be so grateful for an opportunity to speak with you, not with any agenda, but from a place of genuine care and collaboration.
Many of us in the community — particularly those who are uninsured, underinsured, or still displaced — are simply hoping for clarity, and ideally, some input in how the generous donations intended for fire relief are distributed. We’ve seen some concerning allocations to organizations without any direct connection to fire victims. We believe this moment calls for thoughtful realignment — directing funds toward things like rebuilding assistance, home repair loans, housing stability, and immediate survivor needs.
I’d be honored to discuss any way I can be helpful in ensuring that these funds reach those most in need. My only goal is to support a process that is transparent, compassionate, and directly responsive to the victims of this specific catastrophe.
If you have a few minutes in the coming days, I’d love to connect — and more than anything, I’d love to work with you to turn this crisis into something redemptive and community-driven.
With warm regards and real hope,
Rachel Darvish
310-877-4120
rachel@darvishlawfirm.com