Long-term recovery groups say state should fund operational costs, not just emergency aid

Officials from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and leaders of long-term recovery groups testified that nonprofits are central to disaster response and recovery, but that LTRGs often lack sustainable funding for administration and operations after the initial emergency response.

"No single organization could handle recovery alone," Bruce Yurman, director of operations for the Camp Fire Collaborative, told the committee. The Camp Fire Collaborative formed after the 2018 Camp Fire and has directed more than $17,000,000 in gap funding and helped more than 2,000 families secure housing, Yurman said, but lacks designated, ongoing funds to cover office space, fiduciary systems, and administrative staff.

Abby Browning, chief of the Office of Private Sector and NGO Coordination at Cal OES, described donation and private-sector partnership models used during disasters: airlines donating flights, tech organizations providing internet, corporate partners underwriting vetted funds, and Airbnb providing evacuation housing credits worth more than $26,000,000 in one response. Browning said Cal OES coordinates offers of donations during state-declared disasters and works with local VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) to match resources to survivors.

Speakers urged the state to consider flexible administrative grants for LTRGs and to institutionalize partnerships with community foundations, philanthropy and the private sector to expedite resource flow in the long recovery period. Yurman recommended three priorities: flexible spending authority for nonprofits during recovery, sustainable investment in LTRG operations, and streamlined partnerships so resources reach survivors faster.

The committee did not adopt formal actions at the hearing.