The high-profile FireAid benefit concert raised $100 million to support communities impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. The six-hour event featured a star-studded lineup including Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder.
But questions are now surfacing over where the money actually went — and whether it fulfilled its intended purpose. A congressman from California is requesting that the Department of Justice open an investigation into the concert’s grant spending.
FireAid has responded after some of its funding decisions sparked criticism. Of the $100 million raised, $75 million has already been distributed across two rounds of grants.
FireAid maintains that the money was never meant to be given directly to wildfire victims. Instead, the funds were routed through more than 120 nonprofit organizations, which were then instructed to assist the affected individuals.
Media spotlights controversial recipients
Los Angeles outlets FOX 11 and Circling the News have spotlighted some of the nonprofits that received FireAid funding.
“This FireAid money is not helping the people. It’s helping nonprofits,” journalist Sue Pascoe told FOX 11.
While there is no evidence of fund misuse, several groups have come under scrutiny for the relevance of their work to wildfire recovery.
“If you want a good laugh, one of the nonprofits cleans preschool bathrooms,” Pascoe said. “Who knows, maybe there’s a preschool bathroom that needs cleaning.”
“In other words, a lot of these nonprofits are ancillary,” Fox 11’s Marla Tellez said.
Another grand recipient is the California Native Vote Project, which seeks to increase political participation and equity for Native American communities. FireAid awarded an undisclosed grant amount to the nonprofit in order to assist Native families displaced by wildfires.
U.S. Census data shows the Pacific Palisades area has just 16 Native American residents.
Three communications groups collectively received $700,000 to provide “critical information for fire victims.” FireAid did not break down how much each organization received.
Among the recipients was the Altadena Talks Foundation to fund fire-related podcasts.
According to FireAid, Altadena Talks Foundation “supports fire-impacted families in Altadena through sustainable recovery efforts and fire-related podcast programming hosted by Toni Raines, with funding restricted exclusively to fire-related podcasts.”
The podcast’s YouTube channel was created on Feb. 7, after the wildfires occurred. Its most-viewed posted video had 31 views at the time of this report, and its latest livestream had 25 views. During the latest live broadcast, Raines was on vacation.
According to FireAid’s website, $3.3 million was awarded to musicians and arts organizations. Two music nonprofits were tasked with “offering mental health services” and helping cover housing and basic living costs for musicians.
The Pasadena NAACP also received an undisclosed amount to “create spaces where people can unite and share resources.”
Another grant went to After the Fire, a Sonoma-based nonprofit hundreds of miles away from Los Angeles. The group received money to connect past fire survivors with current ones to “share advice and lessons learned.”
These are just some of the groups highlighted by journalists attempting to track where the $100 million went and how it was used.
“One of them said, ‘We help mobile home parks.’ There are two mobile home parks in the Palisades, and I contacted the people there. They never received any money,” Pascoe said.
FireAid responds to growing criticism
Chris Wallace, FireAid’s communications officer, issued a media statement regarding the grants awarded that are now under scrutiny.
“As a newly formed 501(c)(3), FireAid does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan,” the statement said. “We partnered directly with trusted local nonprofits. Each dollar was intended for the community, and a stipulation of the funds was that not a single dollar was spent on administrative costs.”
It’s common for nonprofits to form and operate while the organization’s application for 501(c)3 status is under consideration by the federal government. In the meantime, the organization will ally with another certified nonprofit and solicit tax-free donations.
Congressman calls for DOJ investigation
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is asking the Department of Justice to investigate whether FireAid’s funds were distributed in line with donor intent. He shared his request online.
“Americans’ generosity should not be the second victim of this tragedy,” Kiley posted on X. “I’m asking that the DOJ take urgent action to maintain and restore confidence that donor intent is respected and that the intended recipients of these funds are made whole. An investigation is needed to discover where these donations went and who benefited.”
What an investigation could involve
If Attorney General Pam Bondi decides to investigate, her office could examine donor records, grant agreements, and communications among show organizers. The goal would be to determine whether the money was used as donors intended—and whether any federal charity fraud laws were violated.
The third and final round of FireAid grants worth $25 million is expected to be awarded by the end of 2025.