Crisis Response Fund
The Crisis Response Fund is an initiative of the Tides Center that sends short term funding to areas in the U.S. which have experienced disasters. It was started in 2023 to respond to the wildfires in Hawaii. 1 The fund provides aid that helps advance the work of Tides’s priority issues such as advancing left-of-center legislation, expanding immigration, expanding abortion access, and increasing voter participation. 2
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Tides asserts that it started the Crisis Response Fund because “Crises can exacerbate the inequities faced by communities of color and other marginalized groups, harming their ability to fully recover from life-changing…events.” 1
Crisis Response
2023 Hawaii Wildfires
In 2023, wildfires spread across Maui, Hawaii damaging approximately 1,500 parcels of land and 2,200 structures. 3 The Environmental Protection Agency considered it one of the deadliest wildfire events in the last 100 years, with the U.S. Fire Administration reporting that over 100 lives were lost and about $5.5 billion in damages. 4
The fires were especially damaging in the historic town of Lahaina, and the Crisis Response Fund provided donations to help the local Native Hawaiian population. In order to meet the needs of the communities impacted by the wildfires, Tides donated a total of $294,000 to local organizations including the Hawaii People’s Fund, Native Hawaiian Legal Corp., Hawaii Farmer’s Union, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawaiian Community Foundation, Maui Food Bank, and Maui Medic Healers Hui. 5
The Tides Foundation donated a total of about $800,000 to help recover after the wildfires. Beyond the Crisis Response Fund, Tides donated to left of center organizations including the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action and Hawaii Peace and Justice. 5
2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
In 2025, massive wildfires broke out and swept through Los Angeles. According to a study done by individuals at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), over 16,000 buildings over a stretch of more than 55,000 acres total financial losses could be upwards of $131 billion. 6
Crisis Response donated about $80,000 directly and over $500,000 through partner organizations as of February 2025. Grantees include progressive organizations such as, “Black LA Relief and Recovery Fund (California Community Foundation), 805 UndocuFund, Open Air Worker Emergency Fund (Inclusive Action), The Sidewalk Project, Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo Corp (CIELO), Fuerza Fund (Alliance for a Better Community), ProjectQ, and Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM).” 7
Funding Initiatives
The Crisis Response Fund will only donate to groups which work to push the initiatives of the Tides Center. These initiatives include the Health Democracy Fund, Just Health Fund, Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund, Advancing Girls Fund, Frontline Justice Fund, Immigrants Belong Fund, and Stronger Together Fund. 2
Health Democracy Fund
The Health Democracy Fund focuses on voter engagement, voting rights, and redistricting. Tides states the purpose of this initiative is to elect ethnic minority officials to “break down the many barriers inherent in the US political system [resulting from] discriminatory electoral policies and practices [that] have unfairly silenced the voices of underrepresented communities.” 8
Just Health Fund
The Just Health Fund advocates for LGBT causes, abortion access, and healthcare access. Tides states it invests in these issues because, “The erosion of healthcare access has only exacerbated existing inequities, posing a serious threat to the health of communities of color and LGBTQ+ people.” 9
Frontline Justice Fund
The Frontline Justice Fund advocates environmental causes and financially supports environmental litigation. It specifically supports legislation that opposes “new and expanding oil pipelines, mines, and other dangerous and destructive projects.” 10