Already, more than $100 million has been raised for wildfire victims through GoFundMe, a number that continues to grow.
SAN DIEGO — Los Angeles residents who lost their homes in recent wildfires are turning to crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe for assistance, but experts warn that these donations could affect their eligibility for federal aid.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is advising victims to be cautious about how they use crowdfunding to avoid potentially limiting their access to government assistance.
FEMA spokesperson Brandi Richard Thompson, who is on the ground in Los Angeles working with wildfire victims, explained the situation.
“We really want people to understand that if you ask for a specific item on GoFundMe, let’s say you tell everybody, ‘My car was demolished, and I would like your help to get a car,’ then per our government regulations, we cannot duplicate that assistance that you’ve received,” she told CBS 8.
This policy is not new and applies to various forms of assistance, including insurance payouts and aid from non-profit organizations. The federal government cannot provide duplicate benefits for the same loss.
However, Richard-Thompson emphasized that receiving crowdfunding donations does not automatically disqualify victims from all federal assistance.
“We want people to [apply] regardless of whether they have a GoFundMe page or not,” she stated. FEMA will review each case individually to determine what assistance applicants may be eligible for.
More than $100 million has been raised for wildfire victims through crowdfunding efforts already, and that number continues to grow.
While praising the generosity of donors, Richard-Thompson advised recipients to be specific about their needs when creating fundraising campaigns.
“Some people, now that they understand how that works, are updating their descriptions,” she added. “They’re making sure they’re really clear about what it is that they’re really asking for.”
“They may say, ‘I need help over and above any government assistance that I can get’ because we want this whole community to come together and support these people because we know that FEMA assistance is not going to be enough to make them whole.”
Wildfire victims are encouraged to apply for federal assistance regardless of any crowdfunding campaigns they may have.
The deadline for Los Angeles wildfire victims to apply for federal aid is March 10th.
“We’ll figure it out together because we’re all a part of helping people to recover,” Richard Thompson added.
