Fundraisers Spreading for Victims of December 30 Fire: Here's How to Help

In the wake of the explosive Marshall blaze that saw tens of thousands of people evacuated and close to 1,000 homes destroyed and more damaged in Louisville, Superior and parts of unincorporated Boulder County, fundraisers have been spreading almost as fast as the wildfire itself.

How do you know which will do the most good? Sadly, since earlier fires and the King Soopers shootings last March, Boulder County has been geared up for such charitable efforts. To give financial help, the Community Foundation Boulder County has set up the Wildfire Fund directly for victims.

To volunteer, visit ColoradoResponds, which shares opportunities. To get more information, visit the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, which cautions against dropping things off directly at evacuation sites and other emergency locations; they've been overrun with donations.

Many fundraisers have been popping up on GoFundMe, which reports that it quickly mobilized its crisis response team and began monitoring the platform for campaigns created for people affected by the fire. There's now a centralized hub where would-be donors can identify fundraisers that have been verified by GoFundMe's Trust & Safety team and have the GoFundMe Guarantee, which verifies the focus of the campaign and insures a 100 percent refund if there's a problem.

There are hundreds of verified fundraisers, many of which have met their goal. "It's not just that we're seeing such a large volume of fundraisers, but a large volume of people rushing in to help," says GoFundMe's Jeff Pratt. "It's every facet of the community that needs help and is getting help."

See the growing list of GoFundMe campaigns here.

AirBnB has a program that helps people provide free housing to those in need; find out more here. The Colorado Apartment Association has also created a new housing directory listing all vacant apartment units available for immediate move-in in Boulder County and metro Denver; many of these units are discounted, with reduced rent, free first months, waived move-in fees, etc., for victims of the fire. Find out more here. And Boulder County has partnered with the Boulder Area Rental Housing Association on a clearinghouse of information; find out more here.

And businesses are also stepping up with donations — some private, some public. Many restaurants are participating in Restaurants Revive, a massive effort. Here are a few individual efforts:

Art Auction Benefit
Now through February 1
The Firehouse Art Center and Jon Fukuda, a Longmont business owner and artist, have organized a virtual art auction to benefit the victims of the Marshall and Middle ForkfFires. The auction includes works by over fifty Front Range artists, in a wide variety of styles, media and thematics. All proceeds will go to the Boulder County Wildfire Fund, set up by Community Foundation Boulder County. Find out more and bid here.

Marshall Fire Benefit Pop-Up
Wednesday, January 12, 6 to 10 p.m.
Number Thirty Eight, 3560 Chestnut Place
Number Thirty Eight is hosting a benefit pop-up with live music and local artists. Tickets are $15, and $100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Community Foundation of Boulder County. Get tickets here.

We'll be updating this list as more benefits are announced. If you know of a Marshall fire fundraiser, send information to [email protected].