To be sure, the January 2025 Southern California wildfires have put the entire state on alert. For Rivers & Lands Conservancy, a revered nonprofit that conserves and stewards a variety of open spaces, the challenges have varied these last few months.

“We’ve taken a hard look at how to communicate with the community on how they can be more fire resilient, and to be a resource for them to get further information,” said Rebecca K. O’Connor, Co-Executive Director of the organization. “It’s important to be able to talk to the municipalities and be a resource to them as well.”

O’Connor said the recent wildfires gave the nonprofit an opportunity to research, connect with partners, and refine its messaging.

“We want to ensure that we’re on the same page with all of our partners and our partners are on the same page with us,” she said.  “We want to know how we can help when it comes to wildfire resiliency.”

Being a land conservancy, the organization has a nexus with wildfires, but it’s not something that it typically deals with on a day-to-day basis. It has long been a champion of conserving treasured open spaces such as parks, agricultural lands, sensitive habitats, and large nature reserves interwoven with the growing cities, towns, and rural neighborhoods across southern California.

When asked how the recent fires may have shifted some of some key initiatives or messaging for the organization as it moves deeper into this year, O’Connor was candid.

“I think it’s human nature to not think the worst will happen,” she said. “We’re all told we should prepare for earthquakes. Most of us do not have enough water in our house for that or all the other necessities. We’ve always known that a firestorm was a potential, but we don’t want to believe the worst. So, I think that everyone’s thinking a little bit harder about it right now. It’s a reality to the general public, and that makes it critical for them to know where to look for the resources to prepare.”

Founded in 1989 as Riverside Land Conservancy, the private nonprofit corporation was formed to protect southern California landscapes that provide habitat and open space for wildlife and people for future generations. For more than three decades, the Conservancy has been instrumental in acquiring and preserving more than 14,500 acres of open space valued at more than $82 Million. To date, the organization holds and stewards 3,328 acres. About 14,862 total acres are conserved by Rivers & Lands Conservancy. This includes properties transferred to conservation partners.

In addition to the 2025 wildfires, federal funding has become a vital issue for many nonprofits now. With all the shifts in federal funding taking place nationally, O’Connor said that while the organization is not reliant on federal funding, it certainly affects the nonprofit to some degree. 

“It affects some of our partners more deeply,” she said. “We do work a lot with federal agencies outside of the funding side of that, so it’s difficult to watch the current shakeup. We’re all a little nervous about what comes next.”

Overall, she added, the focus remains on fundraising.

“It’s a hard time to fundraise for everyone,” she added. “We’re all nervous about inflation and whether or not we’re going to have what we need to take care of ourselves, and our families let alone support another organization. These times are challenging for all, but Rivers & Lands Conservancy has been around for more than 30 years, and we have got through some really trying times, and we’ll get through these as well.”

A key focus at the moment is to make sure impacts are happening locally. To that end, signature community programs continue to stand out. Through a recent grant from IECF through the League of California Community Foundations (LCCF) Wildfire Resilience Fund – Riverside County, the organization published a helpful booklet, California Native Plants and Fire Resilient Landscaping. (Download your copy here.)

With its Wildfire Resilience initiative, for instance, the nonprofit branches out. One component is educating individuals that fire safety begins with the construction of homes and associated structures. That’s known as home hardening and defensible space.

Information for creating a Wildfire Emergency Plan is also available.

Meanwhile, a Native Plant Gardens element illuminates the importance of innovation. Created within built communities, the organization weaves a unique patchwork of micro gardens into a larger quilt of a restored habitat. It also works with community partners to beautify various public spaces.

Learn more at riversandlands.org.

This article originally appeared in the Press-Enterprise, April 2025.

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Given how we are wired, it’s easy to understand why natural disasters, humanitarian tragedies, and other crises often prompt people to make charitable donations. It’s often tempting to give to a charity without a lot of thought, both because of the emotional pull as well as the urgency of the human need presented by the crisis. But that’s usually not wise.

Here’s why: 

–It’s important to make sure the charity is reputable and has a proven track record.  

–It’s also important to consider that giving cash is usually the best option, even when you know the ultimate need is for food and medical supplies, for example. Cash allows charities to purchase exactly what is needed, often at a discount, and support local economies by buying from local businesses. 

–You should also be cautious of high-pressure appeals that urge immediate donations without providing detailed information about what the charity is really doing.  

The good news is that IECF is here for you! Whether you’ve established a donor-advised or other type of fund at IECF, contributed to an existing fund, or are considering getting involved, our team is happy to serve as a sounding board.  

Our team can help you sort through the many options for giving to crisis relief to help ensure that your dollars make a difference. We’ll help protect your gift from fraud, help you maximize your tax benefits, strive to avoid duplication of relief efforts, and help your donations both meet immediate needs and fuel long-term recovery.  

We look forward to hearing from you!  

Please reach out to our Charitable Giving Team any time, and stay up to date on all the good work we’re doing through the power of philanthropy. Sign up for our eNewsletter, Philanthropy Matters, today.

The team at IECF is honored to serve as a resource and sounding board as you build your charitable plans and pursue your philanthropic objectives for making a difference in the community. This newsletter is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, accounting, or financial planning advice. Please consult your tax or legal advisor to learn how this information might apply to your own situation.

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