Apply for Disaster Relief

Proceeds from the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund (The Fund) are used to provide emergency financial support to Caltech and JPL affected students and employees, including staff, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars, whose lives have been significantly impacted by the recent LA Fires. As of May 2025, more than $4.5 million in grant funding has been directly distributed via more than 1,700 applications to deserving members of our community in need.

We are humbled by the tremendous outpouring of donations from staff, Trustees, faculty, donors, alumni, parents, and friends of Caltech and JPL.

The disaster relief funds have been distributed over three rounds of funding. We will be accepting applications for a final round of funding starting on January 26, 2026.

We will begin accepting applications for the final round of funding on Monday, January 26, at 12 p.m. (noon) PST. Applications will be considered on a first-come basis. This is open to current employees of the Caltech campus and JPL community. Eligible applicants are those whose primary residence at the time of the Eaton, Hurst, or Palisades fires was located within a designated burn area, as determined by FEMA, and was damaged or destroyed during the Eaton, Hurst, or Palisades fires. Representatives from Caltech and JPL, with the support of human resources and finance departments, will review all applications.

New one-time grants of up to $1,500 per household will be distributed to qualifying applicants while funds are available. Awards are subject to applicable taxes as described below. The application period will be open from January 26 – February 6, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application period has closed and amount awarded will be determined based on the total number of approved applications and funds available. Total grant funding will be restricted to no more than $11,500 per household for applicants who qualified for all four rounds of funding, including any funding received from JPL outside of the Disaster Relief Fund.

Disaster relief grants are not a loan nor are they intended to replace existing support from insurance companies or other sources.

Grants will be restricted to employees and students whose primary residence, located in a burn area, was damaged or was destroyed during the LA Fires. Only beneficiaries whose permanent residence address is verifiable within a FEMA designated disaster zone for incidents FM-5550-CA (Eaton Fire), FM-5551-CA (Hurst Fire) and FM-5549-CA (Palisades Fire) will qualify for funding in this round of grants. Beneficiaries may consult LA County's damage maps for the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire, and see Cal Fire's incident map for the Hurst Fire for additional guidance on covered areas.

Employee beneficiaries must be currently employed by Caltech in one of the following classifications: Caltech staff and faculty members, Caltech employees at JPL, and all postdoctoral scholars working on campus or at JPL.

Student beneficiaries include students currently enrolled in a Caltech undergraduate or graduate program.

Beneficiaries must have incurred expenses resulting from the LA fires that will not be reimbursed by insurance or other sources.

Examples of economic loss include, but are not limited to:

• Loss related to displacement from the beneficiaries' primary residence for 4 weeks or longer. Loss, damage to, or destruction of primary residence or personal property located within the FEMA designated disaster areas.
• Food insecurity, childcare, and safety-related needs resulting from the fire emergency.

Grants will be restricted to one grant per household. If an eligible spouse, domestic partner, or child working at Caltech (on campus or at JPL) lives in the same household and applies for the same grant for the same qualifying event for which another household member has applied, only one payment will be distributed.

Starting on Monday, January 26, eligible beneficiaries may apply for a new grant of up to $1,500 to defray ongoing costs associated with this disaster.

• Total grant funding is restricted to a maximum of $11,500 per household for applicants who qualified for four rounds of funding (including any funding received from JPL).
• Grant payments may be made by electronic deposit or check.
• Applicants may apply for a lesser amount if losses are less than the standard grant amount.
• Grants to undergraduate students will be approved through the Student Affairs Office or the Caltech Student Emergency Fund.
• Additional support will be considered at the discretion of Caltech/JPL.

Payments to beneficiaries will be made in compliance with applicable IRS and other legal requirements and are intended not to be taxable for income tax purposes under Federal and California law. Generally, grants distributed will not be subject to Federal or California personal income taxes but may be subject to certain California payroll taxes that will be deducted from the grant. To the extent the expenses covered by the grant from the Disaster Relief Fund are reimbursed or covered by insurance or another source, please notify Human Resources as this may affect the taxability of the grant payment.

Caltech retains the sole discretion for determining eligibility and making grant decisions.

No fees or overhead are applied to the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund.

In addition to the examples provided in the Eligibility section above, the following are examples of eligible expenses:

• Replacement of necessary and essential personal effects.
• Temporary housing assistance which could include additional rent, security deposit, or short-term hotel costs incurred to relocate.
• Unexpected medical or mental health costs related to the emergency and not covered by insurance.
• Unplanned transportation expenses related to the emergency.

Complete the Disaster Relief Fund Application [link will be live at 12:00 p.m. (PDT) on Monday, January 26, 2026]. Verification of primary address located within the FEMA designated disaster areas may be required. Other documentation may also be requested during the application process.

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received and while funds are available from the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund. Beneficiaries will be notified of their status after the application window has closed on February 6, 2026.

Please consult with your financial advisor and/or tax advisor about receiving money from the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund regarding any personal tax implications to determine any impact on your insurance or FEMA payments. Ideally, the grant from the Disaster Relief Fund will not otherwise be reimbursed or covered by insurance or another source.

If you have questions, please reach out to:

Updates can be found here: https://www.caltech.edu/fire.

Learn more: Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund.