AARON RODGERS
NORCAL FIRE RECOVERY
GRANT PROGRAM
This grant program is focused on efforts that address health and wellness for youth in Butte County, especially in the Camp Fire footprint. The annual grant program accepts applications at the beginning of the year and awards grants in April.
Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Grant Program
The Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund at North Valley Community Foundation accepts applications annually in February. This grant program is focused on efforts that address health and wellness – physical and emotional – for youth in Butte County, especially in the Camp Fire footprint.
To see the projects that received grants in the 2026 cycle, read our press release.
Previous Grants Issued
The Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund was established at NVCF in the immediate aftermath of the Camp Fire in 2018. Since then, Aaron has been actively involved with several grant programs distributing millions of dollars for regional recovery.
After six years of grants for Camp Fire recovery, NVCF and the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund switched to an annual grant cycle. The first grants, awarded in March 2025, totaled $215,266 for 12 organizations in the Camp Fire footprint and throughout Butte County.
Recipient | Description | Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Positive Educational Partnerships | For wellness center supplies and materials in four Paradise schools | $9,000 | 04/14/2026 |
Girls on the Run of the North State | To expand its program in Paradise, Gridley and Thermalito | $10,000 | 04/14/2026 |
Sound Source | For a sponsorship of the Chico Renaissance and Fantasy Faire | $2,500 | 04/14/2026 |
Chico Area Recreation and Park District | For a learn to swim and water safety program | $10,000 | 04/14/2026 |
Paradise Adventist Academy | For the robotics program | $2,500 | 04/14/2026 |
South Pines Disc Golf Course | To help build a short course for young people | $10,000 | 04/14/2026 |
The Gathering Cinema | For summer movies for kids | $2,500 | 04/14/2026 |
Moms of the Ridge | For a kids’ wellness and belonging program | $10,000 | 04/14/2026 |
Far Northern Regional Center | For the Good Vibes Gathering on the Ridge | $2,500 | 04/14/2026 |
Paradise Chocolate Fest | For the Chocolate Chase youth wellness walk | $2,500 | 04/14/2026 |
Little Red Hen | For the expansion of children’s services | $5,000 | 04/14/2026 |
Paradise Boy Scouts | For a wilderness first aid and first responder course | $7,450 | 04/14/2026 |
Aaron was born and raised in Chico before becoming a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and four-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
The Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund was established in 2018 with $1 million from the Aaron Rodgers Foundation. The fund has been bolstered by thousands of additional donations, including contri-butions after Aaron hosted “Jeopardy” as well as proceeds from a celebrity golf event.
The fund has supported dozens of organizations and programs to help promote a sense of normalcy for young people as well as supporting several housing initiatives. The fund continues to issue grants for recovery from several Northern California wildfires, including $50,000 for relief efforts after both the Thompson Fire and Park Fire in Butte County in 2024.
Grants from the Aaron Rodgers NorCal Fire Recovery Fund have totaled $1.9 million.
Aaron started a new fund at NVCF in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Aaron Rodgers Small-Business COVID-19 Fund. That fund helped 159 small, locally owned restaurants and retail businesses with rent and other operational costs to help survive pandemic restrictions. Grants from the fund totaled $1.6 million.