In It Together: A Bushfire Relief Directory

January 10th 2020

FBi Radio

Photo: Amelia Jenner

A lot of Australians are suffering underneath the bushfire crisis that’s ravaged communities and towns around the state and nation. And a lot of us are also searching for how we can make a meaningful contribution to the relief efforts as the fires continue to rage on across the country.

We’ve seen a number of disaster relief initiatives emerge in response to this unprecedented crisis. It can seem as though they’re growing at an exponential rate – if you put away your social media for half an hour, it’s likely that there’ll be five new fundraisers by the time you return. It can be hard to keep track of them all, and it can feel daunting to look at the sheer amount of ways you can contribute when you’re deciding where best to direct your support.

So we’ve compiled some of the fundraising efforts happening in and around Sydney that we think are worth a look in. From the local pub donating their tips for the month to the fantastic music you can buy in support of the relief efforts. Plus all the events, protests, volunteer opportunities and donation drives: everyone who’s doing their part, for everyone who wants to help make a difference.

This is by no means a definitive list, but it’s intended to be a living, breathing resource to return to in the coming weeks and months as the sustained recovery efforts come more clearly into focus – because there’s still a long way to go. We’ll continue to regularly update the list with new events and opportunities to contribute as they’re announced.

If there’s a fundraiser you’d like to recommend, please let us know! Just email music@fbiradio.com with the details and a link.

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all prescription for this – where, how and the reasons why you choose to express your support is always up to you. Scroll through and make the decision that’s right for you. We urge you to also do your own research whenever you’re contributing financially to an organisation.

Please stay safe out there.

Words by Kyle Fensom, FBi Music Team

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Protests & Rallies

Climate Crisis: National Day of Action. Sat 22nd Feb, Sydney Town Hall.

Music Events

Dance for a Cause feat. Simon Caldwell and Lex Barlin. Fri 7th Feb, The Flinders, Darlinghurst. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service and WWF Australia.
Settings Emergency Support Event feat. BBGORLAMBS, Sal, Man Like Musti + more. Fri 7th Feb, Universal, Darlinghurst. Proceeds going to bushfire relief initiatives (TBA).
INNER WEST BUSHFIRE RELIEF feat. Okenyo, Dobby, GLO + more. Sat 8th Feb, Vic on the Park Hotel, Marrickville. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities, Firesticks Alliance Network and WIRES.
Athletica pres. Ahadadream (LDN). Sat 8th Feb, The Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and Bhenji Ra’s On The Ground fund.
Bushfire Benefit feat. Nanchukka Superfly, Totally Unicorn, The Buoys, Good Pash + more. Sat 15th Feb, Waywards at the Bank Hotel, Newtown. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Australian Red Cross.
Fire Fight Australia – Concert for National Bushfire Relief. Sun 16th Feb, ANZ Stadium. All concert ticket profits and all contributions through Ticketek will go towards organisations providing fire relief (TBA).
New Now feat. Bec Sandridge, imbi, Dying Adolescence and Georgia Marley. Sat 22nd Feb, 107, Redfern. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
GREEN HAUS feat. Majun Bu, Kyoshi, Era Sol + more. Sat 22nd Feb, warehouse location (TBA). Proceeds going to WIRES and the Australian Red Cross.
SS3 feat. Marcus Whale, Kusum Normoyle, Shoeb Ahmad + more. Sat 29th Feb, Down / Under Space, Chippendale. Proceeds going to fire-affected First Nations communities.
Inner Varnika Music Festival feat. Giant Swan, Laurel Halo, Adi Toohey, Marcellus Pittman, Erika De Casier + more. Fri 10th April – Sun 12th April. $100 from every ticket will be donated to the Country Fire Authority, WIRES and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.

Photo: Amelia Jenner

Musicians & Labels

Many musicians and labels are donating proceeds from the purchase of their music to bushfire relief causes, including:

Cop Envy – Z Sides. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Mall Grab – Don’t Keep the Fire Burning. Proceeds going to NSW Rural Fire Service and the RSPCA.
Lou Karsh – Against the Flames. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Provenance – Marks of Provenance II: A Bushfire Fundraiser. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
DJ Plead – Massari For Relief. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
E Davd – Environmental Justice EP 1/3. Proceeds going to Seed Mob.
Escape Artist – Bushfire Relief EP. Proceeds going to the Victorian Bushfire Disaster Appeal.
Barking – Bushfire Relief EP. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
iota – 3 Tracks With Sam. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Logic1000 – Australian Bushfire Relief. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Chapter Music – Chapter Bushfire Benefit. Proceeds going to Wildlife Victora, the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund.
NLV Records – NLV RECORDS 4 BUSHFIRE RELIEF. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the Country Fire Authority and the Australian Red Cross.
Klasse Wrecks. A portion of all January sales will go to WWF Australia.
Regular Fantasy. All profits made from bandcamp in January will go to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Butter Sessions. All profits made from January sales of digital, vinyl and merch on bandcamp will go to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Potatoheadz. All profits made from January sales of digital and vinyl on bandcamp will go to WIRES.
flower boy 卓颖贤. Donations in exchange for 20 x 1 hour piano lessons and 8 tracks produced with a personal touch will go to Bhenji Ra’s On The Ground fund.
Burning Rose. 100% of proceeds from sales during the week from 5th Jan – 12th Jan will go to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the Country Fire Authority, and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Beats Of No Nation – Dance For A Future Green Compilation. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
AcidSlop – Forever Is A Dollar. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Close Counters. All bandcamp profits made in January will go to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Ten Brains – Pipe EP. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
DÍAN – Other Earth. Proceeds going to Wildlife Victoria.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Live in Adelaide ’19 and Live in Paris ’19. Proceeds going to WIRES.
Gordi – The Cost. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Various Artists- There’s Gotta Be Hope Right? A Charity Compilation. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Surprise Chef – Hymn For The Route #1 Train. Proceeds going to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
eden777 -Sctmn/Maria Bethânia [PHRMS002]. Proceeds going to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Paper-Cuts – Pure Relief: A Bushfire Appeal Compilation. Proceeds going to the Country Fire Authority and theFire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Fabrics – Lullabies for Wildlife. Proceeds going to Animals Australia.

Food, Goods & Other Donations

Food Bank NSW & ACT. Marrickville Metro is a local drop off point for food donations.
Givit Disaster Campaigns. Respond to specific needs listed by affected communities.
Find A Bed. List your spare room/house for those in need of crisis housing.
Red Cross Blood Donations.

Volunteer Opportunities

Recycletastic x The Food Bank. Pack milk crates with food donations or drive milk crates to the donation centre. Email the organisers to register your interest.
Blazeaid. Help fire-affected communities rebuild fences and other structures.
Rescued Pets. List your home as a drop-off hub or a safe house for animals affected by the fires, or sign up to feed or transport animals.
Australian Unions. Help fire-affected communities clean up and rebuild.
Animal Rescue Collective. Make possum boxes, wombat holes, water traps and feeders for wildlife impacted by the bushfires.
Conservation Volunteers Australia. Register your interest to be a part of the national bushfire recovery response.

Financial Donation Drives

Jack Wotton (Big White) GoFundMe. Donations will be used to rebuild the family home and assist those in the community also impacted by the fires.
Jen Birchall (Holly Throsby’s band) GoFundMe. Donations will be used to rebuild their home and replace household goods.
Magda Szubanski and Will Connolly’s GoFundMe. Donations will go towards trauma support and ongoing mental health support for people affected by bushfires.
Bhenji Ra’s On The Ground Fund. Donations will be distributed to people and families impacted by the bushfires needing immediate assistance.
Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities. Donations are to be put towards culturally-specific relief for First Nations people impacted by the fires.
WIRES – Donations will assist in the rescue and treatment of native wildlife.
RSPCA Bushfire Appeal. Donations will help to rescue pets from fire-affected communities.
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. Donate or adopt a koala to help treat injured koalas.
Mallacoota Wildlife Shelter Fire Relief Fund. Donations will assist with relief and support for animals in the Mallacoota area, and ongoing rehabilitation programs.
Deep Peace Trust Urgent Bushfire and Drought Appeal. Donations will help provide food and water for the A Place of Peace farm animal sanctuary, impacted by the Braidwood fire.
Goongerah Fund. Donations will be used to purchase generators, food, water, medicine and first aid supplies for the Goongerah community in East Gippsland.
Bushfire Appeal: Where Pigs Fly Farm Sanctuary. Donations will be used to feed and transport temporarily-relocated animals from the Where Pigs Fly Farm Sanctuary.
Firesticks Cultural Burning. Donations will assist First Nations communities affected by the bushfires, and will provide funding and community education to advocate for Indigenous fire knowledge and cultural burning practice.
Wild 2 Free Kangaroo Sanctuary Fund. Donations will help to rebuild the Wild 2 Free Kangaroo Sanctuary in Mogo.
Mogo Aboriginal Community and Rangers Fund. Donations will help to rebuild community housing, fund mental health support for Elders, and support the Rangers in assisting their community.
Indigenous Crisis Response and Recovery Fund. Donations will be used to help recover and regenerate Yuin land, animals and water.

Photo: Amelia Jenner

Retail Donation Drives (Food, Fashion and Other)

Lousy Handshake Tees. Proceeds from the sale of tees going to rebuild the community of Cobargo.
Spend With Them. An Instagram account featuring small brands and businesses impacted by the fires encouraging people to purchase their goods.
Caspian for Fire Relief Tees. Proceeds going to WIRES and the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.
Camp Cove ‘Worth Fighting For’ Tees. Proceeds going to the Australian Red Cross and WIRES.
Continental Deli and Bistro, Newtown & CBD. Proceeds from the sale of ricotta and blueberry cheesecake will be donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
The Marrickville Hotel. All tips are to be donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
The Unicorn Hotel, Paddington. Donations can be made at every Trivia Tuesday event, which will be matched by the venue.
Belly Bao, Newtown. $1 from every beer sold in January will be donated to the Australian Red Cross, WIRES, the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Fire Fund Relief for First Nations Communities.
Artificer Coffee Bar & Roastery, Surry Hills. All tips from January will be donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service.
Tokyo Bird, Surry Hills. $1 from every cocktail sold in January will be donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Australian Red Cross.
ramptrampstamp. Purchase a pair of $70 custom underwear on Instagram and send a DM to nominate a charity for the proceeds to be donated to.
Extra Silky Hair Salon, Paddington. 20% of January profits will be donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities, and the RSPCA.
Haus of Dizzy. 100% of profits from Indigenous Pride studs and pins sold during January will be donated to the Fire Relief for First Nations Communities.
Rewind Photo Lab, Glebe. Free printing service for practising artists who want to print their work to sell for bushfire charity.
Frank Body. 100% of January global sales of A-Beauty Scrub will be donated to WIRES, NSW Rural Fire Service and the Country Fire Authority.
Archie Rose Bar, Rosebery. $1 from each G&T sold in January will be donated to WIRES, the NSW Rural Fire Service and the Australian Red Cross.
Art 4 Climate Justice. Proceeds from the Instagram sales of artworks will be donated to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and Seed Mob.
Young Henrys Commitment to Australian Bushfire Support. 300 cases of beer and 200 kegs pledged to Sydney hospitality retailers who are raising money for the NSW Rural Fire Service, WIRES and the Australian Red Cross.
Resound Bushfire Appeal. Donate musical instruments to musicians who lost their instruments in the bushfires.
Humanitix Bushfire Relief. Host a bushfire relief event with Humanitix and 100% of the booking fees will be donated to the Australian Red Cross.
The Italian Bowl Newtown Fundraising Raffle. Purchase a $20 raffle ticket for your chance to win a share of $5,000 in prizes. Proceeds going to a charitable organisation (TBA).