When wildfires swept through Los Angeles, people and corporations from around the world responded by opening their wallets in a way that broke records for generosity.

Money poured into thousands of different recipients, from venerable nonprofits such as the United Way and Habitat for Humanity, to individual families through GoFundMe, to specialized groups working to replace burned musical instruments and stuffed animals.

The array of organizations makes a precise tally of the philanthropic dollars challenging, but the amount raised and pledged over the past month is well in excess of $650 million, according to interviews with nonprofit executives and publicly announced fundraising efforts.

That appears to set a fundraising record for wildfires and exceeds giving for recent natural disasters. Charitable contributions for Maui’s deadly 2023 fire totaled about $450 million, according to a database compiled by Honolulu Civil Beat. Fundraising for Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which devastated the southeastern U.S. last year, topped $278 million, according a partial tabulation by the philanthropy site Candid.

The charitable outpouring for the January fires reflects the scale of destruction in the Palisades and the Altadena area, the connection people far from California feel to L.A. and Hollywood, and celebrities’ place as both survivors and fundraisers.

Musicians on the Feb. 2 Grammy Awards broadcast appealed for donations. Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others performed at the FireAid benefit concert last week. Together, organizers estimate, they will bring in more than $125 million.

How will all this money be spent?

Hundreds of millions of dollars already have. Online fund drives through GoFundMe put more than $200 million in the hands of families and individuals who lost homes and livelihoods and related causes, according to company data.

Many nonprofits also quickly converted contributions into cash for evacuees and others affected by the fires.

“I was literally driving around L.A. with stacks of checks,” said Wade Trimmer, the president of the Change Reaction, a Sherman Oaks-based charity that distributed about $5 million in direct assistance. Trimmer said faith-based and community groups identified more than 2,300 people to receive grants of between $1,500 and $2,500.

About 80% of recipients in the Pasadena area were elderly, he said, adding, “We had people at our events who were coming up to us and saying, ‘I am going to use this gift card right away because I need food tonight.’ “

The L.A. Regional Food Bank, which has collected $5 million, set up distribution sites in East L.A., Irwindale and elsewhere and expanded its operations from six to seven days a week.

The California Community Foundation helped underwrite the effort. The philanthropic giant raised $60 million in the month after the fire and will have distributed half that by next week, the organization said.

The foundation gave $100,000 to 11 places of worship destroyed by the fires, including St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena. The Eaton fire ripped through its school and church campus,