Extreme Weather Survivors

What Extreme Weather Survivors does

Extreme Weather Survivors (EWS) is a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that builds a national community of individuals directly harmed by extreme weather events, including floods, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, deadly air pollution, and superstorms. Co-founded in 2020 by Chris Kocher (formerly of COVID Survivors for Change and Everytown/Moms Demand Action) and Sierra Lindsey Kos (formerly a video director and producer in President Obama's administration), the organization operates through a fiscal sponsorship with Tides Center, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation based in San Francisco. EWS serves survivors, first responders, and small business owners—particularly those affected by events such as the LA fires—by offering trauma-informed programs in English and Spanish, peer-to-peer connection networks, advocacy training, and storytelling opportunities aimed at influencing climate and disaster recovery policy.

The organization's product surface centers on free community programs rather than commercial technology. Core offerings include the Share Your Story platform for survivor testimony collection, the Survivors for Change advocacy training program, the Community Conversations webinar series (e.g., "Building Emotional Resilience," "Making Sense of Extreme Weather," "Parenting and Preparedness in Our Changing World"), and the Stolen Summers traveling art installation, which displayed 250 survivor stories from all 50 states at the National Mall on June 24, 2024. Specialized programs include LA Small Businesses Together (a recovery network for LA fire-affected businesses), the Extreme Heat Community (delivered via Facebook Group and WhatsApp), and curated resource hubs linking survivors to FEMA, American Red Cross, SAMHSA, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and other established disaster and trauma support organizations. The underlying technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary, relying on Squarespace for the website, Mailchimp for email automation, Google Analytics for traffic measurement, and standard social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn) for community engagement; no API, mobile application, or AI/ML capability is disclosed.

The business model is donation-funded with no fees charged to program participants. As a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Center, EWS relies on charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors, with Tides managing donations, administration, and compliance under state and federal regulations. The 501(c)(4) designation permits political advocacy activities not permitted under pure 501(c)(3) status. With a headcount of 8 and national operational reach, the organization has demonstrated execution capacity through high-profile events (e.g., gathering 75+ survivors from over a dozen states in Washington, D.C. on the eve of America's 250th anniversary) and earned media coverage in outlets including the New York Times, National Geographic, CNN, Washington Post, NBC, and AP News.

Name

Extreme Weather Survivors

Legal name

Extreme Weather Survivors

Website

https://extremeweathersurvivors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Extreme Weather Survivors is a 501(c)(3)/(c)(4) nonprofit that builds a national community of individuals harmed by extreme weather, offering free trauma-informed programming, peer support, advocacy training, and storytelling in English and Spanish.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Survivor Support Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Disaster Behavioral Health & Psychosocial Support (HLAJAGAM)

Keywords

• Disaster survivor support
• Trauma-informed advocacy
• Climate disaster recovery
• Community resilience programs
• Nonprofit survivor services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Extreme Weather Survivors relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Donations are managed by Tides Center, the fiscal sponsor. The organization is also registered as a 501(c)(4) organization, allowing for some political advocacy activities.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship via Tides Center: The organization is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation that manages donations and provides administrative support in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Extreme Weather Survivors is a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that connects individuals harmed by extreme weather events—including floods, fires, droughts, extreme heat, and superstorms—through peer-to-peer networks, advocacy training, and trauma-informed support programs. The organization runs free programs in English and Spanish, including storytelling initiatives, community conversations, the Stolen Summers traveling art installation, the LA Small Businesses Together recovery network, and curated resource hubs for trauma and disaster recovery.

Product overview

Extreme Weather Survivors is a nonprofit organization that operates as a community platform offering multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include: the Share Your Story platform for survivor testimony collection; Survivors for Change advocacy training; Community Conversations events programming; and the Stolen Summers storytelling art installation. Supporting resources include Trauma Resources, Disaster Resources, and an Extreme Heat Community. The LA Small Businesses Together program provides specialized recovery support. All programs are offered at no cost and include both English and Spanish language options, with trauma-informed support programming as a foundational element.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stolen Summers A countrywide traveling art installation honoring people, places, and ways of life stolen by extreme weather. Features 30 movie-sized posters representing 30 million Americans whose lives have been significantly harmed, with survivors sharing their stories displayed at public events.
• LA Small Businesses Together A recovery network for LA's small business community impacted by fires, providing access to a free Small Business Recovery Resource Hub, community support groups, and opportunities to share stories and shape recovery policy.
• Trauma Resources Trusted resources and organizations dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey to healing and recovery from trauma, including references to NCTSN, Give an Hour, SAMHSA, The Trevor Project, RAINN, National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and Mental Health America.
• Disaster Resources Trusted disaster resources and organizations committed to helping survivors recover and rebuild after disasters, including references to FEMA, American Red Cross, NFIP, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, SBA, CDC, and others.
• Extreme Heat Community A community for preparing and coping with extreme heat conditions, offering tips, governmental resources, and opportunities to advocate for safer working conditions, reduced energy bills, and increased access to health services. Available via Facebook Group and WhatsApp.
• Share Your Story A platform for survivors to share how they or their families have been directly impacted by extreme weather. Participants receive free resources, access to training, and opportunities to help make recovery easier for the next community.
• Community Conversations Events programming featuring webinars and interactive sessions such as 'Building Emotional Resilience,' 'Parenting and Preparedness in Our Changing World,' and 'Making Sense of Extreme Weather' to support survivors with practical tools and knowledge.
• Survivors for Change Advocacy training program that connects survivors to storytelling and advocacy opportunities, empowering those impacted by extreme weather to be storytellers and changemakers in building resilient communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75+ survivors from over a dozen states gathered for Stolen Summers DC event
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tides CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTides Center is the fiscal sponsor of Extreme Weather Survivors, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. Tides manages all donations on behalf of EWS in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations. EWS is also registered as a 501(c)(4) organization through this sponsorship.
• MA-MAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMA-MA (More & More Architecture) is a presenting partner for the Stolen Summers touring art installation, working with EWS to create the traveling art experience honoring people and places stolen by extreme weather.
• WaterwellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterwell is a presenting partner for the Stolen Summers touring art installation, collaborating with EWS on survivor-centered programming and storytelling events.
• Stolen Summers Campaign PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple organizations partnered on the Stolen Summers campaign including Dept of Angels, MarshallROC, Part 2, Group 182, GiveDirectly, MT Primary, PCC, NatLow, EFSN, TTPOH, CCAN, Climate Disciples, ecomadres, UP, and others. These partners supported the traveling art installation featuring 250 survivor stories at the National Mall.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Climate Reality Project: A climate advocacy organization that trains community leaders to communicate climate science and policy. EWS shares the climate-advocacy mission but is differentiated by centering survivor testimony rather than technical climate communication.
• ecomadres: A Latino community-led climate advocacy organization partnered with EWS on the Stolen Summers campaign. Both organizations serve bilingual communities affected by environmental injustice and use storytelling to drive policy change.
• COVID Survivors for Change: Founded by EWS co-founder Chris Kocher in 2020, COVID Survivors for Change is the most direct peer — a survivor-led advocacy organization using storytelling and grief support to drive policy change. It pioneered the model EWS now extends to extreme weather survivors.
• Everytown for Gun Safety / Moms Demand Action: Chris Kocher previously served as founding director of the survivor network at Everytown/Moms Demand Action. Both organizations use survivor testimony to mobilize grassroots advocacy and influence policy — Everytown focuses on gun violence, EWS on climate-driven disasters.

Emerging players

• Sunrise Movement: A youth-led climate advocacy organization that uses grassroots mobilization and storytelling to push for climate policy. Both organizations emphasize personal narrative in climate advocacy, though Sunrise focuses on age cohort rather than disaster-survivor identity.

Broad incumbents

• 350.org: A major global grassroots climate movement focused on mobilizing communities to demand climate action. Both organizations pursue climate advocacy through community organizing, but 350.org is significantly larger and more globally oriented than EWS's survivor-led U.S. focus.
• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest U.S. environmental organizations, working on climate and conservation advocacy. EWS's survivor-focused model complements Sierra Club's broader environmental agenda, particularly around climate-driven disasters and resilience.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): A major environmental advocacy organization with significantly greater resources than EWS. Both engage in climate policy advocacy, but NRDC operates primarily through legal and scientific advocacy while EWS centers survivor testimony and community organizing.
• American Red Cross: The largest U.S. disaster-relief organization, providing shelter, supplies, and recovery services across the same disaster events EWS addresses. While Red Cross focuses on immediate material relief, EWS's trauma-informed and advocacy approach positions it as a complementary survivor-experience layer rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• GiveDirectly: Partnered on the Stolen Summers campaign. GiveDirectly provides direct cash transfers to disaster-affected households — complementary economic relief to EWS's psychosocial and advocacy support, addressing the same survivor population through a different mechanism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/weathersurvivors.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/extremeweathersurvivors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/extreme-weather-survivors
• Instagraminstagram.com/extremeweathersurvivors?igsh=MW5uOGlwaDlnaDRkdQ==

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Extreme Weather Survivors