December 4, 2020 10:40 a.m.

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust will distribute nearly $680,000 to 12 nonprofits in Oregon and Washington serving residents impacted by the deadly wildfires that swept through the region in September.

A release said the decision was made at the nonprofit foundation’s most recent board meeting, and recipients were told of the contributions in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The release said the 2020 wildfire season was one of the most destructive in history throughout the western states. In total, 11 people were killed in Oregon as flames destroyed more than one million acres of land and thousands of homes and buildings.

Twelve organizations will receive funding. In southern Oregon that includes Greater Douglas United Way, United Way of Jackson County, and the Teresa McCormick Center in Medford.