2022 Grants
Event: Storm
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
On December 30th, 2021 the Nevada County Board of Supervisors along with the State of California proclaimed an emergency in response to an intense winter snowstorm. On the morning of December 27th 2021, this storm brought excessive amounts of snow to areas that typically receive little to no snow. The effects were devastating, as the storm brought down an extreme number of trees and limbs blocking roadways, destroying power poles, leaving thousands without power, and leaving a tremendous volume of down and dead vegetation throughout the County. One of the lasting results from this storm event is the unusually high amount of hazardous vegetation which is quickly making the county extremely vulnerable to wildfire.
Approximately 102,000 people in rural Nevada County live across 978 square miles of diverse and rugged rural lands in the Northern Sierra Nevada range. The overwhelming majority, 91%, of Nevada County has been determined by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program to be either a high or very high fire hazard severity zone. The impacts of climate change, extreme fire and extreme weather-induced events, have a disproportionate impact on the elderly, individuals on a fixed or low income, residents without access to transportation, as well as those who are socially and physically isolated.
This grant will support an equity-focused program to help NFPA-certified Firewise communities in Nevada County reduce wildfire risk. The Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation is partnering with the County of Nevada in consultation with the CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to provide a Storm Debris Response Micro-Grant Program. This program will make a total of 26 micro-grants to existing National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certified Firewise communities located in Nevada County to implement local risk mitigation projects immediately.
2021 Grants
Event: Fire
Amount: $75,000
Category: Resilience
This grant will support the Humboldt and Del Norte COAD networks to address structural barriers to disaster response systems in the region and reach the region’s most disaster-vulnerable communities including isolated and remote communities, low-income families and populations, populations subject to historical trauma and discrimination, the medically fragile, and those with language barriers.
To date, both the Del Norte and Humboldt efforts have been intentional about partnering with Tribes, which has included participation on core launch committees, hiring committees, and including Tribal representation in the governance structure. In Del Norte, the COAD group is working with Tribes to incorporate a cultural and heritage preservation plan. Both COADs also have relationships with Spanish and Hmong-speaking communities and organizations and are incorporating the needs and interests of those communities into their operational plans. The Humboldt Launch Coordinator’s responsibilities include infusing a resilience-oriented, trauma informed and anti-racist approach to network development, as well as partnership development with Tribes and communities and organizations of color.
Existing and developing relationships with government and other emergency services, Tribal representatives, social services agencies, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations will help identify the most vulnerable and underserved communities and individuals and will expand COAD capability and capacity.
Event: Fire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
On September 12, 2021, the Hopkins Fire burned 257 acres, destroyed 30 homes and 20 structures, and evacuated over 200 residents. The County of Mendocino estimates that roughly half of the fire survivors are low to moderate income and living in rental housing.
This grant will allow the Community Foundation of Mendocino County to assist the survivors of the Hopkins Fire in their recovery efforts. The priority is to assist the most vulnerable people and communities with immediate relief, as well as critical recovery efforts to return survivors to greater stability and long-term housing.
Event: Fire
Amount: $25,000
Category: Relief
As of 9/7/21, five wildfires are impacting Monument and McFarland Fires in Trinity County, River Complex and McCash in Siskiyou County, and the Knob fire in Humboldt County. The McFarland fire is at 123,000 acres and 98% contained, while the Monument fire is 42% contained at 186,000 acres. The 10% of Trinity county’s 13,000 population was evacuated.
Current trends show that only about 2% of all national philanthropic funds are given to in support of rural communities and 0.02% to Native communities. This grant will help philanthropic funds more equitably serve the rural populations and Native Communities.
Event: Fire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
From August 18 to 22, the Cache Fire in Lake County destroyed more than 100 structures, including 58 homes, as well as nearly 200 vehicles, resulting in hazardous debris and ash that must be expeditiously removed to mitigate impacts to public health and safety.
The funds will be used to address the immediate needs for food, medical and financial support, and to provide one to three months of temporary housing for displaced survivors of the Cache Fire. LCCF funds will be matched with $100,000 contribution by the City of Clearlake; $100,000 from a private foundation, and funds from NCO’s Fire Fund.
Event: Drought
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
100% of Tehama County is now experiencing “extreme drought” with over 83% experiencing “exceptional drought”; the highest possible tier in the NOAA/National Integrated Drought Information System. In June, approx. 10 dry wells were reported; this number nearly septupled by mid-August. Keeping people in their homes and meeting their basic water needs is the primary goal, especially in an area with low housing availability.
This grant will allow the Community Foundation of the North State to be flexible in meeting emergency needs, including participating in Tehama County’s drought task force, increasing the number of available water storage containers, retaining certified water haulers, coordinating between agencies, and other programs to keep community members in their homes.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
The River Fire sparked on Wednesday, August 4th along the Bear River spanning Placer and Nevada counties. As of August 6th it had consumed 2,600 acres with 20 structures damaged, 76 destroyed and three injuries reported. Over 4,300 residents throughout the region of Colfax have been on evacuation orders, 5,375 have been under evacuation warning.
These funds will be prioritized as follows: I. Individuals, families and their animals directly impacted by the fire II. Recovery efforts within the City of Colfax, including fire abatement efforts ongoing III. Support for disaster preparedness within Placer County’s Office of Emergency Services.
Placer Community Foundation’s extensive leadership work to reach low-income and vulnerable families during the 2020 Census, as well as its COVID Harm Reduction and Sleeves Up Vaccination Campaigns, have built strong relationships with vulnerable communities and key nonprofit partners across the region. The Foundation also administers the Placer Collaborative Network, which consists of 50+ health and human service nonprofit and county agency providers.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Resilience
In 2018, the Carr fire burned 359 sq. miles west of Redding into city limits, destroying over 1,600 structures and becoming (at the time) the 6th most destructive fire in California history. Particularly devastating was the loss of life of 8 individuals, multiple entire neighborhoods, as well as the entirety of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area – “Redding’s backyard” and a major draw for tourism. In the same time frame, the Hirtz and Delta fires burned lands around Shasta Lake and the Interstate 5 corridor.
Far northern California as a whole is often the “least and last” when prioritized against other more populated areas of the state. Approximately 29% of Shasta County’s population are rural compared with the state average of 5%. One in four residents receive assistance from either CalWORKs, CalFresh, and General Assistance or Medi-Cal. Only 19% of Shasta Co. residents (compared with over 30% of California residents) have a bachelor’s degree and the average median income is approx. $55,000 compared with $75,000 statewide. Shasta County has more seniors than the state average, and a higher rate of people under 65 with disabilities (12% compared to 6% statewide). Shasta County is home to quadruple the California average of Native Americans per capita.
The community has come together to create a new Shasta County Fire Safe Council. Led by a retired professional forester, the group has created bylaws, began to form a board, obtained CA nonprofit status and is working towards federal status, which is expected in early 2021. They are establishing partnerships including Lassen Fire Safe Council and Pit Resource Conservation District, private forestry company W.M. Beaty & Assoc. and more.
These funds will be used for capacity-building administrative expenses as the Shasta County Fire Safe Council activates and begins its community outreach as well as risk mitigation investments like fuel breaks and biomass thinning, consulting with the Pit River Tribe and the Wintun Educational and Cultural Center to comply with cultural preservation best practices.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $5,000
Category: Resilience
Capacity grant for the community foundation to complete the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Preparedness Workbook that is customized and continually updated to provide a central source of institutional information and processes in the event of a disaster.
Event: General
Amount: $100,000
Category: Resilience
As part of the Sonoma County Resilience Fund Healing strategy, Community Foundation Sonoma County has invested in local nonprofit organizations that provide accessible and affordable mental health services and awareness to the community. Two new areas of need have emerged this year:
- A facilitated peer cohort program to take their partnership to the next level, both in exploring solutions to shared challenges and in studying the larger mental and behavioral health sector gaps and barriers in the community from a systemic approach.
- Specific capacity-building support to allow these organizations to invest in their infrastructure, staff, and planning for the future.
This grant will be matched and will provide compensation for the organizations’ time and commitment to participate in the cohort, general operating support to the nonprofit organizations, and a contract partnership with a team of nonprofit experts.
2020 Grants
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
In early September 2020 the Slater Fire engulfed the small, rural community of Happy Camp in a heavily forested area of Siskiyou County. One third of the housing inventory was destroyed and the entire community was under evacuation orders. Two people perished in the blaze and a dozen businesses were lost. Happy Camp had recently added fire breaks to the south, where fires frequently threatened town. This time, the fire came in from the north.
This unincorporated town is one of the poorest communities in the state with an average poverty rate of 30%. It is home to approximately 1,100 residents, most of whom are 55 years old or older. The nearest grocery store is over an hour and a half away. Most people who lost their homes were renters and many were uninsured – insurance rates had tripled in the last several years for many residents.
This community serves as headquarters to the Karuk Tribe and nearly 25% of Happy Camp residents identify as Native American. Given the lower dollar value associated with local properties, FEMA declaration is unlikely and philanthropic support is all the more crucial.
As the winter season looms, this grant will reach the most vulnerable members of the Happy Camp community as they clear their properties and begin the long road to recovery.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $30,000
Category: Resilience
2020 was the worst fire season on record in California with more than 4.2 million acres and 10,488 built structures and the loss of 33 lives. As a community located on the wild-urban interface (WUI), the Tahoe Truckee region has always been on the alert for wildfire. However, following the Thomas, Carr and Mendocino Complex Fires in 2017 and 2018, the Community Foundation has focused on understanding how to better prevent this from happening in the Tahoe Truckee region.
Meanwhile the pandemic has highlighted gaps in coordination between agencies, alignment of data and messaging, and the stability of the nonprofit safety net. The economic impact of COVID-19 on the Tahoe Truckee community has been significant. Over 60% of the local workforce is employed by the tourism sector which has been disseminated. Real estate sales have spiked by 23% and home prices have increased more than 30%. Demand on safety net services like food pantries and mental health hotlines has skyrocketed.
Funding from this grant will allow TTCF to adapt the Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) model from the Napa Valley Community Foundation. It will ensure that the planning process is focused on serving “the least and the last” and is developed through an equity lens, including targeted outreach to non-English speaking residents, isolated and elderly residents, residents experiencing homelessness and residents separated from resources by the digital divide.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Recovery
The CZU Lightning Complex Fire has destroyed more homes than the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in Santa Cruz County. 86,509 acres burned, over 1,400 structures were destroyed (911 homes in Santa Cruz County), 140 structures were damaged, one person was injured and one person lost their life. A few days into the fire, nearly 1 in 4 residents in the county were displaced due to evacuations.
With major infrastructure damage to water and power, many residents in Ben Lomond and Bonny Doon with houses that are still standing remain unable to return home. With the devastation in Big Basin State Park, many local businesses in the mountains already experiencing challenges with COVID are now struggling to remain open as Big Basin brings in critical tourism dollars.
CFSCC is working with direct service providers to serve undocumented individuals, immigrant families, and low income families that may be denied support to receive the direct emergency financial assistance needed through our Fire Relief Fund. CFSCC is also working with United Policyholders to help families navigate their insurance through their Roadmap to Recovery Program.
Looking ahead toward recovery and resilience, CFSCC is now working with the Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department to prepare for upcoming mudslides in fire-affected areas when the rainy season arrives, and is making grants to environmental restoration projects at Big Basin State Park, a vital source of income for local residents and small businesses.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
Three large fires have impacted Del Norte, Trinity, and Humboldt counties this Fall: the Slater/Devil Fire, the Red Salmon Complex, and the August complex. The August Complex is the largest fire in California history.
In addition to declaration of state and federal emergencies, the Karuk Tribe also declared a state of emergency. Combined, fires have burned over 1.1 million acres, destroyed over 500 structures, and taken the life of two individuals. Almost 200 homes have been lost, including 150 homes of Karuk tribal members. At present, cost estimation for the August Complex is over $15.4 million in structure loss alone.
The rural regions of the Humboldt area are often underserved by state and federal resources, and Native communities have historically been neglected in past relief efforts. Current trends show that only about 2% of all national philanthropy dollars are given to and in support of rural communities and only 0.02% is given to Native communities. This grant will help to close the gap in federal and philanthropic support.
The focus of the funds will be on Tribal Nations, and nonprofits who are serving evacuees. The grants are anticipated to be similar to past grants focused on shelter, food, and safety supplies, such as masks and air filters, as well as evolving needs as the fires continue to burn into their third month.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief
The Creek Fire (Fresno/Madera Counties) and Sequoia Complex Fire (Tulare County) resulted in major evacuations, significant structure loss, and burned an unprecedented 450,000+ acres across three counties. Due to the increased fire risk from high tree mortality in all three counties, many homeowners struggled to obtain insurance even before the fires.
All communities impacted by this region rely heavily on recreation and tourism dollars to survive. Already hit hard by the pandemic, these businesses were shut down at the height of their season and remain unable to open due to major destruction of landscape, safety concerns with the remaining trees in the area and extremely poor air quality. With no source of income coming in and traffic limitations to the areas, their economy has been cut off to the outside world.
Many who live and work in this area have been permanently displaced, while many others are living in temporary hotel housing in the Central Valley. This situation has created a virtual ghost town in this part of the Sierras.
This grant will provide direct financial assistance to those most in need in the Central Sierra Nevada’s. In addition, funding provided to the Shaver Lake Volunteer Fire Department will support the only emergency medical care for the community whose next closest medical facility is located an hour away in Clovis, CA
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Resilience
The Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) created the Monterey County Fire Relief Fund to assist communities affected by current and future fires including the River Fire, Carmel Fire and Dolan Fire. The River Fire, south of Salinas, began August 16, 2020 in the hills near Mt. Toro. The Carmel Fire started in the Cachagua area of Carmel Valley on August 18, 2020, and the Dolan Fire in Big Sur began August 18, 2020. More than 120 structures were lost and thousands were evacuated.
Funding from this grant will support a public/private partnership to develop a Community Resilience plan for our county to help protect those most vulnerable from the impacts of current and future disasters.
Funding will be leveraged with a matching grant from the United Way of Monterey County to support a Community Resiliency Coordinator. Funding for this current position has ended and the LCCF grant will support community resilience planning, emergency management, relief and recovery efforts for Monterey County.
Event: Wildfire
Amount: $100,000
Category: Relief, Recovery, Resilience
This grant will provide immediate relief and recovery to survivors of the 2020 Oak Fire and August Complex Fire in Mendocino County, and to the Community Resiliency and Disaster Preparedness Fund to help build community resiliency and prepare for future disasters.
Since the 2017 Redwood Complex and 2018 Mendocino Complex Fires, the Foundation has led the long-term recovery of fire survivors in the county. Witnessing the challenges of recovering from a disaster, it created the Resiliency Fund to build a more prepared and resilient community before disaster strikes, increasing the community’s ability to recover in the future. As chair of Mendocino-ROC, the long-term fire recovery team for Mendocino County, the Community Foundation has approached recovery responsibly to equitably support those disproportionately impacted by the fires.
In 2020 two major fires struck Mendocino County – the Oak Fire in Willits burned 1,100 acres, destroyed 32 residences, and evacuated over a thousand residents for a week; and the August Complex Fire burned 1,032,648 acres across 7 counties including Mendocino. The total impact from the August Complex is still unknown.
Mendocino County’s median household income is $49,233, with 17.5% of residents below the federal poverty level. The county has a large tribal population (approx. 6%) and Latino population (approx. 26%). Round Valley, the region primarily impacted by the August Complex Fire is an isolated community with a large Native American reservation. These isolated areas are home to many vulnerable residents, who are especially impacted by the fires.
Mendocino County is approximately 3,878 square miles consisting primarily of rural forested area. With only four incorporated cities, the population of 88,000 is disbursed over mountainous, heavily forested areas. Many of the small communities struggle to maintain existing emergency services and need assistance to prepare for major disaster. Mendocino County has 21 local fire departments, 14 of which rely only on volunteers and two receive no tax revenue for their support. There are many isolated regions in the county, which become even more vulnerable during disaster. In addition to transportation vulnerabilities, access to broadband internet and cell phone services is limited, and sometimes completely unavailable, in the outlying areas of the county.