DFSC Annual Report 2023
PREPARED BY DFSC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HOLLY MILLION OCTOBER 2024
2023 was a year of big accomplishments and changes for Diablo Firesafe Council. Below are some highlights from our most recently completed year.
New Executive Director
There were major personnel changes for DFSC in 2023. Cheryl Miller, our long-time executive director, retired and moved to Denver, Colorado. DFSC conducted an extensive E.D. search and selected Holly Million as our new executive director. A passionate 33-year veteran of the nonprofit world, Holly brings deep knowledge of nonprofit management, fundraising, communications, organizing, and partnership-building to this role, having worked as an executive director, director of development, fundraising consultant, and board member for scores of organizations throughout her career, including local, national, and international organizations.
Cost-Share Matching Program
In 2023, DFSC continued its very popular cost-share matching program – the Partners in Wildfire Prevention Program – the centerpiece of our community service. This program provides matching funds up to $5,000 to neighbors working together on their own fuel-reduction and vegetation management projects in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. In the 12-month period, this program achieved the following:
30 cost-share projects completed at approximately $5K & 5 acres each
Ptarmigan Drive, Phase 1, #131
Manzanita Drive, Oakland, #136
Bear Oaks, Briones #68
Camp Herms Neighborhood, #123
Camp Herms, El Cerrito #21
Campolindo #97
Campolindo, Moraga #96
Carriage Hills South HOA, Richmond #127
Chabot Park HOA, Oakland, #145
Eagle Ridge Mutual 68, Rossmoor #99
Hillside Properties, San Pablo #118
La Colina Hill, El Sobrante #113
Live Oak/ Monteverde, El Sobrante #109
Manzanita Drive, Oakland, #130
Morgan Territory Road, Clayton #143
Mutual 55 entries 18, 19, and 21 – Phase 2, #125
Mutual 55 Rossmoor – Phase 1, #122
Mutual 55 Rossmoor #120
Mutual 70 - Terra Granada Drive, #147
Orinda Downs, Orinda #93
Palomares Elementary School, Castro Valley #144
Park Way, Sunol #161
Parkridge Estates, Oakland, #137
Rancho del Lago, Briones #85
Silverwood, Drive Lafayette #117
St James Place, Orinda #87
Stanley Dollar Drive, Rossmoor, #146
Tice Creek Drive Mutual 58, Rossmoor #100
Valley Hill Drive, Bollinger Canyon Moraga #104
Via Farallon/ La Cuesta, Orinda #91
9 Community presentations of 30 people each
AIA Small Firm Forum
Association of Professional Landscape Designers best practices
Association of Professional Landscape Designers design
Association of Professional Landscape Designers fire authorities
Bay-O-Vista HOA, San Leandro Clayton Garden Club
6 SNAP (Special Needs Assistance Projects) at $5K & .25 acres
SNAP-01 Lost Valley Drive, Orinda
SNAP-02 Kilkare Road, Sunol
SNAP-03 Spruce Street, Berkeley
SNAP-04 Park Way, Sunol
SNAP-05 Kent Court, El Cerrito
SNAP-06 Santa Rita Road, Richmond
8 new partner meetings in 2023
Communications Roundtable with staff at other local fire safety organizations x2
Oakland Fire Safe Council
Orinda Fire Safe Council
CITRIS participation
RCD coordinator
State Coastal Conservancy
USDA CA Climate Hu (Qtr6 2023)
Home Hardening
DFSC also piloted its new Home Hardening Education Program in 2023. We delivered our free presentations to Firewise communities in Hunsaker Canyon, Berkeley, and Oakland. This program showcases actions to harden homes, including zone 0, deck maintenance, filling gaps, and screening vents and gutters, with material samples. The DFSC board of directors voted to make the HHEP a permanent DFSC project with Sheryl Drinkwater continuing presentations into 2025.
Grants and Funding
| BUDGET | EXPENDITURES | BALANCE | EXPENDED | ||
| 5GG17201 - PARTNERS IN WILDFIRE PREVENTION IN ALAMEDA & CC CO. | $324,020.00 | $337,453.94 | $(13,433.94) | 104.15% | |
| 5GG20118 - CAL FIRE PARTNERS | $493,850.00 | $221,943.50 | $271,906.50 | 44.94% | |
| PG&E FUNDS | $25,000.00 | $- | $25,000.00 | 0.00% | |
| UC BERKELEY CONTRACT | $40,254.70 | $30,276.51 | $9,978.19 | 75.21% | |
| Total | $883,124.70 | $589,673.95 | $293,450.75 | 66.77% | |
DFSC received a three-year grant totaling $374K to update the 2022 Regional Prioritization Plan (RPP) for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The Alameda County CWPP plan update will now be integrated into the RPP update process in 2024. The RPP identifies regional natural resource concerns that could be exacerbated by catastrophic wildfire and develop projects or other methods to remedy those issues ahead of the next fire. DFSC’s Cost-Share Matching Program was funded through a Cal Fire grant and funding from PG&E. We also relaunched our annual funding campaign with a year-end campaign outreach effort, a new online donation portal, and donations from individuals. Grants received, amount expended in 2023, amount remaining, and percentage are shown above.
DFSC Mission
DFSC’s role in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties is to serve as a catalyst for bringing together people, agencies, and the means to substantially reduce the impact of wildland fire on our communities.
While we can’t stop another devastating wildfire from occurring in our communities, we can help our communities prepare for a wildfire event. Our goal is to reduce potential damage and speed recovery.
Contact
Website
diablofiresafe.org
holly@diablofiresafe.org