Project Fundraising, Management and Collaboration Facilitation Capacity
Building resilience will require implementing the projects listed here, and doing so requires additional capacity to catalyze partnerships, further project planning, prepare compelling grant proposals, and successfully manage projects. Existing capacity in the community is stretched so we often do not capitalize on grant opportunities to the extent we could. We recommend seeking funding for staffing that matches projects with funding opportunities and stands "at the ready" to submit grant proposals as opportunities arise. A number of community organizations including the Fire Safe Council, the Cachuma RCD, LegacyWorks Group, the Community Environmental Council and key partners are working together to advance this idea and are available to play key roles in this process including serving as the grantee or fiscal sponsor for grants, facilitating collaborations, managing projects and measuring and reporting on project success. Fire Safe Councils are often prioritized for grant funding from the state and federal level, and the Fire Safe Council of San Luis Obispo County plays a role like this and helps mobilize significant grant funding into the community each year.
Status: Seeking Funding
Cost: Medium
Partners:
Permitting: None
Funding Sources:
Additional Notes: Grant administration is a critical factor to considering capacity to take on projects, and SB County Fire Department is maxed out managing the grants they currently produce, submit and manage. It is difficult for SBCFD to add staff, so grants will often need fiscal agents that are able to do that work at fair administrative cost levels. It is difficult to add staff to finance units, whereas they can add staff or hire contractors to manage projects or do work on the ground. It is also difficult to hire permanent staff at the fire agencies (say a forester which other Cal Fire Units have), since there is always pressure to add firefighters instead. Fire departments have existing capacity to write grants and implement projects, but not multiples at a time (for example, the FSC would have liked to take advantage of the 2021 recent Fire Prevention grant cycle for more than one project.