Dixie Fire Fund

The Dixie Fire Fund is providing community disaster relief to the Northeastern California communities who were damaged in the path of the 2021 Dixie Fire.

In partnership with the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada, Plumas Bank inspired the establishment of the Dixie Fire Fund. Founded in Quincy, California, Plumas Bank provides services within each of the five counties impacted by the fire: Plumas, Butte, Lassen, Tehama and Shasta.  

As the host and administrator of the fund, The Community Foundation organized an advisory council to oversee its distribution to Dixie Fire affected communities. Plumas Bank announced its commitment of $50,000 to the fund to spur additional contributions and a matching grant of $25,000 by Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

As of July 2022, the fund reached $250,000. The fund is a modest amount in comparison to the need, so Plumas Bank and the Community Foundation joined the Dixie Fire Funders Roundtable to collaborate with other funders and make those dollars count.

The Dixie Fire Funders Roundtable is coordinated by North Valley Community Foundation in Chico, California and brings together several organizations who are partnering to strengthen the impact of the dollars they are awarding local communities. Roundtable members include The Almanor Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Nor Cal United Way, Community Foundation North State and others.

“Plumas Bank has served local communities through good times and bad for over four decades, and we are committed to helping our clients and neighbors whose lives have been devastated by the Dixie Fire. We hope our contribution will make a difference for the long-term revitalization of the area.” - Andrew Ryback, President and CEO of Plumas Bank.

Initial Grants Awarded from the Dixie Fire Fund
The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada (CFNN) has awarded $126,000 as of July 2022. 

New: Greenville Rancheria Fire Department - $20,000 award
Greenville Rancheria provides a wide range of services including fire prevention and mitigation for the Maidu population and all residents of Greenville and Indian Valley. The award will support the purchase of a used truck to transport firefighting crews. Learn more at grth.org/about.

Lost Sierra Food Project - $25,000 award
This award is designated for the procurement of energy dependent cold storage. The mission of the organization is to increase access to local food for Plumas County residents, prioritizing underserved populations, providing workforce development programs, and creating educational food and farming opportunities. 

Maidu Summit Consortium - $10,000 award
The award will support a part-time staff position as the organization works to meet the needs of the local community. 

The organization's mission is to preserve, protect and promote the Mountain Maidu Homeland with a united voice. It envisions re-acquired ancestral lands as a vast and unique park system dedicated to education, healing, protection and ecosystem management based upon Maidu cultural and philosophic perspectives, as expressed through traditional ecology. Learn more at maidusummit.org. 

Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce - $600 award
The award will provide support for disaster relief assistance and website development. 

Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce is uniquely positioned to connect businesses, non-profits, educational institutions and government units to foster conversations around economic vitality and quality of life issues. The organization engages and supports legislation designed to strengthen a positive business environment in the communities it serves. Learn more at indianvalleychamber.com. 

Plumas Rural Services - Additional $5,000 award
Initially awarded $25,000 in 2021, Plumas Rural services is receiving a second grant from CFNN Plumas Rural Services. These funds will support staffing and operational expenses for Rebuilding Greenville Resource Center (RGRC). The funding is pooled alongside additional donations from the Almanor Foundation, North Valley Community Foundation, Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada and Sobrato. 

Plumas Rural Services is a Northeastern California community based, non-profit organization providing services and opportunities for the well-being of local residents and families to improve quality of life and self-sufficiency by promoting health, education, prevention and treatment. Learn more at plumasruralservices.org.

Plumas Strong - $10,000 award
Funds are supporting Plumas Strong Greenville Wildfire Recovery Planning efforts. The funding will be pooled alongside the Common Good Foundation, Sierra Institute, Almanor Foundation, North Valley Community Foundation and Sobrato. 

Plumas Strong's mission is to enrich the lives of children, families and businesses in Indian Valley, California and throughout Plumas County by providing support for programs to enhance community vitality. Learn more at plumasstrong.com.  

Plumas Rural Services - $25,000 award
Plumas Rural Services is a Northeastern California community based, non-profit organization providing services and opportunities for the well-being of local residents and families to improve quality of life and self-sufficiency by promoting health, education, prevention and treatment.

Learn more about Plumas Rural Services.

Dixie Fire Funds granted by The Community Foundation will provide gift cards for basic needs (food, supplies, etc.) to local families impacted by the Dixie Fire. Whenever possible, gift cards will be purchased from local businesses to help with economic recovery in the area as well.

Westwood Family Resource Center - $25,000 award
An organization under the umbrella of Communities United for Children and Families, the Westwood Family Resource Center is providing basic needs assistance to area families including a food pantry. The grant will support these services including continuing community outreach programs and administrative costs.

Lake Almanor Area Chamber of Commerce - $5,000 award
The Lake Almanor Area Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization of individuals and businesses whose primary mission is to advance the commercial, financial, industrial, and civic interests of the Lake Almanor Basin.

With ongoing news of the Dixie Fire devastation, many vacationers may be hesitant to plan their trips, reunions, weddings and weekend getaways to the region. The Lake Almanor Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to help return tourism to the area. The Community Foundation awarded $5000 to support the campaign’s advertising reach. Plumas Bank granted an additional $5000 on behalf of branches in Chester, Quincy and Portola to support the campaign.

Learn more at Discover Plumas County.

Almanor Basin Food Pantry - $1,000 award
Funds granted (and pooled with other funders) will support the purchase of a generator for commercial freezers and refrigerators. ALBP works to combat local food insecurity through food distribution, outreach and education.  

ESTABLISHING THE DIXIE FIRE FUND

Plumas Bank is grateful for the Community Foundation’s expertise to quickly establish this emergency fund so monies can be raised from near and far to support the ongoing recovery of the vibrant and diverse communities of Northeastern California. 

RESOURCES

Dixie Fire Criminal Case Settlement 
Plumas County District Attorney David Holister released a Dixie Fire Case Settlement Questions and Answers document.  

Be Aware of Fraud and Scams
Survivors should be aware that con artists and criminals may try to obtain money or steal personal information through fraud, scams and identity theft. In some cases, thieves try to register with FEMA using stolen names, addresses and Social Security numbers. FEMA encourages survivors to watch for and report any suspicious activity. 

Download the FEMA Fact Sheet on Fraud & Scams

Plumas County Updates
Visit the Plumas County website for ongoing updates and resources for community members impacted by the Dixie Fire recovery. 

The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization that has distributed more than $145 million in grants and scholarships from 247 charitable funds. Founded in 1998, the foundation is a community leader, permanent charitable resource, and a philanthropic advisor in charitable giving. The Community Foundation and Plumas Bank’s corporate headquarters, Plumas Bancorp, are based in Reno, Nevada. 

If you have questions for Plumas Bank about the Dixie Fire Fund, please email us at pbmarketing@plumasbank.com. To reach the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada, you can visit their website here.