The Almanor Foundation: Planning for the Future
The Almanor Foundation (TAF) was established in 2020 after the community rose up to serve the needs of evacuees of the devasting Camp Fire coming to the town of Chester. TAF has played a crucial role in disaster relief and recovery efforts ever since and has been expanding its mission to address various community needs, including workforce housing, education, and community leadership. TAF’s plans and goals for the future reflect its commitment to creating a thriving community where all residents can flourish.
Expanding Agency Stewardship and Endowment Fund Services
One of TAF’s primary goals is to expand its Agency Stewardship and Endowment Fund services, which provide local organizations with the benefit of TAF’s nonprofit status. This initiative allows these organizations to focus on their missions without the complexities of financial and administrative management. TAF has expanded its fund services significantly, growing from one fund in 2022 to over 12 in 2024. This growth is an example of the increasing trust and reliance on TAF from the community and its non-profit organizations.
Photo: TAF Board and Staff (left to right) Melissa Lopez, Tom Greely, Judy Chynoweth, Susan Bryner, Katherine Sansone, Josh Huddleston, Julie Childers **not pictured: Mark Pecotich
Championing Attainable Workforce Housing
The Committee overseeing TAF’s Attainable Workforce Housing Initiative has been working on solutions for attainable workforce housing—both rentals and sales—for the past two years. The complex housing ecosystem in Plumas County requires a diversity of stock, pricing, typologies, and locations.
The committee has connected with local experts and national innovators to find solutions that are:
Place-based: Reflecting the local resources, culture, and market.
Sustainable: Supported by funding streams, the economy, materials, and workforce.
Regenerative: Promoting circular economies and funding streams.
The committee’s efforts have yielded the following:
This groundwork has laid the foundation for strategic and actionable implementation programs. The committee is collaborating with other organizations on:
Building 45 rental units in 36-40 months. Support Reconstruction & Recovery Advisors Inc. (RRA) effort to demonstrate the economic viability of building attainable housing in Plumas County. RRA proposes a development model that includes single-family homes with an attached junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) and a detached ADU. This model is intended to target those in the local workforce earning between 80-120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The plan aims to build 15 properties, resulting in 45 total rental units over an estimated construction timeline of 36-40 months.
Supporting the establishment of a Placemate Lease to Locals Program: The goal is to establish a partnership between Placemate Inc. and a local nonprofit organization to create and operate a Lease to Locals program to support local renters with a rent subsidy model.
Supporting home ownership through the Trio Program: Support the implementation plan for the Plumas County Community Development Commission’s Trio Program, which supports first-time homeownership through a lease-to-own model.
TAF is collaborating with local stakeholders and organizations to implement these programs. Thanks to the support of community members, philanthropic funding, and county agencies, we have successfully progressed from planning to implementation. Stay tuned for more information in early 2025.
TAF’s Housing Initiative is supported by grants and philanthropic donations to the Housing Fund.
Fostering Community Leadership
TAF seeks to foster community leadership by supporting individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing our county. Plumas County, at about the size of the state of Rhode Island has a population of approximately 19,000 people. Common to most rural communities, finding and supporting effective leaders is critical to addressing local challenges and implementing sustainable solutions. TAF aims to foster leadership in the region and support individuals and organizations that are dedicated to building a thriving community.
Supporting and Advancing Educational and Vocational Opportunities
TAF’s future goals include addressing the challenges in Plumas County that affect vocational and educational outcomes. They include: an aging and declining population, declining school enrollment and subsequent funding, lack of a skilled workforce to fill current job demands, loss of trade businesses as business owners age out, access to adequate local vocational programs, and increases in youth social-emotional challenges. Objectives of the initiative include the establishment in December of this year of an Education/Vocation Committee.
The committee will explore business and workforce training needs and develop programs to address them. Representatives from high school vocational training programs, Feather River College, the Alliance for Workforce Development, a large local employer, and small businesses will take a comprehensive look at the diverse training needs of businesses in Plumas County.
Initial steps will include mapping out existing programs, creating awareness campaigns to promote these programs to the workforce and businesses, and identifying any gaps that need to be addressed. Following will be the development of a plan to create and fund the necessary programs.
TAF recognizes that the needs are multifaceted, including bolstering a trained workforce to fill vacant positions and supporting small businesses with management, finance, operations, marketing, and other essential skills. A comprehensive approach will be needed to help our local businesses thrive.
This work will be supported by the Jerry & Yvonne Kehr Education Fund.
Strengthening TAF’s Organizational Infrastructure
TAF recognizes the importance of a robust organizational infrastructure to effectively carry out its mission. Future plans include transitioning TAF’s Board of Directors from the working board it has been these first 4 years to a governing board, allowing for strategic oversight while staff manage daily operations.
Leveraging Opportunities and Addressing Challenges
And finally, TAF is aware of the opportunities and threats that lie ahead as it continues to grow in service to the communities of Plumas County. These include the need or opportunity to:
Enhance Communication Strategies: TAF will prioritize enhancing its communication strategies to improve internal and external communication, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities within the organization and increasing community awareness of TAF’s initiatives and impact.
Focus on Long-Term Sustainability: TAF will focus on investing in projects that have long-term sustainability and impact, ensuring the long-term viability of its programs and their ability to continue benefiting the community.
Develop Public-Private Partnerships: TAF will actively seek to develop public-private partnerships to leverage additional resources and expertise to address the complex challenges faced by our rural region.
Navigate Economic Fluctuations: TAF will develop strategies to navigate economic fluctuations and funding instability, such as diversifying funding sources and establishing reserve funds.
Adapt to Changing Community Needs: TAF will continuously assess community needs and demographics to ensure its programs remain relevant and adapt its strategies to meet evolving challenges.
The Almanor Foundation’s future plans and goals are ambitious and reflect a commitment to the well-being of Plumas County. By focusing on expanding agency stewardship and endowment fund services, championing workforce housing development, cultivating community leadership, advancing quality education, strengthening its organizational infrastructure, and strategically leveraging opportunities while mitigating challenges, TAF is poised to make a lasting and positive impact on the community. TAF’s vision for a thriving and resilient Plumas County is a testament to its dedication to fostering a community where all can flourish.
