When disaster strikes, communities are strongest when they’re connected. That belief is at the heart of our efforts to bring a new organization to life: a COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster).
For the past six months, the Community Foundation has been working to bring together nonprofits, faith-based groups, local government, and community organizations into a coordinated network designed to improve disaster preparedness, response, and recovery—a COAD. A COAD is a way for community-based organizations to work together before, during, and after a disaster to meet unmet needs. Participating organizations share information, align resources, and identify and fill gaps in service. The goals are to reduce duplication of efforts, improve communication, and ensure that unmet needs are addressed quickly and according to the greatest need.
While Eastern Nevada County already has a COAD in place, local leaders recognized that the western part of the county has its own distinct geography, infrastructure, and network of service providers. Building a region-specific COAD allows for a more tailored, effective response when emergencies occur.
The process
The COAD effort is supported by a $75,000 disaster readiness grant from the League of California Community Foundations, awarded in October. To develop this framework, the Foundation engaged a consultant and convened more than 40 organizations, including public agencies like the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services and Nevada County Health and Human Services, as well as nonprofits and faith-based communities. Through a series of four planning meetings, participants have started mapping local assets, identifying community needs, and exploring how organizations might coordinate more effectively during a crisis. This week, we published a blueprint for the formation of the COAD.
The COAD blueprint is the result of these collaborative meetings, along with focused input from a steering committee. This blueprint will serve as a practical guide for standing up the COAD, outlining key components such as the beginnings of an asset map of available services, roles and responsibilities of the different organizations, a communication plan to streamline coordination, and an organizational structure.
Stronger together
This work is not just about planning—it’s about building relationships. “We are bringing together organizations that may not normally work together to plan how we can support all members of our community more effectively when disaster strikes,” noted Cristine Kelly, CEO of the Community Foundation.
The Community Foundation is currently seeking funding sources for a braided funding model to sustain the COAD over the long term. Once funding has been secured, a COAD Manager, working under the guidance of an advisory committee, will begin the process of formally standing up the Western Nevada County COAD, ideally this year, before wildfire risk increases.