Fire Safe Moraga-orinda

What it reported doing in 2024

FormationFire Safe Moraga-Orinda (FSMO) was incorporated in November 2023 via encouragement from the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District (MOFD), to engage residents within the Fire District, to prepare and respond to potential wildfires in our communities within Contra Costa County, California of Town of Moraga, City of Orinda, and unincorporated Bollinger and Canyon. firesafemoragaorinda.org.In 4Q2024 FSMO combined with Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network (MOFN). MOFN is an all-volunteer consortium of Recognized NFPA Firewise USA Neighborhoods. We began in North Orinda in 2019 as the Orinda Firewise Council (OFC), via encouragement of MOFD for the same purpose of FSMO. In 2023 OFC expanded its service area to the entire Fire District and was renamed as Moraga-Orinda Firewise Network. moragaorindafirewisenetwork.org. 2023 AccomplishmentsFSMO completed all the necessary steps to become an accredited 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation including Board of Directors creation (recruited from Firewise Neighborhoods), putting in place procedures and policies such as bylaws, conflict of interest, accounting and procurement, and travel. The first FSMO Board of Directors Meeting was held on Nov 14, 2023. Additionally, FSMO received $2,000 starter funding grant from the Orinda Community Foundation.2024 AccomplishmentsFSMO initiated private fund-raising in December 2023 and received over $50,000 through end of 2024. These private funds were used to purchase liability insurance, selection of Werner Accounting Services, and business software including QuickBooks and proprietary FireAside software for managing Defensible Space projects. We also applied and received a second $2,500 starter funding grant from the Orinda Community Foundation. FSMO applied for Neighborhood Defensible Space Grants via the CAL FIRE Wildfire Defense and the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) 2024 State Fire Capacity (SFC) grant programs. FSMO was awarded a two-year $100,000 Residential Defensible Space Project Grant from CFSC 24 SFC (Project 464406) in September 2024. In 4Q2024 FSMO utilized private funds to finalize Residential Project selection criteria, create the FSMO website and project application process, and perform outreach to the community regarding availability of 50/50 match funding for these Residential Defensible Space Projects. 2025 AccomplishmentsFSMO accepted 25 Residential Defensible Space Project applications in 1Q2025; the FSMO Executive Director (ED) confirmed 13 Neighborhoods were eligible for this grant funding. The ED then consulted with the MOFD Fuels Mitigation Manager to prioritize the 13 applications based on board approved selection criteria and wildfire risk. Since the CFSC 24 SFC grant program is reimbursable after neighborhood work is complete, the FSMO Board approved six (6) applications but decided to move forward with three (3) applications due to uncertainty when grant funding reimbursement would be received.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 42.9%; rating input score 43
• Program expense ratio: 72.6%; rating input score 73

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 40.9%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.2; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: Limited
• Asset growth: Limited