Funding Futures: Investing in Community Fire Recovery

In this panel on Funding and Philanthropy in Disaster Recovery, leaders from Napa Valley Community Foundation, Hawaii Community Foundation, and Ballmer Group discuss lessons learned from disaster response across California and Hawaii. Julia DeNatale, Keanu Lau Hee, and Nina Revoyr share how philanthropy can evolve to meet long-term community needs, support nonprofits under strain, and adapt funding strategies that align with real recovery timelines.

 

 

Keanue Lau Hee

Keanu Lau Hee is the Senior Director of the Maui Recovery Effort at the Hawaii Community Foundation, where she oversees the Maui Strong Fund and leads cross-sector coordination to support long-term recovery from the 2023 Maui wildfires. She brings over 15 years of experience in public service, including her role as Deputy Managing Director for the County of Maui, where she helped establish the Office of Recovery and co-led the development of the County’s Recovery Framework. Her expertise spans emergency management, land use planning, and public funding strategy, with a focus on strategic philanthropy and community-led solutions that support resilience and equitable recovery.

 

Nina Revoyr

Nina Revoyr is the Executive Director of National Public Safety and Ballmer Group’s Los Angeles team, where she sets and leads strategy and investments to improve economic mobility for children and families in the region and the state, and leads Ballmer Group’s national work on public safety. Nina holds two decades of experience in the fields of child and family services and education; is the author of six novels; and has been a visiting professor at Cornell University and Pomona College.

 

Julia DeNatale

Julia DeNatale is Chief Impact Officer at Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF)and a leading voice in local disaster philanthropy. Since joining NVCF in 2010, she has directed strategic grantmaking and led the Foundation’s community impact initiatives, including disaster prevention, preparedness, relief, and long-term recovery. Julia has managed more than $30 million in disaster response funds across five major natural disasters since 2014, including three catastrophic wildfires. In 2016–2017, she helped seed and launch Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster which became a critical coordination hub during
the devastating Napa Fire Complex in October 2017 and beyond. She holds a degree in communications, with an emphasis in journalism, from the University of San Francisco.