Our immediate priority is working to meet urgent needs in the community. As our region moves toward a phase of recovery and rebuilding, Innovia takes part in the community’s Unmet Needs Roundtable alongside other funders. An Unmet Needs Roundtable is a collaborative process that brings together local funders — including Innovia — to fill gaps in a disaster survivor’s recovery plan through a case management process.  

Trained disaster case managers get to know each household one-on-one, document what assistance they’ve already received through insurance, FEMA, and other programs, and identify what disaster-related needs still remain. Those confidential case summaries are brought to an Unmet Needs Roundtable, where funders review each request for how directly it’s tied to the fire, whether other reasonable options have been exhausted, the household’s vulnerability (for example, families with young children, seniors, or people with disabilities), and whether the requested amount is reasonable. When a case checks those boxes, one or more funders commit dollars on the spot to close the gap — whether that’s covering a housing repair, replacing essential belongings, or another critical need. This model lets Innovia and its partners direct limited long-term recovery dollars where they’ll make the most real difference, rather than spreading funds thin or duplicating other aid.