Stephanie DiMartine spent years in the corporate world “just getting my work done” before she found a new joy – working with nonprofits and helping them raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit operations and programming.
“It was absolutely incredible to see their vision and then I got to enhance it and make it better,” she said of her time fundraising for several local organizations over the years including Easterseals for which she raised more than $400,000 and most recently Children & Families First, raising more than $100,000.
She often brings work home with her, too, as a volunteer fundraising for the Special Olympics of Delaware. She became involved in the organization after watching a young lady in her life grow up with Spina Bifida with a passion for bowling and athleticism.
“Her strength was really incredible to watch, and it inspired me to want to get involved and do more,” DiMartine said.
Alongside her team, she has raised over $100,000 for the Special Olympics of Delaware in the last five years with a goal of at least $100,000 more – $55,000 of that was raised by her personally.
Her passion for the Special Olympics goes beyond fundraising now, too. The New Castle County resident also coaches three sports – bocce, basketball and bowling, is a sports director for bocce and a mentor to local athletes and is the president of the bowling association in northern Delaware.
“And I love it,” she said. “Sleep is overrated. I can’t do anything good while I’m sleeping except make myself feel better.”
Fundraising itself, she added, “is all about having the people and sharing the passion. It can be done; it doesn’t have to be hard. It’s all about the connection building and sharing that story.”
