Donor Spotlight: Diane Thompson
Diane Thompson joined Soroptimist in 1981. She served as Governor of the North Atlantic Region from 2002-2006 and was a Federation Board Member from 2008-2010. She also served many club positions, including club president. Diane is a member of the Inner Circle of the Laurel Society and has participated in the monthly giving program since its inception. She is currently Chair of the Dream Big Campaign for SIA. With her recent move to Michigan, Diane worked on chartering a new club in her area and is a charter member of SI/Hines Park, MI in the Midwestern Region, chartered in April 2020.
How did you first become involved with Soroptimist?
I was invited by a woman I worked with. I had just moved into the area to take a new engineering position. Since most of the people that I worked with were men, I saw membership in Soroptimist as an opportunity to meet other professional women and I wasn't disappointed.
What inspires you most about the work of Soroptimist?
I am inspired by working with other women to do so much more than I would ever be able to do on my own. I like that we are supporting women who have already made a decision to change their path in life. We work to break down the barriers and obstacles that arise after this decision is made which so often can cause women to step back into the old life they are trying to leave. I know that the support we provide at these times can make all the difference in their achieving their dreams of a better life.
Can you share one particular highlight from your volunteer experience?
There are thousands of stories, all are important. The most impactful experience that I have had as a Soroptimist, however, is the opportunity to serve as Governor and then on the Federation Board. These experiences showed me the power of Soroptimist and the work that we do. I saw so many more stories from all corners of the world and knew that this is work that I would always want to do.
What inspired you to give to the Dream Big Campaign?
I am inspired by our Big Audacious Goal to reach 500,000 women and girls by 2031. I know that this goal will generate a virtuous cycle of increased recognition, increased membership, increased support and advocacy for our programs which will allow us to reach millions more women and girls in the following decades. I know that we need to invest in ourselves to make this happen because we can't do things the same way we do today and expect a different outcome. I want Soroptimist to be stronger and even more effective than it is today. I want future Soroptimists to gain even more from their membership than I received from mine, more life-long friends, more leadership skills that translate into their professional lives, more support for the difficult times in our lives, more opportunities to see what we are capable of when working with thousands of other like-minded women. The work we do is too important for all of us.
What would you say to others who might be considering making a donation to the Dream Big Campaign?
As Soroptimist starts its second century, now is the time for us to leave a legacy for future generations of Soroptimists and for so many millions more women and girls who are counting on us. We have an opportunity to transform Soroptimist into a the well-known global organization that lifts communities out of poverty by empowering women and girls through access to education. We know that this is the single most effective way of beating generational poverty. The need is great. Our time is now.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We have changed our tagline to "Investing in Dreams". I hope that all members will dream about the future of Soroptimist. It is then important to take action to achieve those dreams. Dreams without taking action are just fantasies. Dreams and then taking action and investing time, talents and resources in your dreams leads to dreams becoming reality. Dream Big and invest in your dreams.
If you would like to be featured in an upcoming donor spotlight, please reach out to Erica Cheslock at erica@soroptimist.org.