Thanks to the generosity of Columbus Foundation donors Tom and Ann DiMarco, elementary school children in southeastern Ohio are benefiting from valuable programs that fall outside of the school district’s budget. From a library program to multiple anti-bullying campaigns, the couple’s goal is to offer hope and support to kids in one of Ohio’s poorest areas.
Schools come up with projects that will benefit students in the community. While initial grants funded technology-based projects, the couple now supports programs, like anti-bullying, that directly impact students.
“I went to one school and they all wore t-shirts associated with the anti-bullying campaign. They were just so proud of themselves,” Ann said. “I’m sure it made a huge difference in that small community.”
The DiMarcos have called Columbus home since Tom’s job with Interim HealthCare brought the couple from Philadelphia 23 years ago. Since then, they’ve become very active in the community—and passionate about giving back. Ann is involved as a longtime volunteer and current board member of Kobacker House and WOSU, and Tom is on the board of A Kid Again.
The older we get, the more we realize that giving does make a difference. It matters to the people and groups we help.
—Tom DiMarco, Columbus Foundation donor
Through the DiMarco Family Fund, established in 2005, the couple has provided support to a variety of local organizations, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Catholic Social Services, A Kid Again, and OhioHealth Hospice.
As an extended family, they have come up with innovative ways to support causes they care about. For the last two Christmases, Tom and Ann challenged their adult children to do something charitable instead of buying the couple gifts.
Their quest for making a difference isn’t limited to their lifetimes. Through a Planned Gift, the legacy they created will live on.
“The older we get, the more we realize that giving does make a difference. It matters to the people and groups we help,” Tom said.