Diana S. Martin
I love the thought that the resources I have can do more than if they just went directly into the community today, because they will be here forever and they will continue to grow.
When Diana Martin was growing up, her parents gave her and her sister a weekly allowance. The money was theirs to spend, only after it was divided among three separate jars labeled spend, save, and give.
“That was ingrained in me. The resources you have should be used in part to fulfill your needs and in part as an investment in your own future, but you should also be thinking about the community’s future and others around you,” Diana said. “That doesn’t have to be with huge dollars.”
Diana worked in communications at the Lancaster County Community Foundation at the start of her career. It was an experience that reinforced what she learned about stewardship as a child and introduced her to the idea that philanthropy is for everyone. As she established her career in Lancaster County, Diana decided establishing a fund through the Community Foundation was among her many goals.
“I’m the 10th generation of my family to live in Lancaster County. I often think Lancaster is in my DNA,” Diana said. “I’m just really grateful to Lancaster for all it’s done for me and provided for me—the experiences I’ve had, the community that I’ve built, the connections that I’ve made. For me, it’s just paying it forward to the future and knowing that if you care about a place- it’s invested in you- I think you have to do the same thing for the next generations.”
She opened a donor advised fund during the Community Foundation’s 100th anniversary year, a milestone that celebrated a tradition of generosity that came before her. And because Diana’s fund is endowed, her ongoing contributions are invested to grow sustainably over time.
“I love the thought that the resources I have can do more than if they just went directly into the community today, because they will be here forever and they will continue to grow,” Diana said. “I’m planting the seed now and growing it for the future so that I have those funds available to give to the causes that I care about.”
Now, as Director of High Impact at High Foundation, Diana’s work focuses on environmental preservation and affordable housing, overseeing Lancaster Housing Works and Partners for Environmental Stewardship as Executive Director. Preserving Lancaster’s lush farmland and greenspaces while ensuring every neighbor has access to safe, secure housing are personal objectives as well as professional ones, and she hopes her fund will help steward these resources for future generations.
“We have a lot of challenges in our community, and one thing that’s amazing about Lancaster is when we have challenges, people step up to meet them,” Diana said. “I want to be a part of the folks who are thinking of solutions and making sure that we’re rising to meet the challenges of our community.”
As her contributions grow, Diana hopes to instill the value of philanthropy in her nieces, inviting them to experience the joy of generosity and participate in selecting organizations that benefit from her fund.
“I don’t have children, but I have a place where my assets and resources can go and continue to support the community that I love,” Diana said. “They’re not being passed down to the next generation directly through my family line, but they’re still being passed on to the next generation through my community, which is equally important to me. That’s what legacy looks like – knowing that the things that I care about today I can continue to support well into the future.”
Learn more about giving through the Community Foundation here.
