A Red Crosser’s dedication to the Mission

Based in Georgia, American Red Crosser Diane Naczi has made a powerful impact on the Movement’s mission through her work as both an employee and a volunteer. Her journey embodies the strength and dedication women bring to meaningful causes, highlighting the profound difference one person can make.

Diane Naczi’s career has always focused on helping make things better for others. Diane did not always work for the American Red Cross : she worked for a while at AT&T, one of the largest mobile service operators in the US, where she was dedicated to connecting people through communications. She also had a career in the financial services industry, where she commited herself to helping small businesses thrive. Diane has also been a devoted blood donor for years, donating more than 40 pints of blood, personally demonstrating her long-term passion for the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross. Ultimately, Diane realized that she had a desire to more directly support communities throughout her professional path, which led her to pursue a career at the Red Cross.

Diane’s journey with the Red Cross began in 2014, initially working in Fundraising and later transitioning to Biomedical Services. Her expertise was pivotal in building up our field Fundraising Operations to consistently and sustainably meet the needs of those we serve. Over her four years working on this topic, she made meaningful improvements to the fundraising efforts of the American Red Cross. She then transitioned to Biomedical Services, applying similar successful principles to support Sponsor Recruitment, ensuring we had enough blood drives to meet our needs. In addition, Diane proudly worked alongside her Red Cross colleagues on several projects, such as the creation of a new “channel design for Fundraising and Biomedical Services and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Ambassador program. She also co-developed and launched the “Sound the Alarm” national campaign with Harvey Johnson, former president of Humanitarian Services.

After making significant strides as an employee, Diane retired but remained connected to our mission by becoming a volunteer for International Services. With an educational background in foreign service and a lifelong desire to work internationally, Diane embraced this opportunity to partner with Achala Navaratne, Global Division Director for Asia Pacific for the American Red Cross, to provide direct support to the IFRC and National Societies in Southeast Asia with limited fundraising expertise.

She kicked off her volunteer experience by working with a country representative in the Phillipines, Shir Shah Ayobi,  where she consulted with the leadership team, supported the development of a five-year strategic plan, and trained 250 fundraisers, significantly enhancing their resource mobilization efforts. Her success in the Philippines led to similar initiatives in Indonesia with executive director for the Nebraska and Iowa Region, Leslie Schaffer, and country representative, Harris Ritonga, and then in Malaysia where she collaborated with the IFRC to share strategic planning and fundraising education sessions.

Diane's different projects of work have been united by common threads. Her experiences and dedication highlight how the knowledge and skills gained in prior situations are transferable to new situations, expediting improvement and enhancing impact without reinventing the wheel. Looking ahead, Diane aims to continue providing tools and ongoing support to countries in need, working closely with the IFRC and partner National Societies. Her experience on both sides of the volunteer-employee spectrum has shown her the value volunteers can provide by sharing their talents, and she encourages others to seek out these opportunities.

Diane's work across Fundraising, Biomedical Services and International Services and her lifelong dedication to purposeful work exemplify the power of women Red Crossers in advancing our mission.

Diane Naczi, American Red Cross