In the philanthropic community, women are increasingly shaping how we champion impact, and Amy Dornbusch stands at the forefront of this movement. With a distinguished career in startup investments and having held numerous board positions, Dornbusch brings a unique blend of strategic business planning and deep empathy to her initiatives. Her years of dedicated philanthropy eventually led her to the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle, where she continues to inspire other women to collectively give and mobilize the vital work of our organization. 

The Tiffany Circle is a community within the Red Cross composed of women leaders that have made a commitment to advancing the organization’s mission together through women empowerment and focused investment of time and funds. With economists projecting that roughly $30 trillion will move into women’s hands over the next few years, Dornbusch observes that the impending great wealth transfer places women in an integral position to make significant impacts through their philanthropic work, emphasizing the importance of the Tiffany Circle as a key mechanism for engaging donors. 

“We talk a lot about this ‘fight or flight or freeze’ response to crises, but I heard there’s another reaction, which is what women do in moments of crises: flight, freeze, and flock,” Dornbusch said.

“Women flock together. So, when you put women together that are values-aligned, capital just flows, and I find that to be unbelievably inspiring. Circles like the Tiffany Circle and other philanthropic environments where women can give collaboratively and collectively are going to be increasingly more important.”  

“The Tiffany Circle cohorts come together for volunteer opportunities and lunches. It further cements their desire to continue contributing to the Red Cross, and there are opportunities to hear stories of recipients and other inspirational and aspirational stories that just reinforce the giving levels,” she said.  

Dornbusch was brought into the Tiffany Circle through her friend Amy Currin, who is a Regional Chief Development Officer. Currin commented on the impact of Dornbusch’s work: 

“Amy is inspiring because she always thinks big and brings together her vast personal and professional network to make real impact. She also moves fast,” she said. 

Since her childhood, Dornbusch’s family deeply instilled the importance of philanthropy in her.  

“I grew up humbly, so we didn’t have traditional or formalized philanthropy until later in my life, but the values were always at the heart of how we live our lives.” 

This philosophy now profoundly shapes her own family life. Dornbusch and her husband have three young children, and she is passionate about raising them to be aware and proactive about global crises.  

“I’m very passionate about intergenerational philanthropy. I try to find every possible opportunity that I can to bring my children into my philanthropic work,” she said. “It’s a wonderful way for us to bond as a family, but it’s also an important way for me to supplement my kids’ education by showing them what happens outside of the classroom and how the global community shows up for each other.” 

Dornbusch embodied the spirit of hands-on giving when she attended the 30th anniversary Northern California Coastal Region Red Cross Gala on March 22. As Dornbusch and her friends prepared for the event, she had a memorable idea: donating blood before heading to the venue. 

“I was thinking ‘Why don’t we go donate blood before the gala, and we’ll do it in our dresses. Make this a fun girls’ night out. Let’s paint the town red,’” Dornbusch said. “That was the first time I’d ever donated blood. I didn’t know what to expect and some of the folks at Red Cross were a little worried about me doing it before the gala and walking around all night afterwards, but it ended up being such a milestone and a fun experience.” 

Currin illustrated the inspiration that Dornbusch’s actions had in encouraging others to donate blood as well.  

“Amy came up with the idea to give blood in her Gala glam because she thought it would create good content that would help the Red Cross activate younger blood donors and create a lighthearted and fun moment at the Gala, which it did,” she said.  

Dornbusch emphasized that community is truly at the center of the Red Cross mission, noting the organization’s role as a mobilizer for grassroots-level crisis response. 

“One of the things that is so attractive about the Red Cross is that it’s a mobilizer for citizen-like crisis response. The Red Cross provides the tools and resources for everyday people to help our neighbors. It takes all kinds of support and there are a variety of ways everyday people can support the Red Cross,” she said. “Donating blood, going to shelters, helping with crisis response… the Red Cross really shows the best of humanity.”  

Today, Dornbusch runs her family’s organization, the Marks Family Foundation, which provides grants to entrepreneurs innovating in areas such as disease research, women’s empowerment, education, and many more. She has also been recognized for her efforts in organizing fundraisers that have raised millions of dollars to mobilize humanitarian aid, including evacuating female leaders from dangerous regions and improving family planning support for women in low-income countries. 

She encourages Red Cross volunteers to find their own communities within the organization that care about the same causes and to promote the spirit of volunteering within families. Her social venture, AtlasDaughters, is a direct extension of this philosophy, a philanthropic travel company for mothers and children to learn about global issues and fund non-profit level impact. 

“When you find other people who are values-aligned, it fast tracks friendships and makes the work more meaningful and enjoyable to participate in,” she said. “Look for other people. You’ll start to find more women’s groups focused around philanthropy. Bring your sisters and bring your daughters and your mothers and do these things together. Sharing these types of activities with the younger generation will not just help cement your relationship generationally, but it also paves the next pathway for supporters for the Red Cross.”