When Amanda Dafonte joined the DC Gay Flag Football League, she was all in for the competition, the camaraderie, and most importantly, the community.
Amanda, senior manager of virtual events, quickly joined the league’s board, helping organize a range of social and fundraising events. Her term on the board culminated in a celebration of the league’s 25th-anniversary fundraiser that brought together past and present players.
“The 25th-anniversary event gave me a small taste of all the hard work that has to go into fundraising, putting on events, supporting an underrepresented group, and bringing their voices to light,” she says. “I could see some of the pain points that the folks who partner with Bonterra experience in their own work. Being able to have that personal connection makes me able to do my job a lot better.”
Amanda on the DC Gay Flag Football League
A lifelong interest in helping others
Growing up in Central New Jersey, Amanda learned to value diversity and equity from her mother, who taught her to treat others as she would like to be treated. “I’ve always been somebody who found it important to make the world a better place. And I think a big part of that was just engraved in my upbringing,” she says.
Amanda played soccer throughout her childhood, in high school, and college, so team-building — and goal-setting — have also come naturally. “I realize now how much I sought out community, and I was always very close with my peers, teachers, and mentors.”
In high school, Amanda got an early taste of how she could make an impact, when she organized a junior soccer tournament to benefit pancreatic cancer. “I just remember feeling like, Wow, the money we raised is going to make a difference in somebody’s life,” she says.
Setting her career path in social good
After graduating from Middlebury College in 2019 with a degree in psychology, Amanda considered various job opportunities in the private and public sectors before landing at Network for Good (now Bonterra). “I was super excited by the idea of getting to feel like what I did in my day-to-day was actually going to improve somebody else’s life,” she says.
At Network for Good, Amanda connected with the culture of using technology to effect social change and empower community-based organizations. The merger with Bonterra has allowed Amanda to lean more into this work and have an even bigger impact. “I feel like I was really able to expand my reach and how I can help people,” she says.
Helping to further Bonterra’s mission
Amanda plays a key role in Bonterra’s mission to increase giving to 3% U.S. GDP by 2033 helping set up social good leaders for success. The support from her team ranges from educating on best business practices to technology solutions and tools to help improve their systems. Events cover a spectrum of topics, from converting social media fans to donors to tapping data to drive action and impact.
“We get to work with so many different audiences, and we get to teach best practices and bring in really great thought leaders and leverage our experts internally to have them share their wealth of knowledge,” Amanda says.
Fostering a more equitable world
Through her community service and her work at Bonterra, Amanda aims to be a role model for living her authentic self, fostering diversity and inclusion.
Amanda (far left) with her teammates
At the community level, she supports local groups that help underserved populations and queer youth through volunteering and financial support. Meanwhile, at Bonterra, she has helped launch a DEIB marketing committee and now serves on the newly established DEIB council. She also participates on the LGBTQIA+ Slack channel and models being transparent about her own life.
“I try to make a point in meetings to mention my girlfriend because not everyone feels like they can do that. It’s something so small that can make a big difference,” she says. “I think it’s really important to make sure that everyone is comfortable and sees that they can share their life and feel like they can bring their full selves to a space.”
