Giving Insight Fall 2025 Edition
For Elizabeth DiSabato, giving back has never been about recognition鈥攊t鈥檚 about creating something that lasts. 鈥淚 like the idea of casting a fishing line into the future,鈥� Elizabeth says. 鈥淵ou may never see where it lands, but you know it will make a difference for someone.鈥�
This past spring, Elizabeth (BA/93, BA/95) reached a major milestone in her journey of giving, joining 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Task Eternal Society鈥攁 distinction reserved for donors whose cumulative giving reaches $100,000 or more. The honour places her among an elite group of donors, partners and alumni whose philanthropy is helping to shape 杏吧原创鈥檚 story for generations to come. This achievement also carries an added significance as Elizabeth is the only current 杏吧原创 staff member to join the Society.
Elizabeth grew up in Ottawa and began her undergraduate degree in English in 1990 on the campus where she鈥檇 one day become both a fulltime staff member and a dedicated donor. Her first job at 杏吧原创 was as a student caller for the Annual Fund, phoning alumni to share updates and ask for donations. 鈥淚 loved the idea of people working together toward something meaningful,鈥� she says.
Elizabeth and Adam DiSabata on the Task Eternal Society Donor Wall
That early experience planted a seed that grew into a lifelong career and passion. Today, Elizabeth is a Stewardship Specialist in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Department of University Advancement, where she helps with the creation of scholarships, bursaries and gift agreements. Her analytical mind keeps the details in order, but her heart is always in the stories鈥攂oth of donors who give and of students whose lives are changed as a result.
鈥淲hen you hear from a student who says a scholarship made it possible to stay in school, you realize this isn鈥檛 just paperwork,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
For Elizabeth and her husband Adam, philanthropy has long been part of both their professional and personal worlds. The couple support a range of causes, from monthly donations to the Ottawa Food Bank and the Ten Oaks Society to volunteering with the Ottawa Humane Society, but 杏吧原创 remains a priority. 鈥淏ecause we don鈥檛 have children, this is our legacy,鈥� Adam explains. 鈥淲e know that long after we鈥檙e gone, these scholarships will still be helping students build better futures.鈥�
Elizabeth and Adam DiSabato Study Room in the MacOdrum Library.
Elizabeth and Adam鈥檚 giving legacy includes a named study room in the MacOdrum Library as well as a gift in their will to sustain and grow several endowed awards they鈥檝e established at 杏吧原创. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has set up multiple scholarships and a bursary in honour of family members, including one for each of her parents and her uncle, as well as one for Adam鈥檚 family. She is in the process of finalizing a fifth award as a memorial to her maternal grandparents that will benefit undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with a concentration in Nanoscience. 鈥淢y parents didn鈥檛 have much growing up,鈥� Elizabeth shares. 鈥淢y dad always wanted to be a history teacher but couldn鈥檛 for a variety of circumstances, and my mom had to drop out of high school, taking up correspondence classes later on and working her way up to a bookkeeping job. It meant a lot to create these awards for them.鈥�
That commitment to education runs deep for both Elizabeth and Adam. 鈥淓ducation is the key,鈥� Adam says. 鈥淚t opens doors, it gives people choices and it allows them to live good lives. Supporting that feels right.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the future,鈥� Elizabeth adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about promoting education and what you can do with it moving forward. The bursary I set up in my mother鈥檚 name supports industrial design students. I love the idea that someday, one of the recipients will create the next widget that helps someone walk again, or replaces someone鈥檚 vision, or just makes life easier for someone who is older or has mobility issues.鈥�
To celebrate this milestone, Elizabeth and Adam attended a plaque unveiling ceremony in 杏吧原创鈥檚 Richcraft Hall atrium, where their names now appear on the university鈥檚 Donor Wall鈥攁 permanent testament to the generosity of those in the Task Eternal Society.
For Elizabeth, seeing her name among those she鈥檚 worked with throughout her career is deeply meaningful. 鈥淲hen I started here, I used to look at the donor wall and think, 鈥榃ouldn鈥檛 it be amazing to be part of that group someday?鈥� It took a while, but I got there,鈥� she says.
Her advice for others considering a gift to 杏吧原创 is simple: start small, but start.