Louise Rosarbo Dinsmore

Louise Dinsmore is a seasoned development professional with over 28 years of experience in all aspects of fund raising both for major non-profit organizations and as a consultant.  Her passions include capital campaign planning, management and execution, major gift solicitation and relationship-building. 

Louise began her fund raising career at the Rhode Island School of Design as Director of Annual Giving and was promoted to Director of Special Gifts and Director of Major Gifts. In her role, she was responsible for building the annual leadership giving society – the President’s Club.  During her five years at RISD, she increased membership in the President’s Club from 18 to 140 members, increased overall annual giving by 68% and she solicited and closed a $1 million capital campaign gift. 

The highlight of Louise’s professional career includes serving as the Capital Campaign Director for the successful drive to fund the University of Rhode Island’s Convocation Center, which was the largest capital project in the history of the University at the time of construction.  Success meant raising over $15 million through charitable gifts from over 1,000 donors.  Success in that project also meant working with high-profile volunteers including Governor Lincoln Almond and Thomas M. Ryan, former Chairman, President  & CEO of CVS/Caremark. 

Following the Convocation Center Campaign, Louise was named Director of Athletic Development at URI.  When she began in this role, she raised $950,000 for 22 Division I sports and built the annual giving program to $1.7 million three years later through strategic relationship-building and effective 

face-to-face solicitations. 

Serving as Director of Major and Planned Gifts at Women & Infants Hospital provided a unique opportunity for Louise to be a part of a major capital campaign to fund the largest neonatal intensive care unit in the country, here in Rhode Island.  She managed a portfolio of 200 prospects for the $23 million ONWARD Campaign and raised $550,000 in the first few months of her tenure. 

Louise has a passion for giving back to her community.  To that end, she co-founded the Gabrielle Dinsmore Heart & Hope Fund, a local non-profit organization, to honor the memory of her daughter, who passed away due to complications from a rare congenital heart defect (CHD). In 7 years the non-profit was operational, Louise raised over $1.3 million leveraging her strong relationships with key business leaders, philanthropists, and corporations and foundations to support the mission of the Fund.  The signature program funded by Gabrielle Dinsmore Heart & Hope Fund was Gabrielle’s Heart Camp - the only camp in the region exclusively for children with CHD’s. The assets of the Heart & Hope Fund were transferred to the RI Foundation where 2 permanently endowed funds were established in Gabrielle's name to benefit 4 pediatric cardiology programs at various hospitals in New England.  

Louise has a B.A. in Political Science from Providence College.  She and her husband, Jeffrey, live in Washington County, Rhode Island and have a son, Jovani.