Donna DiFillipo has been advocating for young children and their families since her time as an undergrad at Boston University. Donna recently transitioned from her role as the founding executive director of Raising A Reader Massachusetts (RAR MA), launching the program in Chelsea, MA in 2006. Donna built the organization to over 15 employees with an annual budget of $1.5m. Through her leadership, RAR MA now stretches from Cape Cod to the Berkshires and serves nearly 12,000 children and families with over 45,000 books in rotation.

 

Donna is an accomplished nonprofit professional with 15+ years of experience dedicated to improving the effectiveness of programs and policies that impact young children and their families. Donna has demonstrated superior skills in building partnerships with diverse constituents, delivering verbal and written presentations, and evaluating program and organizational strategy. Before joining RAR MA, Donna worked at Dartmouth College where her responsibilities as Director of the Child Care Project included training and technical support of area early childhood professionals from the states of New Hampshire and Vermont. During her tenure at Dartmouth, she also worked as a consultant to the Vermont Council on the Humanities where she developed curriculum for a new initiative called “Never Too Early,” an early literacy program designed to engage early care providers as literacy ambassadors to the parents of children in their care.

 

Donna earned her bachelor’s degree from of Boston University and master’s degree from Dartmouth College, with a specific focus on child development, early childhood education, and cultural studies. Donna has received awards from the Mass Literacy Association, Boston University, and Community Action Programs Inner–City, Inc. She has also been a featured expert on numerous panels discussing early literacy.

 

Donna is an avid reader who enjoys eating out in her beloved North End neighborhood, spending time with her growing family, and traveling anywhere and everywhere.