Founder
Chief Eternal Optimist

I started The DONNA Foundation because as a survivor, I wanted to ease the stress on families dealing with breast cancer, so they could focus on healing. I know how much stress it brings both physical and financial. I don’t want any family to ever have to choose between putting food on the table or life-saving medicine.

Meet Donna!

Award-winning journalist, philanthropist and marathoner, Donna Deegan is the founder of The DONNA Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance and support to families living with breast cancer and funds ground breaking breast cancer research. The three-time breast cancer survivor formed the organization in 2003 following her second diagnosis of the disease.

In 2008, Donna created 26.2 with DONNA, The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer, dedicated to breast cancer research and care, now a signature event of The DONNA Foundation. The marathon is listed as one of CNN Travel’s 7 U.S. Marathon’s Worth the Trip and voted as favorite charity race by Women’s Running Magazine readers. It is held annually on the second weekend in February attracting thousands of runners and supporters from all 50 states and more than 20 countries.

In addition, Donna is the author of two memoirs, The Good Fight, a chronicle of her own breast cancer treatment and recovery, and Through Rose Colored Glasses, A Marathon from Fear to Love, which encourages all with life altering challenges to change their perspective from one of fear to one of love.

Donna is a wife and mother of two and lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida.