As Senior Director of Member Engagement at Philanthropy New York, Donita leads member engagement and recruitment, understands member goals and learning priorities, and facilitates several of PNY's signature networks and leadership development programs. Donita brings to this role great skills in facilitation and knowledge management, an orientation toward relationship building, and experience supporting organizations in their racial equity practices.
Donita began her career in philanthropy in 2012 at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), where she most recently served as Manager, Knowledge Management. At RPA, she focused on leveraging knowledge management tools and methodologies to ensure that access and information (and, as a result, power) were and are distributed fairly and equitably across organizations to drive engagement and performance. Through previous roles at RPA, Donita has advised individual donors and family foundations on grantmaking strategies. She holds extensive experience in the performing arts as an opera singer and has sung in such varied places as London, Paris, Harare, San Francisco, and Tulsa.
Donita is a board member at the Loveland Foundation, an organization committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. She is also the co-founder of Circle of Change, an informal, and increasingly strong network that supports the BIPOC community in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
Donita attended Oberlin College for her undergraduate studies and The Cleveland Institute of Music for her graduate work, studied German literature, and holds a B.M. and M.M in vocal performance. She was born in South Africa and has lived there as well as in Germany, Belgium, and the United States.
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I am
African by birth
American through naturalization
I am
An Immigrant
Forged from the hateful ideology of Apartheid
Tempered by the casual and relentless racism of the United States Joyfully and unapologetically indomitable
I am
A Torchbearer
A Storyteller
A Steward of Knowledge
I am
A Woman
A Daughter
A Sister
A Friend
A Non-blood-related auntie
I am
A Tarheel
A New Yorker
An Opera singer
A Logophile
A Philanthropist
I am
Loved
Cherished
Privileged
Angry
I am
