Donald was born June 15, 1937 in Jessop, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Scranton. His parents, Victor and Ethel were married with five children, Donald being the youngest. Victor was born in Austria, Hungry and was the eighth of nine children. At age twelve, it was mandatory to pick a vocation and Victor chose slaughtering; sausage and salami making. From there he dedicated his life to sausage making and eventually opened the Dearborn Sausage Company in 1946. Throughout Donald’s adolescence and adult life, he was able to witness the passion and drive his father had for business, family, and community.

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Donald grew loving sports, going to the cinema, and dancing. Donald would play baseball in the Dearborn community parks and attended summer baseball Camps at Hemlock, where the Detroit Tigers players would come to inspire and help.  Donald attended Fordson High School as well as Henry Ford College and Western University.  Donald started his career as President of Dearborn Sausage company at the age of 23 with 2 employees.

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With the importance of community deeply rooted in Donald, the Foundation was founded in 1993. The first grant was awarded to the Wayne State Children's Psychiatric Department. In 1996 Donald and Mary (McGraw) were married and together they blended their families. They took their combined passion and over decades, built their Foundation with a mission to support children and families who are most vulnerable. Don was quoted saying, “it feels good to give, but more important it does good. When you can do that, it’s a great combination.”