AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 21, 2001
                                                     REGISTRATION NO. 333-62972
===============================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                            POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT
                                       TO
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                               DONEGAL GROUP INC.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            Delaware                                    23-2324711
--------------------------------          -------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of            (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

         1195 River Road
     Marietta, Pennsylvania                               17547
----------------------------------------   ------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                (Zip Code)


                               ------------------

                               DONEGAL GROUP INC.
                        1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                              --------------------


                               Donald H. Nikolaus
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                               Donegal Group Inc.
                                 1195 River Road
                               Marietta, PA 17547
                     ---------------------------------------
                     (Name and address of agent for service)


                                 (888) 877-0600
                     ---------------------------------------
                     (Telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)


                                    Copy to:
                            Kathleen M. Shay, Esquire
                                  Duane Morris
                             4200 One Liberty Place
                      Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7396
                                 (215) 979-1000
                      -------------------------------------





                          DEREGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

     Pursuant to a Form S-8 Registration Statement (File No. 333-62972)
filed with the SEC on June 14, 2001, Donegal Group Inc. registered 34,000 shares
of its Class A common stock to be reserved for issuance under the Donegal Group
1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The plan terminated on June 30, 2001. As of
June 30, 2001, a total of 7,619 shares of Class A common stock were sold under
the plan.

     Pursuant to the undertakings included in Item 9 of the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on June 14, 2001 and as required by
Item 512 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933, Donegal Group hereby
deregisters and removes from registration the 26,381 shares registered under
Registration Statement No. 333-62972 that remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

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                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Marietta, Pennsylvania
on August 20, 2001.


                               DONEGAL GROUP INC.


                               By:/s/ Donald H. Nikolaus
                                  ---------------------------------------------
                                  Donald H. Nikolaus,
                                  President and Chief Executive Officer


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed
below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.




             Signature                                      Title                                    Date
             ---------                                      -----                                    ----

                                                                                         
/s/ Donald H. Nikolaus                        President, Chief Executive Officer               August 20, 2001
---------------------------------                       and a Director
Donald H. Nikolaus                              (principal executive officer)


/s/ Ralph G. Spontak                        Senior Vice President, Chief Financial             August 20, 2001
------------------------------------                Officer and Secretary
Ralph G. Spontak                                  (principal financial and
                                                     accounting officer)


                  *                                        Director                            August 20, 2001
------------------------------------
C. Edwin Ireland


                  *                                        Director                            August 20, 2001
------------------------------------
Patricia A. Gilmartin


                  *                                        Director                            August 20, 2001
------------------------------------
Philip H. Glatfelter, II



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             Signature                                      Title                                    Date
             ---------                                      -----                                    ----



                  *                                        Director                            August 20, 2001
------------------------------------
R. Richard Sherbahn


                                                           Director                            August __, 2001
------------------------------------
Thomas J. Finley, Jr.


                  *                                        Director                            August 20, 2001
------------------------------------
Robert S. Bolinger


                                                           Director                            August __, 2001
------------------------------------
John J. Lyons




By: /s/ Ralph G. Spontak
    ------------------------------------------------
    Ralph G. Spontak, as attorney in fact


---------------
*Signed pursuant to power of attorney


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                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit
Number            Description of Exhibit                               Reference
-------           ----------------------                               ---------

24                Powers of Attorney                                   *


*       Such exhibit is hereby incorporated by reference to the like-described
        exhibit in Donegal Group's Form S-8 Registration Statement No.
        333-62972, as filed with the SEC on June 14, 2001.

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