About

The Foundation has four broad areas of interest: field-based science, art and craft, teaching, and protection of the natural world.

Delle Maxwell and Pat Hanrahan started the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation in 2018 to support individual scientists, teachers, conservationists and creators whose diverse perspectives enable us to discover new things about ourselves and our world.

The Foundation supports people who:

  • Explore and ask through fieldwork in natural sciences.
  • Create and captivate as they promote mastery in art and craft.
  • Teach and try as they support students in public education.
  • Conserve and connect as they encourage care for the natural world.

The Foundation makes grants by inviting external experts and staff from relevant fields to recommend projects and institutions for funding. As we do this work, we honor curiosity and continuous learning, inclusion, innovation and risk-taking, flexibility, collaboration, and fun.

Statement on Diversity

We emphasize “supporting people” in our mission, and we value inclusion across our work. Supporting under-represented, diverse groups and individuals who bring unique perspectives to a problem is important. It is these diverse perspectives that enable us to make meaning and discover new things about ourselves and our world. We are committed to enabling an inclusive, trust-based and positive work environment and ensuring we celebrate different ideas, backgrounds and ways of working.