Originally known as the Science Research Fund, the Exploration Fund supports research and researchers at Lowell Observatory in perpetuity. We welcome new gifts to the Exploration Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
The Instrumentation supports the acquisition, development, maintenance of and access to technologies, instruments, and telescopes located within the Observatory’s facilities or elsewhere in perpetuity. Such support includes any infrastructure needed for safe and effective operation of that equipment and technology. The Instrumentation Fund was created in 2016 by an estate gift from Dr. Elizabeth Roemer. We welcome new gifts to the Instrumentation Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
The Giovale Endowed Fund for Astronomical Research was created in 2017 with a gift from John and Ginger Giovale in recognition of their many years of involvement with Lowell Observatory. This fund supports astronomical research as carried out by Lowell Observatory astronomers in perpetuity. Additional gifts to the fund are welcome.
The Marcus Cometary Research Fund is a restricted endowed fund established in 2016 by Dr. Joseph Marcus to support research on comets in the context of the rich comet history at Lowell Observatory. The fund provides small-scale enhancements for primary and alternative activities including, but not limited to, observation, data reduction, analysis, modeling, software and equipment development and purchase, manuscript production, publication, amateur-professional collaboration, travel, colloquia, and a semi-annual comet lectureship. We welcome new gifts to the Marcus Cometary Research Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
The Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund aims to attract the brightest, most innovative, and productive young minds in the fields of astronomy, planetary science, and astronomical instrumentation to Lowell Observatory. Percival Lowell Fellows receive a salary, good duration of employment, resources that go beyond a standard postdoctoral position, and access to cutting edge instrumentation to help launch their careers as professional scientists.
In the unlikely event there are no recipients of the Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship in any given year, funds from this endowment may support expenses for other postdoctoral staff working with Lowell Observatory faculty.
The Foundation welcomes gifts to this endowment.
This fund will support research in areas of galactic structure and formation, large- scale structure of the universe, and cosmology, and maintain an accessible archive of William G. Tifft’s published work, original notebooks, plates, and observations to be made available to researchers. The fund was created through a generous estate gift from Dr. Tifft.
This fund, created by a gift from longtime Lowell Observatory Advisory Board member Bob Ayers, provides funding for K-12 school children to visit Lowell Observatory. The Lowell Observatory Foundation welcomes gifts to this fund through current donations and estate gifts.
The Inspiration Fund supports Lowell Observatory’s commitment to sharing astronomical discoveries with the public in perpetuity. The fund supports the Observatory’s popular daytime and nighttime public astronomy programs, for children and adults, in perpetuity. The Inspiration Fund also supports STEM* camps for children, science exhibits, historic Mars Hill tours, and virtual exhibits and experiences. This fund was created in 2018 by the Lowell Observatory Foundation Board of Trustees to encourage endowment gifts in support of astronomical outreach and education. We welcome new gifts to the Inspiration Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
Since 1996, Lowell’s Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program has connected Native American students with astronomers. The Lowell Observatory Foundation Board of Trustees created this endowed fund to support the continuation of this award-winning program in perpetuity. The Native American Astronomy Outreach Fund connects hands-on STEM* curricula with traditional Native American astronomy to inspire underserved students living on reservations to imagine themselves as scientists. The initial gift to this fund came from the estate of Robert and Verlee Hunter. We welcome new gifts to the Native American Astronomy Outreach Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
The Young Scholars Fund was created by longtime Lowell Observatory supporters David and Katherin Chase in 2018 to support internships, undergraduate and graduate student research projects, and pre and post doctoral fellowships who are non-tenured or not permanently salaried. We welcome new gifts to the Young Scholars Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle. This fund will provide educational opportunities for aspiring astronomers in perpetuity.
The Edith Waddell Fund is a permanent endowment that supports summer internship opportunities for students or recent graduates in support of the education and public outreach programs at Lowell Observatory. We welcome new gifts to the Edith Waddell Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other gift planning vehicle.
Don’t see an endowed fund that suits your unique interests? Contact us to discuss creating your own named fund to benefit the mission of Lowell Observatory.
The GODO Endowment Fund assures that the Giovale Open Deck Observatory will continue to provide a high-quality educational experience for Lowell Observatory guests. Support from this fund provides for the care and maintenance of the GODO structures, telescopes, and exhibits. The GODO Endowment Fund was created in 2019 by the Lowell Observatory Foundation Board thanks to a generous gift from Ginger and John Giovale. We welcome new gifts to the GODO Endowment Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
Support from the Astronomy Discovery Center (ADC) Endowment Fund will assure the highest quality experience for Lowell Observatory guests. Annual payouts from this fund will support operation, maintenance, and upgrades to the Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center, its theaters and exhibits as well as development, production, and marketing of ADC programming. We welcome new gifts to the Astronomy Discovery Center Endowment Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
The Karen Kitt Historic Preservation Fund supports the preservation of Lowell Observatory’s rich collection of historic papers, correspondence, research materials, and instruments through the efforts of the Putnam Collection Center staff and volunteers. This is a permanently endowed fund that is intended to last in perpetuity. Michael and Karen Kitt, longtime archives volunteers and supporters, provided the initial contribution to this endowed fund in 2018. We welcome new gifts to the Karen Kitt Historic Preservation Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
Lowell Observatory’s Mars Hill campus is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and an Arizona Treasure, and was named one of “The World’s Most Important Places” by Time Magazine. The Mars Hill Fund is a permanent endowment that supports the enhancement, maintenance, and repair of the facilities and campus on Mars Hill and the preservation of our archival collections. We welcome new gifts to the Mars Hill Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other gift planning vehicle.
The Lowell Observatory Endowment Fund receives all gifts provided to the Foundation that have endowment restrictions imposed by the donor, but no restrictions on the use of the funds. Distributions from the income from the Lowell Observatory Endowment Fund will be available for any uses consistent with the mission of Lowell Observatory, including ongoing operating expenses, in perpetuity. We welcome new gifts to the Endowment Fund through current donations or a designation in your will, trust, life insurance, or other estate planning vehicle.
This fund provides annual distributions for Observatory priorities outlined by the Director and approved by the Lowell Observatory Executive Committee.
The Lowell Observatory Support Fund receives all gifts to the Foundation that are donated without restrictions. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees has full discretion over the use and distribution of these funds to assist in fulfilling the mission of Lowell Observatory. Both the corpus and earnings from the Lowell Observatory Support Fund are available at the discretion of the Board for distribution to the Observatory for purposes determined to be worthy and appropriate. (The Lowell Observatory Support Fund is not an endowed fund.)