Education & Outreach

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Inspiration Fund

Make Visionary Endeavors Possible

Observatory buildings and telescopes illuminated under a starry sky with moonlight.

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.

Programs to Support

Observatory Operations

Annual Fund

Lowell Observatory gate under starry night sky with visible constellations.

Support the areas of greatest need in our day-to-day mission of astronomical research and science education, as well as general operating needs.

Director’s Opportunity Network

Join an inner circle of observatory investors who give our director the flexibility to fund new ideas, programs or opportunities that enhance our mission.

Millenium Fund

Support priority projects to provide funds for the observatory’s ever-changing needs, as identified by the observatory’s director.

Historic Preservation

Karen Kitt Historic Preservation Fund

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.

Endowed Mars Hill Fund

Ensure funding in perpetuity for the ongoing enhancement, maintenance, and repair of the facilities and campus on Mars Hill via the Lowell Observatory Foundation.

Capital Projects

Astronomy Discovery Center

Now open, the Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center at Lowell Observatory is a place where curious visitors come to be awed by the cosmos and learn about astronomy.

GODO Endowment Fund

Assure in perpetuity the ongoing care and maintenance of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory structures, telescopes, and exhibits via the Lowell Observatory Foundation.

Education & Outreach

Inspiration Fund

Make Visionary Endeavors Possible

Young Scholars Fund

The Young Scholars Fund supports internships, undergraduate and graduate student research projects, and pre and post doctoral fellowships.

Native American Astronomy Outreach

More than ever, Native Americans are striving to improve education opportunities for their children and for generations to come, and they need your support!

Orbits Curiosity Camp

Ignite a child’s love of science with STEM camp activities that develop children’s observational skills and foster their ability to think critically.

Scientific Research

Funding Astronomical Exploration

As an independent research facility, Lowell Observatory can leverage private donations for the greatest impact on astronomical discovery.

Slipher Society

Jump-start astronomical research with annual investments that fill critical gaps between research grants and other formal funding sources.

Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship Fund

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.

Exploration Fund

Support astronomical research at Lowell Observatory through the Exploration Fund. Make a lasting impact with donations or estate planning gifts to advance science.