About The Max Foundation
Our mission is to increase global access to treatment, care, and support for people living with cancer.
Our Story
In 1997, The Max Foundation was established in honor of Maximiliano (Max) Rivarola and his legacy inspires our vision for a world where all people facing cancer live with dignity and hope. Max’s family brought him from Argentina to the United States for treatment, where he lived courageously with a kind of blood cancer known as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) for three years. With his passing, Max’s family was determined to help other families in Latin America with children diagnosed with leukemia, and that was our original mission.
What began as a grassroots organization with several volunteers has evolved into a specialized team of more than 50 professionals. We carry out our work with team members based in Seattle at our headquarters and in many targeted low and middle income countries. Through the years, we have expanded our mission. The Max Foundation now has a full range of programs and services, all focused on serving people living with cancer around the world.
The Max Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our international non-profit functions as an operating foundation with all funds raised spent directly on our programs and not as grants to other charitable organizations. We rely on your public donations to fund our global efforts. Partner with us in our mission, please give today.
Everything we do aims at creating a world where all people facing cancer live with dignity and hope. We are treating people, not just the disease. We partner with families in their cancer journey, we foster leadership among cancer survivors, and we collaborate with local patient associations to create positive social change in communities.”
—Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, CEO of The Max Foundation
At The Max Foundation, we decrease premature mortality from cancer by channeling humanitarian donations of life-saving oncology products to underserved populations in countries where those products are not locally available. Our organization solicits in-kind donations of targeted oncology drugs from major pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributes them to verified patients in need using an innovative model that provides end-to-end supply chain controls. By partnering with the major cancer institutions and patient associations in low- and middle-income countries, we enable effective solutions for access to treatment.
We work towards sustainability by supporting local patient leaders and heads of local patient associations to build capacities aimed at recognition and attention to the needs of people living with cancer in their countries. We partner in key initiatives through our Max Global Network—which now includes more than 70 organizations in 57 countries.
Every year, our programs help thousands of cancer survivors in over 100 countries.
Our Values
The Max Foundation values lead us to behave in a way that is essential to the well-being of the organization. Our guiding principles show the practical application of our values in our daily work.
Excellence
We go above and beyond in every aspect of our work to maximize our impact.
Dedication
We are passionately committed to helping people face cancer with dignity and hope.
Innovation
We are always looking for progressive ways to improve outcomes for our constituents.
Collaboration
We work collaboratively at all levels knowing the end result is better for it.
Our Global Presence
The Max Foundation has over 50 team members in the US and in targeted countries, all dedicated to improving global access to treatment, care and support for people affected by cancer around the world.
Our international team is comprised of trained global advocates. They are professionals from the country where they are based who possess a variety of backgrounds from the non-profit sector, social work, psychology, and other health-related fields. Team members speak the local languages and have an authentic understanding of the cultural customs and norms within their home country, including an awareness of health systems.
Africa & Middle East
Johannesburg, South Africa
Asia Pacific
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Latin America
Buenos Aires, Argentina
South Asia
Mumbai, India
The Max Foundation also has team members in: Chile, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Global Partnerships & Affiliations
Our global partnerships within alliances and as part of member based organizations extend our reach and impact throughout the world. Collaboration with these like-minded associations include ongoing joint projects, as well as shared initiatives and resources.