About Us

Max Gray, a devoted son loved by his family, friends, and community, unexpectedly died on Nov. 1, 2021.

Outgoing, fun-loving, and the family jokester with a heart of gold, his captivating smile lit up any room he was in. His creative nature, great sense of humor, and kind heart impacted the lives of all those whose hearts he touched.

Max graduated from Bernards High School in Bernardsville, New Jersey, where he played football as a wide receiver and linebacker. A loyal “Mountaineer” with a team-first mentality, he was awarded the game ball on Nov. 1, 2019. During his senior year as honorary captain, he was nominated for the 2019 USA Football Heart of a Giant Award for his outstanding work ethic and dedication to his team.

High school football jersey numbers may not be the most important component of a player’s career, but at times they can become a legacy of the player who wears them. In honor of Max’s football jersey number, a longtime group of close friends call themselves The Bernards #11, the number he wore.

Deeply creative and amazingly talented, Max aspired to a career as a professional artist. From a young age, he naturally had a passion for art. His creativity and skill were apparent even in his toddler years. He would spend hours drawing comic strip characters using his mother’s printer paper and crayons. His fascination with cartoons fueled his love for drawing. His mother’s unwavering support further encouraged his passion.

Always curious to learn and expand his knowledge, Max completed summer and weekend art programs with renowned instructors at Princeton University and The Kubert School in New Jersey, during childhood. After finishing high school, Max pursued animation studies and a graphic design degree at Rowan University in New Jersey. His love for all art forms and his rigorous training and persistent studying led to the impressive collection of work showcased in Max’s Gallery.

Max’s love of art, his kindness, and his remarkable way of connecting with people and bringing them together inspires the work of our foundation. His spirit drives our mission.

Our Mission, Goals, and Vision

Mission

The Max Gray Foundation is dedicated to inspiring, motivating, and empowering young people to navigate their young adult years and guide them toward finding enduring life-fulfilling goals.

Goals

Our goal is to connect youth with philanthropic organizations to help guide ​them through the process of self-awareness and discover their own potential. We look to partner with and support programs that enable ​young people to gain self-esteem and confidence and become more aware of their strengths, qualities, and interests. Proper guidance can make a huge difference in their journey of pivoting into this potentially uncharted territory.

By supporting programs that help young people develop their self-awareness and learn to value their own growth and development, we hope to help them become more confident and capable of taking risks and give them the skills and knowledge to confidently take the next step. In this way, they will be better equipped to identify and pursue their passions and goals.

Vision

We hope to make a lasting and positive impact in the lives of young people. We believe it is in service to others that we can find ourselves and move forward together.

“Finding purpose in life is not a single event. It is a process.
Allow youth to go at their own pace.
Be patient if they feel stuck.
Remind them that life is an ongoing process of change.”

The Max Gray Foundation provides scholarship assistance to students of The Kubert School, an art academy that Max attended and loved. This school has a unique teaching style that focuses on the principles of visual storytelling with a specialization in cartoon and graphic art, and it prepares students to succeed in a highly competitive and creative industry as working professional artists.

We believe art transcends time and space and can harness the healing power within us. Art connects people and allows us to express ourselves, explore feelings, find purpose, increase self-awareness, and cope with life challenges.

Our mission and Max’s memory guide our decision-making about the programs we support.

How You Can Help

You can help make a difference and support our foundation in various ways: a direct donation, participation in one of our fundraisers throughout the year, volunteering, or purchasing merchandise designed with Max’s art, with the proceeds supporting our mission.

501(c)(3)

The Max Gray Foundation is in the process of attaining New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation status [File Number: 450818247] within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3 which may qualify for a tax deduction for contributions upon final approval.