Summer 2026
By Kayla Carcone
Robert “Robin” McGraw has spent decades in roles defined by service—initially as a first responder, and later through community leadership, coaching, and local re-entry programs. That hands-on perspective influences how the Donald C. McGraw Foundation continues their commitment to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: not only in the most visible cancers, but also in the teams and ideas that can change outcomes in areas that often receive less attention and funding.
McGraw’s connection to Dana-Farber is both personal and multigenerational. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, he knew he wanted to receive care at Dana-Farber. “Almost immediately, I was seeing Dr. Robert Haddad,” he recalled. “We came up with a plan. I got treated and feel very lucky to have survived.” That experience fueled support for head and neck oncology, including a recent $100,000 gift.
Robin, and brothers David and Josh, also came together to make a $1 million gift to advance Dana-Farber’s McGraw/Patterson Division of Population Sciences, led by Eliezer Van Allen, MD and Chandra Nohria Family Chair for AI in Cancer Research at Dana-Farber. For the McGraw family, population science is a way to move the needle—to spot patterns, understand risk, and help prevent cancer when possible. “Population science wants to be proactive,” he said. “To define moments where we know this is causing that, and to identify how we’re going to stop it.” He points to prevention like HPV vaccination as one example of how research can translate into real-world impact, especially regarding head and neck cancer.
“Support from the McGraw Family helps us connect biology, data, and the patient experience to generate evidence that improves prevention and care,” said Van Allen. “Generous funding like theirs gives our faculty and staff the flexibility to move quickly on the most urgent questions.”
I don’t look at this as something I have to do. I look at our family’s ability to support Dana-Farber as a privilege, and I want to do it right.
Robin McGraw
A third, recent gift from the family—$100,000 to establish the Maxine McGraw and Family Fund for Pancreatic Cancer—honors McGraw’s niece, Maxine, who passed away in December 2025. “We are grateful for the excellent care she received from her team at the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer, which improved her quality of life and provided her the gift of more time with people she loved,” he said. The entire McGraw family hopes the fund can bring forth new breakthroughs and hope for patients facing pancreatic cancer.
Across these investments, Robin and his wife, Elizabeth “Buzz” McGraw, hold on to a simple idea: philanthropy goes beyond the financial—it’s staying engaged, listening, and pushing innovation forward. “I don’t look at this as something I have to do,” he said. “I look at our family’s ability to support Dana-Farber as a privilege, and I want to do it right.