Duke Endowment

OVERVIEW: The Duke Endowment supports higher education and public health, prioritizing the states of North and South Carolina. 

IP TAKE: The Duke Endowment is an important source of health funding for the American Southeast. In education, it works exclusively with four institutions in the Carolinas. The foundation accepts applications from organizations that maintain a presence in either North or South Carolina. A supportive and often inclusive funder, the Duke Endowment has been expanding its geographic areas of grantmaking in recent years. Pay close attention to due dates here since they vary by program.

PROFILE: Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Duke Endowment was established in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power magnate of the early 20th century. In its early years, the endowment supported North Carolina’s Trinity College, which was eventually renamed Duke University, in honor of James Buchanan Duke’s father, the industrialist Washington Duke. Today the foundation works mainly in the areas of higher education and public health. Its grants traditionally support organizations in North and South Carolina, but in recent years, grantmaking has begun to serve organizations elsewhere in the U.S. 

Grants for Higher Education

The Duke Endowment’s higher education grantmaking is its largest area of giving. Recent grantmaking has emphasized the enhancement of academic excellence, programs that improve access and success and programs that support campus and community engagement. The foundation limits grantmaking to four select institutions in the Carolinas: Davidson College, Duke University and John C. Smith University in North Carolina and Furman University in South Carolina. 

Grants for Public Health and Access

Duke supports public health through its healthcare and child and family well-being initiatives. The healthcare initiative aims to improve the quality and safety of care and to increase access to healthcare and preventative programs. The child and family wellbeing program names prevention and early intervention for at-risk children as a main area of focus. Both programs prioritize the Southeastern U.S., with more than half of the endowment’s health grantees operating in North Carolina, but national organizations and programs in other areas of the U.S. have recently gained this funder’s attention. Recent grantees include the North Carolina Health Association, Carolina East Medical Center, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Cumberland County Hospitals and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. 

Other Grantmaking Opportunities

The Duke Endowment runs a funding initiative to support rural churches in North Carolina. Grantmaking prioritizes but it not strictly limited to United Methodist churches so that they may “make greater contributions that have lasting, positive impacts in their communities.” Recent grants have focused on pastoral leadership development, church real estate, congregational capacity and children’s programs.

Important Grant Details:

The Duke Endowment makes over $100 million in grants each year, with an average grant size of about $150,000. A majority of grants serve institutions and organizations in North and South Carolina. The endowment maintains a searchable database of past grantees

While the endowment does accept applications for funding, eligibility requirements and due dates vary by program. Potential grantees should demonstrate some involvement or benefit to populations of North or South Carolina. Guidelines are linked to the bottom of the endowment’s grants page. General inquiries may be addressed to staff members via email or to via the endowment’s contact form. 

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINKS: