THE DUKE ENDOWMENT
Annual Giving
$251.2M+13% YoY
Grants
480
Median Grant
$200K
Organizations Funded
260
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Foundation Overview
Mission
James B. Duke established the Duke Endowment in 1924 to help people and strengthen communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. The Duke Endowment seeks to enrich lives and communities by funding breakthrough work in children's services, health care, higher education and rural churches.
Focus Areas
Grant Types
Funded Initiatives
$252.9 million in new grants approved in 2024; $2 million to Duke University for Provost's Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry and Belonging; $75 million Financial Aid Initiative grant to Duke University; $360,000 to Hopeful Horizons for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy; $1.6 million to Children's Home Society of North Carolina for foster care program; $560,000 to Novant Health for comprehensive mental health program.
How to Apply
Health Care and Child & Family Well-Being have different processes. Health Care: eight-question streamlined application, deadlines June 15 and December 15, portal opens eight weeks prior. Child & Family Well-Being: pre-application process, deadlines June 15 and December 15, portal opens six weeks prior.
Does Not Fund
Does not support startups; residential facilities must be located in the Carolinas to be eligible; programs outside children's services, health care, higher education and rural areas not funded; eligible organizations must have two years of audited financial statements.
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$251.2M
Grants
480
Median
$200K
States
14
$222.5M
Grants
365
Median
$206K
States
10
$212.3M
Grants
418
Median
$200K
States
12
Grant Size Distribution
$200K
Typical Grant (Median)
$7K
Smallest
$129K
25th Pctile
$475K
75th Pctile
$6.8M
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $129K and $475K.
Largest Recent Grants
$6.8M
2024
DUKE UNIVERSITY
NC · TO COMMEMORATE THE DUKE ENDOWMENT'S AND DUKE UNIVERSITY'S SHARED CENTENNIAL (EXPENDABLE).
$6.8M
2024
DUKE UNIVERSITY
NC · TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN DUKES CAPACITY AND REPUTATION IN THE SCIENCES BY RECRUITING AND RETAINING OUTSTANDING FACULTY FOR THE UNIVERSITY.
$6.8M
2024
DUKE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
NC · TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN DUKES CAPACITY AND REPUTATION IN THE SCIENCES BY RECRUITING AND RETAINING OUTSTANDING FACULTY FOR THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM.
$5.0M
2024
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
NC · TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE.
$5.0M
2024
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
NC · TO COMMEMORATE THE DUKE ENDOWMENTS CENTENNIAL AND EXPAND STUDENT ACCESS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.