FAQs

Higher Education

Q: Why does the Endowment award grants in support of education only to Davidson College, Duke University, Furman University, and Johnson C. Smith University?

A: All of the Endowment's grants benefit organizations in the Carolinas. In the field of education, Mr. Duke chose to direct all grants to private, church-affiliated institutions of higher education that were known and respected by him or his business associates.

Q: Is there a process by which other colleges or universities can become eligible for Endowment funding?

A: No. The Endowment's education grants are limited to the four institutions named in 1924 in the Indenture of Trust.

Q: Does the Endowment fund primary or secondary education?

A: No. While he obviously appreciated the importance of high-quality primary and secondary education, Mr. Duke chose to focus his philanthropy on higher education. This choice is consistent with his goal of achieving the maximum benefit through grantmaking in narrowly defined areas. As he wrote in his Indenture of Trust, broader grantmaking "probably would be productive of less good by reason of attempting too much."

Q: Does the Endowment award scholarships to individuals?

A: No. The Endowment provides scholarship support to the four eligible institutions, which in turn award scholarships to individual students.

Q: Does the Endowment provide education grant support to after-school programs, teacher training programs, adult education programs, or others?

A: No. The Endowment is restricted to making education grants only to its four eligible institutions. While these other programs are certainly worthwhile, Mr. Duke did not choose to provide education grants to support them.