Grants Overview

We make grants to support effective programs and practices, enable innovation and strengthen existing systems and organizations.

The Endowment has awarded approximately $5.3 billion in grants since its inception, including $2 billion to Duke University. As of December 31, 2025, our assets were $5.4 billion — making the Endowment one of the nation’s largest 501(c)(3) private foundations. Today, more than 87 percent of our total spending goes to grantmaking.

The Duke Endowment Supports

We work through select North Carolina and South Carolina organizations to:

Ensure children grow up in families safe from maltreatment
Improve the health of Carolinians
Advance high-value education for students
Preserve the pivotal role United Methodist churches play in rural communities

In 2025, The Duke Endowment approved $374 million in new grants, some of which will be paid in future years. More than $245 million was distributed through 397 grants, some of which were approved in prior years.