The Duke Endowment enriches lives and strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina.

We support grantees as they nurture children, promote health, educate minds and uplift spirits

Child & Family Well-Being

All children deserve to grow up safe from maltreatment, supported by nurturing families and caring adults. The Duke Endowment is dedicated to enabling children in the Carolinas to live successful lives.

Health Care

The Duke Endowment believes that maintaining good health over time is dependent on a person’s ability to lead a healthy lifestyle and access essential health care services.

Higher Education

The Duke Endowment supports the four institutions named in Mr. Duke’s Indenture of Trust: Davidson College, Duke University, Furman University and Johnson C. Smith University.

Rural Church

We are committed to preserving the pivotal role churches play in rural communities. The Duke Endowment supports clergy and congregations — ensuring they have the tools they need to walk faithfully together — as they strengthen rural areas.

Additional Focus

Through other Endowment initiatives, and particularly our strategic emphasis on early childhood, we respond to today’s needs and intervene early to keep tomorrow’s problems from taking root.

Drawing Strength

We faced a host of challenges in 2021. Even as vaccinations spread and hospitalization rates fell, the impact of COVID-19 remained devastating. Amid all the struggles, however, we at The Duke Endowment have been inspired by the will and determination countless individuals have shown to keep their families safe, their communities healthy and their organizations together.

Read Our 2021 Annual Report

Our Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

We are systematically reviewing our grantmaking and organizational culture through the lens of racial equity, diversity and inclusion to better understand and fight the damaging effects of historic inequities and systemic bias across our work.

Learn More

Our Strategic Focus on Ages Zero to Eight

We believe that a good beginning for children bodes well for their lives as adults and for their communities. The Endowment seeks strong starts for more children.

Learn More

Latest News & Stories

Get the latest from the Endowment and read more about the impact of the work being done by our grantees and individuals in the field

Blog

A Complex Foster Care Case Highlights Need for Family Support

February is Family Support Awareness Month. One complex foster care case shows how vital it is for families to ask for and receive support in trying times.

February 1, 2023

News

New $10 Million Award From The Duke Endowment to Bolster Nicholas School of the Environment

The $10 million grant to Duke University will support the university’s school of the environment as it addresses the most complex environmental problems confronting society today.

January 27, 2023 | Duke Today

News

New Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas Coalitions Announced

The North Carolina Healthcare Foundation has announced that five new community coalitions will join Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas, an initiative of The Duke Endowment, as part of the program's fourth cohort in North Carolina.

January 26, 2023 | N.C. Healthcare Association

News

Selah Stress Management Project

Like many people serving in professions in which they feel “called,” clergy are not immune to stress and burnout. The Duke Endowment partnered with the Duke Clergy Health Initiative to study stress management tools with the goal of identifying practices that would allow clergy in the North Carolina United Methodist (UMC) conferences, and beyond, to live more fully into the sacred work of ministry.

January 20, 2023

News

Stacy Warren Promoted to Associate Director of The Duke Endowment’s Health Care Program Area

The Duke Endowment is pleased to announce that Stacy Warren has been promoted to associate director of its Health Care program area. Warren served as a program officer before moving into her current role.

January 17, 2023

News

Kristi Walters Promoted to Director of The Duke Endowment’s Higher Education Program Area

The Duke Endowment is pleased to announce that Kristi Walters has been promoted to director of its Higher Education program area. Walters served as associate director before moving into her current role.

January 17, 2023

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Select 501(c)(3) organizations in North Carolina and South Carolina may be eligible for grants through The Duke Endowment.

Child & Family Well-Being Health Care Rural Church

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