Innovation Period

1970 - 1999

1970

Partnering to Help Fund Health Care Programs

In the 1970s, the Endowment partners with other foundations to fund a health care program called Access to Health Care, helping to expand services and address the problems that prevent people in rural or underdeveloped areas from receiving care.

1972

Expanding Investments, Improving Sustainability

North Carolina courts grant Endowment Trustees relief from provisions in the Indenture of Trust that strictly limit the Endowment’s investments beyond Duke Power stock to certain types of government bonds. Throughout the 1970s, Trustees work to amend these investment provisions to ensure the Endowment’s long-term sustainability.

1974

Changing How Superannuated Grants are Dispersed

Grants for superannuated (retired) pastors are no longer dispersed through Duke University, but rather the annual conferences of the United Methodist Church.

1979

$500M Funding Milestone

The Endowment surpasses $500 million in total grants distributed since its inception.

1980

Continued Grantmaking Supports Communities

The Endowment supports a hospital-based community health project, a significant step in moving acute-care hospitals into prevention and wellness. By the end of the decade, rural church grantmaking surpasses $20 million.

1981

Tightening Eligibility Requirements

The Endowment requires state licensure as a prerequisite for potential child welfare grantees seeking support.

1982

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Chair of the Board of Trustees

Granddaughter of Ben Duke, Mary D.B.T. Semans continued the family’s charitable legacy by serving as an Endowment Trustee for 55 years and the first female Chair. She served as a Trustee for numerous institutions, including Duke University and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Mrs. Semans received the Duke University Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service; the National Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews; and the John Tyler Caldwell Award for the Humanities. She was a 2009 inductee in the North Carolina Women’s Hall of Fame. Mrs. Semans was Chair of The Duke Endowment’s Board from 1982 to 2001 and Chair Emerita 2002 until her death in 2012.

1992

Exceeding $1 Billion in Grants Distributed

In 1992, the Endowment surpasses $1 billion in grants distributed since its inception.

1992

Promoting Family-Centered Solutions

The Duke Endowment invests in pioneering work to enhance family-centered practices in children’s homes. It awards the first grants for child welfare and early intervention for children at risk of losing their families.

1994

Selling Duke Power Stock

A year after Doris Duke (Mr. Duke's only child) passes away, Trustees sell roughly 60 percent of the Endowment’s investment in Duke Power – a move Doris Duke had opposed but other Trustees felt necessary to reduce the Endowment’s financial dependence on the electric utility.

1996

Welcoming Our First Female CEO

Elizabeth Locke becomes the Endowment’s first and only woman chief executive.

1998

Shifting Our Focus for Greater Effectiveness

The Endowment shifts its grantmaking focus toward cross-program grants and special programs; only 12 percent of grants fund brick-and-mortar projects.

1998

Serving “Vulnerable Children”

The Endowment updates its definition of “orphan” to reflect support for more inclusive programs serving vulnerable children.

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