Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes grants across a broad mix of activities, including food banks, schools, hospitals, arts bodies, conservation groups and services for domestic violence and human trafficking, so a charitable, scientific, religious or educational organisation with a clear purpose may fit.
- Organisations that are not charitable, scientific, religious or educational as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c) should not apply.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $10,000 and $35,000, and half of its 135 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less, so a request in that region is a realistic size, though its largest grant was $540,000, so this band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- You can send a letter requesting a contribution, with no standard form, and the filing gives no deadlines, so there is no fixed timing to work to.
- Since 87% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded, existing ties may matter, so a first approach should be carefully considered.
Overview
Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation is a US private foundation based in Naples, FL.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation makes grants across a range of organisational activities. Recipients include food banks and emergency-relief organisations, schools and education charities, hospitals and medical research organisations, arts and cultural bodies, historic institutions, conservation and animal-welfare organisations, and services addressing domestic violence and human trafficking. Recorded purposes include education for young people, hunger relief, healthcare, environmental conservation, cultural programming and research; many grants are described as general operating support or support for an organisation’s exempt purpose. Eligible organisations must be charitable, scientific, religious or educational under the stated tax-code definition. They can request a contribution by letter, with no standard form or submission deadline.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Florida, District of Columbia, Ohio, Massachusetts and Illinois.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations that are not charitable, scientific, religious or educational as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c)
How to apply
Eligible organisations may send a letter requesting a contribution; there is no standard application form and no submission deadline.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 87% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 135 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 4%
- The largest single recipient received 15% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to organisations Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 45 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Heritage Foundation · General Operating Support$500,0002024 tax year
- Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida · General Operating Support$50,0002024 tax year
- Artis-Naples · General Operating Support$25,0002024 tax year
- Nantucket Conservation Foundation · General Operating Support$25,0002024 tax year
- Cato Institute · General Operating Support$25,0002024 tax year
- NCH Center for Philanthropy · Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care Fund$25,0002024 tax year
- Northwestern Memorial Foundation · General Operating Support$25,0002024 tax year
- Notre Dame College Prep · Maurer Brothers' Scholarship$25,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Deborah E Duncan — Vice President
- Bruce W Duncan — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,342,246 | $1,340,000 | $22,154,078 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,241,095 | $1,230,000 | $29,993,040 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,334,000 | $1,190,000 | $39,021,715 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (312) 337-9633
- Naples, FL
Applying to Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (312) 337-9633
- Naples, FL