The Duke Endowment
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Duke Endowment, based in Charlotte, NC, funds organisations in North Carolina and South Carolina working in Child & Family Well-Being, Health Care, Higher Education or Rural Church, so check that your work fits one of these four themes and sits in one of those two states.
- Typical grants run from $50,000 to $1,150,000 (about 8 in 10 of its 1,261 grants fall in this range), with a median grant of $200,000, so pitch a request in that range rather than expecting the largest grant of $21,500,000.
- The application method varies by programme: Child & Family Well-Being and Health Care both start with a pre-application, due June 15 or December 15 for Child & Family Well-Being and May 15 or November 15 for Health Care (with invited full applications due June 15 or December 15), while Rural Church pre-applications are due May 10 or October 3; only invited projects go forward to a full application.
- With 89% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder where new applicants should expect real competition for support.
- Child & Family Well-Being applicants should note it does not fund public schools or congregate care, and Higher Education applicants should note it does not fund individuals, including graduate students and individual researchers.
Overview
The Duke Endowment is a US private foundation based in Charlotte, NC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 6 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Duke Endowment seeks to enrich lives and communities across North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting grantees as they nurture children, promote health, educate minds and uplift spirits. Its work focuses primarily on Child & Family Well-Being, Health Care, Higher Education and Rural Church, and it works through select organisations in the Carolinas. It supports effective programmes and practices, enables innovation and strengthens existing systems and organisations. In child and family work, it works through accredited organisations and other nonprofit groups for children, young people and families affected by maltreatment or at imminent risk. Its health care work includes expanding access for underserved populations; its stated aims also include high-value education and preserving United Methodist churches’ role in rural communities.
Themes
- Child & Family Well-Being
- Health Care
- Higher Education
- Rural Church
Geographic Focus
North Carolina; South Carolina.
What They Don't Fund
- Child & Family Well-Being only: public schools; congregate care
- Higher Education only: individuals, including graduate students and individual researchers
How to apply
For Child & Family Well-Being, applicants begin with a pre-application; the Endowment invites applicants whose projects align with its priorities to submit a full application.
Deadlines:
- Health Care pre-applications have deadlines on May 15 and November 15.
- Invited Health Care full applications have deadlines on June 15 and December 15.
- Child & Family Well-Being pre-applications have deadlines on June 15 and December 15.
- Rural Church pre-applications have deadlines on May 10 and October 3.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 89% 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 1,261 grants to organisations were $200,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It favours access-expanding projects for underserved populations.
- It supports evidence-based programmes that prioritise reducing health disparities and improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
- It values established approaches with clear records of success and replicable models.
- Rural Church proposals must fit one of its strategic pathways.
- Higher Education requests are developed through contacts in an institution’s grant administration office to align projects with the Endowment’s areas of work.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 26% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to organisations The Duke Endowment had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 5% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 479 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $200k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Duke University · To commemorate the duke endowment's and duke university's shared centennial (expendable).$6,808,0002024 tax year
- Duke University Health System · To continue to strengthen dukes capacity and reputation in the sciences by recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty for the university health system.$6,750,0002024 tax year
- Duke University · To continue to strengthen dukes capacity and reputation in the sciences by recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty for the university.$6,750,0002024 tax year
- Duke University · To commemorate the duke endowment's and duke university's shared centennial (capital).$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Community Foundation of Western North Carolina · To provide immediate relief in western north carolina in the aftermath of hurricane helene.$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Johnson C. Smith University · To commemorate the duke endowments centennial, support for implementing the new strategic plan in coordination with the charlotte mayors racial equity campaign.$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Davidson College · To commemorate the duke endowments centennial and expand student access and experiential learning.$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Furman University · To continue to support strengthening and expanding the furman advantage.$4,250,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- J Trent Jones — Trustee
- Allyson K Duncan — Trustee
- Harris E Deloach Jr — Trustee
- Pamela Davies — Trustee
- Ravenel B Curry III — Trustee
- John Fav Cecil — Trustee
- Dennis M Campbell — Trustee / Vice-Chair
- William Barnet III — Trustee
- Karen H Rogers — CFO, Treasurer And Secretary
- Susan L McConnell — VP & Director Of Human Resources
- Rhett N Mabry — President
- William F Bacon — VP & Director Of Evaluation
- Cammie R Hauptfuhrer — Trustee (Elected On 10/08/2024)
- Judy Woodruff — Trustee
- Jean G Spaulding — Trustee / Vice-Chair
- Minor M Shaw — Trustee
- Clarence G Newsome — Trustee
- Charles C Lucas III — Trustee / Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $255,056,319 | $212,293,248 | $5,002,419,948 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $254,434,115 | $222,465,328 | $4,944,114,997 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $301,842,921 | $251,218,557 | $5,020,065,655 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to The Duke Endowment?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (704) 376-0291
- Charlotte, NC
- dukeendowment.org
Applying to The Duke Endowment?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (704) 376-0291
- Charlotte, NC
- dukeendowment.org