2000
Requiring National Accreditation
The Endowment requires children’s homes and adoption agencies to be nationally accredited.
2001
Relocating to Charlotte
The Rural Church program area relocates its base of operations from Durham to Charlotte.
2006
Pursuing More Holistic Approaches
Free Days of Care – reimbursements to hospitals for providing free care to the poor – transitions to support for community-based networks for low-income and uninsured residents.
2006
Serving Rural Communities and Clergy
Rural Church launches its Thriving Rural Communities Initiative, aimed at preparing clergy for service in rural churches and strengthening these churches for community leadership roles.
2008
Investing in Children's Homes
Orphan and half-orphan programs are discontinued; resources shift to building the capacity of high-performing children’s homes.
2011
Duke University Receives $80 million for Renovations
The gift — then the largest in Duke history — supports renovating West Union and Page and Baldwin Auditoriums.
Photo courtesy of Duke University Photography.
2012
$3 Billion in Grants Distributed
The Duke Endowment surpasses the $3 billion mark in grants distributed since inception.
2013
Expanding the Definition of “Rural”
The definition of “rural” expands to include Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes, opening support for churches in areas where a small portion of the population might interact with a nearby metro area.
2013
Improving Literacy During Summer Break
The Rural Church Summer Literacy Initiative begins with a one-year grant to Monticello United Methodist Church in Iredell County.
2014
Grounded in Community: New Headquarters
The Endowment’s first standalone headquarters opens in August in Charlotte with meeting space on the first floor and two levels of office space for staff. Neighbors, grantees and other partners help us celebrate this important milestone in Mr. Duke’s legacy.
2015
Blue Meridian Partners
The Endowment’s Board agrees to join Blue Meridian Partners, a pioneering philanthropic model that finds and funds scalable solutions to problems that limit economic mobility and trap America’s young people and families in poverty.
2015
Focus on Well-Being
The Duke Endowment announces its Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative aimed at taking a community-based approach to addressing chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
2016
Welcoming Our New President
Rhett Mabry, a longtime staff member of the Endowment, becomes President, succeeding Gene Cochrane.
2016
Expanding the Nurse-Family Partnership
A major “Pay for Success” project is announced, with the goal of expanding the Nurse-Family Partnership program in South Carolina to serve 3,200 additional first-time mothers and their babies, through private investment funds.
2016
The Furman Advantage
At Furman University, the Furman Advantage launches with $47 million from The Duke Endowment. It combines a liberal arts education with immersive experiences outside the classroom, creating a personalized pathway that prepares students for lives of purpose, successful careers, and community benefit.
2017
A New Strategic Emphasis
Approved by Trustees in 2017, The Duke Endowment announces a strategic emphasis on early childhood issues. This Zero to Eight emphasis reinforces the Endowment’s belief that a good beginning for children bodes well for their lives as adults and for their communities.
2017
Philanthropic Approach
The Endowment’s program areas begin to review their grantmaking strategies, seeking input from grantees and others, and making necessary revisions. The goal is to have greater clarity about our work and its impact.
2018
Get Ready Guilford
Through the Get Ready Guilford Initiative, The Duke Endowment is spearheading a multi-year strategy to improve and equalize opportunity in Guilford County, North Carolina, by making large, targeted investments in children and their caregivers.
2018
Focusing on Oral Health
Oral health becomes an area of focus in Health Care, with efforts directed toward expanding school-based oral health programs, supporting medical-dental integration models and advocating for evidence-informed oral health policy changes.
2019
$4 Billion in Grants Distributed
The Duke Endowment has awarded more than $4 billion in grants since its inception, including over $1.5 billion to Duke University. With assets of $4.7 billion at the end of 2020, it is one of the nation’s largest private foundations.
2020
Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacts health care access, provider models, methods of partnership and collaboration. Trustees approve up to $35 million in grants to respond to COVID’s effects, with an initial burst of COVID response grants followed by 21 months of grantmaking ranging from providing food and shelter to long-term recovery efforts addressing physical, mental and spiritual health.
2020
Roots for Growth
Amid social distancing and social unrest, the Endowment begins to take a deeper look at its grantmaking and organizational culture, reviewing its work through a racial equity, diversity and inclusion lens. Our leaders believe this is essential to achieving greatest impact in the Carolinas.
2023
Kicking Off Our Centennial Anniversary
The Endowment and Duke University kick off a year-long celebration of their shared centennial with an event at the Durham campus that brings the boards of both institutions together. The Endowment announces a $100 million centennial gift to the Duke, the largest single award in the University’s history.
2024
Celebrating 100 Years
The Endowment celebrates its centennial with a year-long series of regional community celebrations across North Carolina and South Carolina. Trustees approve $25 million each in centennial grants to Davidson College, Furman University and Johnson C. Smith University.