Foundation Overview
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
is to improve the quality of people's lives through
grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention
of child abuse, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke's properties.
Established in 1996, the foundation supports four national grantmaking programs. It also supports three properties that were owned by Doris Duke in Hillsborough, New Jersey; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Newport, Rhode Island. The foundation is headquartered in New York and is governed by a board of 11 Trustees.
The DDCF's activities are guided by the will of Doris Duke, who endowed the foundation with financial assets that totaled approximately $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2009. The foundation regularly evaluates and modifies its allocation of resources from the endowment to support the programs and properties and to respond to fluctuations in portfolio returns.
The Programs
The foundation awarded its first grants in 1997. As of December 31, 2009, the foundation has approved approximately 1,061 grants totaling approximately $724 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. Grants are awarded in four program areas:
- The Arts Program supports performing artists with the creation and public performance of their work.
- The Environment Program supports efforts to preserve wildlife in the United States.
- The Medical Research Program seeks to contribute to the prevention and cure of disease by supporting clinical research.
- The Child Abuse Prevention Program seeks to protect children from abuse and neglect in order to promote their healthy development.
The Properties
In her will, Doris Duke requested that several operating foundations manage the properties listed below. She also expressed her wishes that the properties be opened for public visitation and used for educational programs. The operating foundations receive funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
- The Duke Farms Foundation manages a 2,700-acre
estate in Hillsborough, New Jersey, which is known as
"Duke Farms."
- The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art manages Doris Duke's home in Honolulu, Hawaii, which is known as "Shangri La."
- The Newport Restoration Foundation preserves historic houses in Newport, Rhode Island, and operates Doris Duke's home in Newport known as "Rough Point."