The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation is to improve the quality of people's lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke's properties.

The Doris Duke Foundation currently operates five national grantmaking programs:

Child Well-being

Through the Child Well-being Program, the foundation aims to promote children’s healthy development and protect them from abuse and neglect. The Child Well-being Program takes a funding approach that supports intergenerational work that bolsters culturally, geographically and locally relevant programs with and for communities to foster the long-term well-being of families. By funding efforts that strengthen the systems that serve families and support the needs of children and caregivers together, the Child Well-being Program aims to promote children’s healthy development, prevent maltreatment, and ally with communities to create improved and more equitable outcomes for their children.

Performing Arts

Through the Arts Program, the foundation supports artists with the creation and public performance of their work.

Environment

Through the Environment Program, the foundation seeks to ensure a thriving, resilient environment for wildlife and people, and foster an inclusive, effective conservation movement. We support initiatives that increase the pace and scale of land conservation and stewardship across the United States to protect biodiversity, bolster the resilience of natural areas and advance climate change mitigation. We also focus on conservation efforts that advance equity, in particular for communities that identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color.

Building Bridges

Through the Building Bridges Program, the foundation supports national efforts, working with U.S. Muslims, to increase mutual understanding and well-being among diverse populations for the benefit of building stronger, inclusive communities.

Medical Research

Through the Medical Research Program, the foundation strives to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease by strengthening and supporting clinical research. The Medical Research Program supports clinical research that advances the translation of biomedical discoveries, technology and medical insight into applications that improve human health through the following awards.

The majority of the Doris Duke Foundation's (DDF) grants are awarded through competitive (request-for-proposal) processes or by invitation. While very few grants result from unsolicited letters of inquiry, foundation staff do review unsolicited letters from nonprofit organizations to see if there is a possible fit with DDF's program goals and strategies and to identify potential funding opportunities.

Staff will respond to letters of inquiry within two months and will notify the writer if additional information is desired.