The Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation concentrates a small number of large gifts focused on higher education and conservative public policy. Their grants support liberal arts institutions and scholarship/housing programs for students, alongside substantial funding to a national conservative think tank, indicating interest in both direct educational philanthropy and public policy influence. The foundation prefers targeted, mission-specific grants rather than broad-based giving.
A $540,000 grant to Kenyon College stands out in the Bruce and Deborah Duncan Foundation’s recent giving and points to a pattern of large, targeted support for higher education. The foundation also backed the Evans Scholars Foundation with $200,000 for capital expenses tied to a possible Evans scholarship house at the University of South Carolina, showing interest in scholarship housing as well as institutional support. Its grant list includes substantial gifts to The Heritage Foundation for general operating support and policy work, placing conservative public policy alongside education in the foundation’s portfolio. Recent awards also extend to cultural and community institutions, including Artis-naples, the Nantucket Historical Association, and the Pga Tour First Tee Foundation. The mix suggests a funder that makes fewer, larger grants and often uses them for specific organizational purposes such as operating support, capital needs, or exempt-purpose work. Across the recent record, the foundation favors named institutions rather than broad pooled initiatives, with repeated attention to colleges, scholarship programs, policy organizations, and place-based nonprofits.
Higher education is a central theme. In 2023, the foundation gave $540,000 to Kenyon College to further the organization’s exempt purpose, and in 2025 it gave $25,000 to Notre Dame College Prep for Maurer Brothers' Scholarship. Scholarship housing and student support also appear in the grant record. The Evans Scholars Foundation received $200,000 in 2024 to support capital expenses, with a preference for establishing an Evans scholarship house at the University of South Carolina. Public policy is another clear focus. In 2025, The Heritage Foundation received $500,000 for general operating support, and in 2024 the same organization received $35,000 to formulate and promote conservative public policies. The Cato Institute also received $25,000 in 2025 for general operating support.
Typical grant size clusters in the $10,000 to $25,000 range, with a median of $20,000 and a p75 of $25,000. The distribution also includes occasional larger checks, such as the $500,000 and $540,000 awards in the recent record. The foundation appears to use a mix of one-time and repeat support: The Heritage Foundation, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and NCH Center for Philanthropy each appear more than once across the recent grants list. It is classified as a Regular Funder and funds individuals, but the recent grants shown here are made to organizations.
$1.5M
$44.3M
$13.4M
$1.9M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Highly concentrated giving: very few (three) large grants that account for the foundation’s total giving. Mix of one-off large institutional gifts and program/capital-specific support, with emphasis on repeatable priorities rather than many small grantees.
Notable grantees: Kenyon College, The Heritage Foundation, Evans Scholars Foundation
Grantmaking is national, with Florida receiving the largest share of grants at 36%. Recent awards reached Naples, Fort Myers, Glenview, and Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida, along with Washington, DC; Nantucket, Massachusetts; and Chicago, Illinois. The recipient country distribution shown here is entirely U.S.-based, with 135 grants to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a strong mix of higher education, scholarship housing, conservative public policy, hunger relief, healthcare support, disaster response, arts and culture, and community nonprofits. Examples include colleges, scholarship foundations, policy institutes, food banks, hospitals, and local cultural institutions.
Its typical grants are relatively concentrated: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. The recent record also includes several much larger awards above $100,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear multiple times in the recent grant list, including The Heritage Foundation, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and NCH Center for Philanthropy. That pattern suggests recurring support alongside one-time awards.
The foundation gives nationally, but Florida is the top state by grant count, with 36% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent Florida recipients include organizations in Naples, Fort Myers, and Ponte Vedra Beach.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $675,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST ANDREWS BAPTIST CHURCH | PANAMA CITY, FL | $167,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET ISLAND SAFE HARBOR FOR ANIMALS | NANTUCKET, MA | $70,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MOORINGS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | NAPLES, FL | $55,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHICAGO COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOL | CHICAGO, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | NANTUCKET, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ARTIS-NAPLES | NAPLES, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PARKINSON'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION DBA INSTITUTE FOR NEURODEGENE | BOCA RATON, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | PROVIDENCE, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NCH CENTER FOR PHILANTHROPY | NAPLES, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE MELANOMA RESEARCH ALLIANCE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE | NAPLES, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA | FORT MYERS, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GREAT HARBOR YACHT CLUB FOUNDATION | NANTUCKET, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PATHWAYS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER OF IMMOKALEE | NAPLES, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CATO INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| A SAFE PLACE INC | NANTUCKET, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE IMMOKALEE FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MILLENNIUM PARK FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE DAILY SIGNAL INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| 1916 FOUNDATION INC | HIGHLAND PARK, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BOOKS FOR COLLIER KIDS INC | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET BOYS & GIRLS CLUB | NANTUCKET, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET GOLF CLUB FOUNDATION | SIASCONSET, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BIG SHOULDERS FUND | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CARA | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | NANTUCKET, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MOUNT SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| GULFSHORE PLAYHOUSE | NAPLES, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CAMP BLUE SKIES FOUNDATION | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| The Heritage Foundation | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida | Fort Myers, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Notre Dame College Prep | Niles, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Maurer Brothers' Scholarship |
| Hoover Institution | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Artis-Naples | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| NCH Center for Philanthropy | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care Fund |
| Parkinson's Research and Education Foundation dba Institute for Neurodegene | Boca Raton, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| CATO Institute | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Forest Bluff School Inc | Lake Bluff, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| The Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | High Impact Research Programs |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Boys & Girls Club | Nantucket, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
ST ANDREWS BAPTIST CHURCH
$167,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MOORINGS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$55,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHICAGO COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOL
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
ARTIS-NAPLES
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
PARKINSON'S RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION DBA INSTITUTE FOR NEURODEGENE
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
ST MATTHEW'S HOUSE
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
A SAFE PLACE INC
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MILLENNIUM PARK FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE DAILY SIGNAL INSTITUTE
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
1916 FOUNDATION INC
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BOOKS FOR COLLIER KIDS INC
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CARA
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
MOUNT SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
Notre Dame College Prep
$25,000Maurer Brothers' Scholarship
Hoover Institution
$25,000General Operating Support
Artis-Naples
$25,000General Operating Support
NCH Center for Philanthropy
$25,000Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care Fund
Parkinson's Research and Education Foundation dba Institute for Neurodegene
$25,000General Operating Support
Forest Bluff School Inc
$25,000General Operating Support
Northwestern Memorial Foundation
$25,000General Operating Support