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.
$1.2M
$39M
$19.2M
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
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.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| NCH Center for Philanthropy | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care Fund |
| Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Notre Dame College Prep | Niles, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | Maurer Brothers' Scholarship |
| The Melanoma Research Alliance Foundation | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | High Impact Research Programs |
| CATO Institute | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Hoover Institution | Washington, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Artis-Naples | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Parkinson's Research and Education Foundation dba Institute for Neurodegene | Boca Raton, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Forest Bluff School Inc | Lake Bluff, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Boys & Girls Club | Nantucket, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee | Naples, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | Star Light Star Bright Fund |
| The Shelter for Abused Women & Children | Naples, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals | Nantucket, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Champions for Learning | Naples, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Historical Association | Nantucket, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Moorings Presbyterian Church | Naples, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Volunteer Florida Foundation Inc | Tallahassee, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | Florida Disaster Fund |
| A Safe Place Inc | Nantucket, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | Building Campaign |
| Humane Society Naples | Naples, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| The Nantucket Book Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Jack Miller Center | Bala Cynwyd, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Golf Club Foundation | Siasconset, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| The Immokalee Foundation | Naples, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| The Alliance for Florida's National Parks | Coral Gables, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | Conservation; Big Cypress Nat. Preserve & Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, Everglades Nat. Park |
| Big Shoulders Fund | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Books for Collier Kids Inc | Naples, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | New Books for Children |
| The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | High Impact Research Programs |
| Millennium Park Foundation | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Annual Appeal Campaign |
| CARA | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | Summer Social |
| Warrior Scholar Project | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | Hurricane Helene Relief |
| Chicago Cares | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Naples Yacht Club Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund Inc | Naples, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Nantucket Dreamland Foundation | Nantucket, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Community Foundation of Collier County | Naples, IL | $8,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression | Philadelphia, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Camp Blue Skies Foundation | Charlotte, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | Alan Jaffe Memorial Camp Blue Skies Endowment |
| Boys & Girls Club of Collier County | Naples, FL | $3,000 | 2025 | Programming, Tutoring, Afterschool Care and Meals for children & teens |
| Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $2,000 | 2025 | Encourage, Develop, and Support Young People; Address needs of at-risk children |
| That's a Wrap UA Inc | Amelia Island, FL | $2,000 | 2025 | Buying warm winter clothing for children from Ukraine |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT CAPITAL EXPENSES WITH A PREFERENCE FOR THE FUTURE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EVANS SCHOLARSHIP HOUSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA |
| FRIENDS OF THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | PROVIDE HOPE, PURPOSE, AND LIFE-CHANGING SUPPORT FOR THE SOLDIERS WHO PROTECT ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE WORLDWIDE |
| PGA TOUR FIRST TEE FOUNDATION | PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT BUILD CHARACTER AND INSTILL LIFE-ENHANCING VALUES THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF. |
| HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA | FORT MYERS, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT THE FIGHT TO END HUNGER |
| THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2024 | TO FORMULATE AND PROMOTE CONSERVATIVE PUBLIC POLICIES BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE ENTERPRISE, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES, AND A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE. |
NCH Center for Philanthropy
$25,000Heart, Vascular and Stroke Care Fund
Notre Dame College Prep
$25,000Maurer Brothers' Scholarship
High Impact Research Programs
Hoover Institution
$25,000General Operating Support
Artis-Naples
$25,000General Operating Support
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
Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee
$20,000Star Light Star Bright Fund
Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals
$20,000General Operating Support
Moorings Presbyterian Church
$20,000General Operating Support
A Safe Place Inc
$15,000Building Campaign
Humane Society Naples
$10,000General Operating Support
The Nantucket Book Foundation
$10,000General Operating Support
Conservation; Big Cypress Nat. Preserve & Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, Everglades Nat. Park
Books for Collier Kids Inc
$10,000New Books for Children
High Impact Research Programs
Millennium Park Foundation
$10,000Annual Appeal Campaign
Warrior Scholar Project
$10,000General Operating Support
Naples Yacht Club Blue Gavel Scholarship Fund Inc
$10,000General Operating Support
Nantucket Dreamland Foundation
$10,000General Operating Support
Community Foundation of Collier County
$8,000General Operating Support
Programming, Tutoring, Afterschool Care and Meals for children & teens
Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago
$2,000Encourage, Develop, and Support Young People; Address needs of at-risk children
That's a Wrap UA Inc
$2,000Buying warm winter clothing for children from Ukraine
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$200,000SUPPORT CAPITAL EXPENSES WITH A PREFERENCE FOR THE FUTURE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EVANS SCHOLARSHIP HOUSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
PROVIDE HOPE, PURPOSE, AND LIFE-CHANGING SUPPORT FOR THE SOLDIERS WHO PROTECT ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT BUILD CHARACTER AND INSTILL LIFE-ENHANCING VALUES THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF.
TO FORMULATE AND PROMOTE CONSERVATIVE PUBLIC POLICIES BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF FREE ENTERPRISE, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM, TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES, AND A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE.