The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation is to build a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. We work across three areas: Arts & Culture; Nature; and Health & Well-being.
The Doris Duke Foundation’s most distinctive recent pattern is its annual unrestricted recognition for performing artists: the Doris Duke Artist Award appears repeatedly across the recent grants list, with awards ranging from $78,750 to $125,000. That program sits alongside broader grantmaking in Arts & Culture, Nature, and Health & Well-being, giving the foundation a profile that mixes direct support for individual artists with programmatic work in children’s well-being, medical research, and U.S. Muslim storytelling. The foundation also funds individuals, which sets it apart from grantmakers focused only on organizations. Recent artist awards went to Casel Ayodele, Yew Chay, and Kakoma Somi, reflecting the foundation’s emphasis on performing arts and artist career advancement. Beyond those individual awards, its active programs include national support for performing artists, the Building Bridges Program for U.S. Muslim storytelling, and child well-being work aimed at vulnerable children and families. The foundation’s grantmaking is therefore not limited to one field or one type of recipient; it combines direct cash awards, competitive programs, and unsolicited inquiry routes across multiple program areas.
In the performing arts, the Doris Duke Foundation supports individual artists through the Doris Duke Artist Award, with recent awards to Oliver Cynthia and Adjuah Xian. That same arts portfolio also includes a national Arts Program for performing artists, contemporary dance, jazz, and theater, plus open-call opportunities and regranting. The foundation’s child-focused work is organized around prevention-oriented child welfare and healthy development. Its Child Well-being program supports vulnerable children and families, and the Child Well-being Program has funded projects such as OPT-In for Families and Rx Kids. Another strand is U.S. Muslim storytelling. The Building Bridges Program supports media, film, television, and documentary work intended to broaden representation and address social polarization. The foundation also convenes meetings and events at its centers in Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York, including arts, environment, policy, and research gatherings.
Typical grant size is modest to mid-range overall, with a p25 of $600, a median of $3,000, and a p75 of $20,000. The recent grants list also includes much larger artist awards, showing a bimodal pattern between broad program support and high-value individual recognition. The foundation operates as a regular funder, funds individuals, and makes grants through both unsolicited inquiry and program-specific application pathways. Several programs accept unsolicited requests, including the general letter of inquiry process and the Arts Program. The recent grants list shows repeated awards to the same artist names across 2024 and 2025, indicating some recipients receive support in more than one year.
$3.9M
$12.7M
$3.5M
$4.1M
Most grants fall between $600 and $20K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$600
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Grantmaking is national in scope and concentrated heavily in New York: 63% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and New York is also the top state by grant count. The recent grants list is dominated by New York, NY recipients, including artists and other individual grantees. Outside the HQ state, the foundation’s convening work is tied to its center locations in Hawaii and New Jersey, alongside New York. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 542 grants to U.S. recipients.
Its active programs cover Arts & Culture, Nature, and Health & Well-being. Within those, the foundation supports performing arts, U.S. Muslim storytelling, child well-being, medical research, and convenings in arts, environment, policy, and research.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals, including annual Doris Duke Artist Awards. Recent individual awards in the list include grants to Casel Ayodele, Yew Chay, and Kakoma Somi.
The typical grant size is $600 at the 25th percentile, $3,000 at the median, and $20,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes substantially larger artist awards, so individual and program grants can sit at very different levels.
Yes. The foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry through a general process for U.S. nonprofit organizations, and it also accepts unsolicited submissions for Convening & Events @DDF and the Arts Program.
Its grantmaking is national, but New York is the top state by grant count, and 63% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. The recent grants list is largely made up of New York, NY recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Doris Duke Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: The opportunity is focused on innovative U.S.-based work and community-led efforts in the stated issue areas. Detailed eligibility criteria are provided by Humanity AI.
Deadline: October 21, 2026.
Who can apply: Detailed eligibility criteria are contained in the collaborative request for applications. The scraped content identifies it as a pre-proposal opportunity but does not provide the full criteria.
Deadline: Pre-proposals due November 18, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEW CHAY | NEW YORK, NY | $108,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| CASEL AYODELE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| BRATHWAITE CHARLOTTE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| PITTS SHAMEL | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| ZENON MIGUEL | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| KAKOMA SOMI | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| ADJUAH XIAN | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| GARRETT NATAKI | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| SPALDING ESPERANZA | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| RED ELK ACOSIA | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| GUTHRIE ROSE | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| CASTELLANOS TEO | NEW YORK, NY | $71,250 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| BLAIN-CRUZ LILEANA | NEW YORK, NY | $70,101 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| PEREZ DANILO | NEW YORK, NY | $66,056 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| SUMBRY-EDWARDS DORMESHIA | NEW YORK, NY | $58,750 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| OLIVER CYNTHIA | NEW YORK, NY | $58,750 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| DAVIS KRIS | NEW YORK, NY | $48,806 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| WONG KRISTINA | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC HOLY CROSS CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES | PICO RIVERA, CA | $20,850 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,388 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| PITZER COLLEGE | CLAREMONT, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| PBS FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| JESUS IS LORD CHURCH | HONOLULU, HI | $20,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| WELLESLEY COLLEGE | WELLESLEY, MA | $18,500 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| CONGREGATION BETH ELOHIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $16,898 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| HONOLULU FIL-AM SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH | HONOLULU, HI | $16,890 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| NEW YORK CITY BALLET INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,500 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| NEW YORK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| DORSEY SEAN | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| HUNTER COLLEGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $12,900 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| DANCE SERVICE NEW YORK CITY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $9,905 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| GAY AND LESBIAN ARMENIAN SOCIETY | WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| ALPHA OMEGA 1-7 THEATRICAL DANCE | NEW YORK, NY | $7,200 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| ACT FOR LEBANON | EDGEWATER, NJ | $6,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| RAINFOREST TRUST | WARRENTON, VA | $6,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| DURHAM COLORED LIBRARY INCORPORATED | ATLANTA, GA | $5,400 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,100 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| HARRIS RENNIE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD |
| THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOR LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS | NEW YORK, NY | $4,800 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY | THE PLAINS, VA | $4,500 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| ETHICAL CULTURE FIELDSTON SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $4,500 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $4,335 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| WEBB INSTITUTE | GLEN COVE, NY | $4,000 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $3,975 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| CLUBBED THUMB INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,750 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| HONOLULU DIAMOND SANGHA INC | HONOLULU, HI | $3,750 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| HUNTERDON LAND TRUST | FLEMINGTON, NJ | $3,600 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| COMMUNITY HELP IN PARK SLOPE INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,216 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
| MARCY LAB INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,068 | 2025 | MATCHING GIFT |
YEW CHAY
$108,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
CASEL AYODELE
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
BRATHWAITE CHARLOTTE
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
PITTS SHAMEL
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
ZENON MIGUEL
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
KAKOMA SOMI
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
ADJUAH XIAN
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
GARRETT NATAKI
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
SPALDING ESPERANZA
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
RED ELK ACOSIA
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
GUTHRIE ROSE
$100,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
CASTELLANOS TEO
$71,250DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
BLAIN-CRUZ LILEANA
$70,101DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
PEREZ DANILO
$66,056DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
SUMBRY-EDWARDS DORMESHIA
$58,750DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
OLIVER CYNTHIA
$58,750DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
DAVIS KRIS
$48,806DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
WONG KRISTINA
$25,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC HOLY CROSS CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES
$20,850MATCHING GIFT
PITZER COLLEGE
$20,000MATCHING GIFT
JESUS IS LORD CHURCH
$20,000MATCHING GIFT
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
$18,500MATCHING GIFT
CONGREGATION BETH ELOHIM
$16,898MATCHING GIFT
HONOLULU FIL-AM SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
$16,890MATCHING GIFT
DORSEY SEAN
$15,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
HUNTER COLLEGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION INC
$12,900MATCHING GIFT
GAY AND LESBIAN ARMENIAN SOCIETY
$7,500MATCHING GIFT
ALPHA OMEGA 1-7 THEATRICAL DANCE
$7,200MATCHING GIFT
ACT FOR LEBANON
$6,000MATCHING GIFT
DURHAM COLORED LIBRARY INCORPORATED
$5,400MATCHING GIFT
HARRIS RENNIE
$5,000DORIS DUKE ARTIST AWARD
ETHICAL CULTURE FIELDSTON SCHOOL
$4,500MATCHING GIFT
WEBB INSTITUTE
$4,000MATCHING GIFT
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$3,975MATCHING GIFT
HONOLULU DIAMOND SANGHA INC
$3,750MATCHING GIFT
HUNTERDON LAND TRUST
$3,600MATCHING GIFT