The Doris Duke Management Foundation appears to prioritize cultural programming, environmental conservation/climate engagement, and Indigenous/Native community capacity-building, largely by underwriting conferences, festivals, and public-facing events. Most grants are event sponsorships that support partner organizations’ outreach or convening activities — from jazz and arts diplomacy to land trust and environmental networks — with a mix of a few larger flagship sponsorships and several smaller regional or issue-focused event grants.
A $200,000 event sponsorship to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz stands out in the Doris Duke Management Foundation’s recent giving, signaling how often the foundation backs public-facing cultural programming. Across its recent grants, the foundation combines larger sponsorships with smaller general-support awards, with recurring attention to jazz, arts diplomacy, conservation convenings, and Indigenous-led philanthropy networks. The pattern is not limited to one field: a $100,000 sponsorship to First Nations Development Institute and an $80,000 sponsorship to Native Americans in Philanthropy show sustained support for Native and Indigenous community-building, while grants to Land Trust Alliance and Earth Island Institute point to environmental and conservation networks. The foundation also supports arts institutions and public programs in New York, including Theatre Development Fund, The New 42nd Street Inc, and Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy Inc. Its recent grant list suggests a funder that often underwrites events, conferences, and sponsorship opportunities rather than one-off project experiments. Smaller awards appear alongside larger flagship grants, indicating a mix of grant sizes within a national giving pattern.
In arts and cultural work, Doris Duke Management Foundation gave $100,000 to the US Department of State for Art in Embassies, tying its support to cultural diplomacy and public presentation. The foundation also supported Culturesource with a $26,000 event sponsorship and Theatre Development Fund with $5,000 in general support, both in the orbit of public arts access and programming. Environmental and conservation grantmaking appears through a $75,000 sponsorship to Land Trust Alliance Inc and a $25,000 sponsorship to Earth Island Institute, alongside smaller awards to Biodiversity Funders Group and Society for Conservation Biology North America Inc. Indigenous and Native community capacity-building is another visible thread: First Nations Development Institute received $100,000, and Nez Perce Tribe Communications received $25,000 for event sponsorships.
Typical grants cluster around modest to mid-sized awards: p25 is $5,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent record shows both larger sponsorships and many smaller general-support gifts, suggesting a mixed approach rather than a single standard grant size. Several recipients recur across years, including Native Americans in Philanthropy and New York-based arts or health organizations, which points to ongoing relationships alongside one-time awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. It also accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry from U.S. nonprofit organizations across its Arts, Medical Research, Environment, Child Well-being, and Building Bridges programs.
$678K
$20.6M
$25.2M
$25.4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Gives primarily as event sponsorships and public-program underwriting, mixing a few large multi-five-figure flagship gifts with several smaller to mid-sized sponsorships. Funding is distributed across organizations rather than concentrated in repeat multi-year core support, emphasizing convening, outreach, and culturally focused public events.
Notable grantees: Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, U.S. Department of State (Art in Embassies), First Nations Development Institute, Land Trust Alliance, GreenLatinos
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the recent sample, with New York the top state by grant count and 22% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include Theatre Development Fund, United Hospital Fund, The New 42nd Street Inc, and Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy Inc. Washington, DC appears repeatedly as a recipient location through Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the Hispanic Access Foundation. Other visible recipient cities include Longmont, Boulder, Fort Collins, Corvallis, Oakland, Berkeley, and Detroit.
Recent grants show a strong tilt toward event sponsorships for arts and cultural programming, conservation and land-trust convenings, and Indigenous or Native philanthropy capacity-building. Examples in the record include the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Land Trust Alliance Inc, and First Nations Development Institute.
Yes. The foundation accepts unsolicited letters of inquiry from U.S. nonprofit organizations for potential fit across Arts, Medical Research, Environment, Child Well-being, and Building Bridges. Those programs are listed as U.S.-focused and accept unsolicited submissions.
The recent grant pattern centers on smaller awards: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. The record also includes larger sponsorships, such as $200,000 and $100,000 grants.
Some recipients do appear more than once across the recent record. Native Americans in Philanthropy received both $80,000 in 2025 and $10,000 in 2024, which suggests the foundation maintains at least some repeated relationships with selected organizations.
New York is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent New York recipients include Theatre Development Fund, United Hospital Fund, The New 42nd Street Inc, and Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy Inc.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Doris Duke Management Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Specific eligibility requirements are not provided in the scraped content.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | LONGMONT, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| NATIVE AMERICANS IN PHILANTHROPY | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| LAND TRUST ALLIANCE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| GREENLATINOS | BOULDER, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| HISPANIC ACCESS FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| CULTURESOURCE | DETROIT, MI | $26,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | CORVALLIS, OR | $25,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| WESTERN RESOURCE ADVOCATES | BOULDER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY NORTH AMERICA INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NEW 42ND STREET INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FIRST FOCUS ON CHILDREN | WASHINGTON, DC | $750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY CONSERVANCY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $45 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| US DEPARTMENT OF STATE | ARLINGTON, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIP - ART IN EMBASSIES |
| GREENBIZORG | OAKLAND, CA | $27,000 | 2024 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| NEZ PERCE TRIBE COMMUNICATIONS | LAPWAI, ID | $25,000 | 2024 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| NATIVE AMERICANS IN PHILANTHROPY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| BIODIVERSITY FUNDERS GROUP | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION. |
| UNITED HOSPITAL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| RUTLAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFORD, VT | $258 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION | NEWPORT, RI | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $150 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ
$200,000EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
$50,000EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY NORTH AMERICA INC
$10,000EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NEW 42ND STREET INC
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
$100,000SPONSORSHIP - ART IN EMBASSIES
GREENBIZORG
$27,000EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
NEZ PERCE TRIBE COMMUNICATIONS
$25,000EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
EVENT SPONSORSHIPS TO ADVANCE THE ORGANIZATION'S TAX-EXEMPT MISSION.
RUTLAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
$258GENERAL SUPPORT
NEWPORT RESTORATION FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION
$150GENERAL SUPPORT