About Robertson Scholars Leadership Program
The foundation is almost exclusively focused on endowing and operating the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, channeling large gifts to the two host universities that run the scholarship and leadership exchange. Its funding is programmatic and institutional, supporting tuition, program activities, and long-term sustainability of the Robertson Scholars at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. The foundation’s giving is highly targeted to higher education leadership development in North Carolina through this bilateral scholarship initiative.
Focus Areas
Undergraduate leadership scholarship program (Robertson Scholars)Cross-campus leadership exchange between Duke University and UNC-Chapel HillInstitutional support for scholarship administration and student programmingHigher education capacity building in North Carolina
Who They Fund
university/college studentsemerging student leadersundergraduate scholars
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated, large multi-year institutional grants; repeated core support to a very small set of grantees (three grants each to Duke and UNC) focused on sustaining a single flagship program.
About Robertson Scholars Leadership Program
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program directs nearly all of its giving toward one purpose: sustaining the undergraduate scholarship and leadership exchange it runs through Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recent grants show large institutional awards to both universities, with Duke receiving the largest single grant in the data at $7,127,832 in 2024 and UNC-Chapel Hill receiving $1,653,292 in 2025. That pattern points to a funder built around long-term program support rather than scattered charitable giving. The foundation backs a bilateral model that links two North Carolina campuses and supports scholarship administration, student programming, and the broader operating structure of the Robertson Scholars initiative. Its grantmaking is tied to higher education leadership development for undergraduate scholars, with the universities themselves serving as the main recipients. The most recent awards also show continuity over multiple years, with repeat support to the same host institutions in 2023, 2024, and 2025. It also maintains summer funding options for Robertson Scholars, including Exploration & Launch Summer support for scholar-led experiences and projects.
What Robertson Scholars Leadership Program Funds
At the center of the foundation’s work is undergraduate leadership development. It awarded $7,039,002 in 2025 to Duke University for support for the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program at the university, reinforcing the program’s institutional base. A second major strand is the cross-campus exchange between Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received $1,653,292 in 2025 for the same program, showing that the initiative is designed to operate across both universities rather than through a single campus. The foundation also supports student-centered summer experiences through Exploration & Launch Summer funding, which is designed for Robertson Scholars’ project-based or experiential summer work. In addition, the program’s scholarship pathway includes students planning to attend Duke University and/or UNC-Chapel Hill, with African Leadership Academy students and other students from Africa named in the application guidance.
How Robertson Scholars Leadership Program Gives
The typical grant size is large: the 25th percentile is $1,624,468, the median is $3,500,384, and the 75th percentile is $6,616,120. The recent grants list shows a narrow set of institutional recipients appearing across multiple years, with Duke University awarded in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That repeat pattern fits a program-funded structure rather than one-off project philanthropy. The foundation does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$24.3M
Total Assets
$103K
Total Revenue
$9.2M
Total Expenses
$9.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1.6M and $6.6M, with a median of $3.5M.
25th Percentile
$1.6M
Median
$3.5M
75th Percentile
$6.6M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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