Project Details
Building Congregations’ Capacity to Engage with Community
Rural churches stay vital and live their calling to transform the world by reaching out and helping neighbors thrive. The Duke Endowment is committed to helping congregations build their capacity to engage in meaningful service ministries that make positive change in the wider community.
Advancing Mental Health Services
The lack of access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services throughout the Carolinas significantly impacts the health of individuals, families and communities. The Health Care program area seeks to identify service delivery models that promote mental health and well-being for adults, adolescents and children, with a priority on holistic approaches to early intervention and treatment.
Diversifying the Health Care Workforce
Over 90 percent of counties in the Carolinas have at least one partial designation as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). The Health Care program area seeks to ensure an adequate diverse workforce that can address critical shortage areas, maldistribution of staff and support new complementary personnel models.
Improving Population Health
As the United States advances value-based payment methodology, the Health Care program area is building capacity at the state, regional and local level to link government, health, and social services so that Carolinians have the opportunity to increase healthy behaviors and address their social needs.
Improving Oral Health
Poor oral health can result in lower quality of life and poor health outcomes. It can negatively impact self-esteem, employability and the ability to learn. The Duke Endowment seeks to improve the oral health delivery system throughout North Carolina and South Carolina to ensure every adult and child has access to essential dental services.
Advocate for Improvement
The Duke Endowment works with public agencies and private organizations to ensure all children in the Carolinas grow up in families safe from maltreatment and supported by nurturing parents and caring adults, enabling them to live successful lives. Using lessons learned from our grantmaking, we support advocacy and communications strategies to accelerate improvements in the child welfare system.
Commit to Innovation
The Duke Endowment is committed to developing and testing innovative approaches to address the needs of children who have been — or who are at risk of becoming — victims of child maltreatment.
Clergy Health Initiative
Studies indicate that clergy are in one of the nation’s most overworked professions. The Duke Endowment has invested $21 million in the Clergy Health Initiative since 2007.
Providing Scholarships for Rural Church Leaders
Rural churches can be a powerful force in creating more vibrant rural communities, especially when a strong and visionary minister is at the helm. To help prepare ministers for service in rural congregations, The Duke Endowment supports several clergy leadership programs at Duke Divinity School.
Church Legacy Initiative
The Church Legacy Initiative (CLI), an effort by the Western North Carolina Conference with support by a grant from The Duke Endowment, seeks the best path to renew and revitalize rural communities. The project assists churches in making faithful decisions about their future, including closure in some cases.
Recruiting, Retaining & Developing Faculty
Recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse group of faculty is critical to delivering a high-quality education and is an important priority at each Endowment-supported institution. As a result, over the past 20 years, The Duke Endowment has awarded more than $200 million to Davidson College, Duke University, Furman University and Johnson C. Smith University to hire faculty, keep faculty salaries competitive and attract faculty who are experts in their fields, and provide professional and leadership development opportunities.
Increasing Access and Affordability — Scholarships and Financial Aid
When he established his Endowment in 1924, Mr. Duke referred to education as “next to religion, the greatest civilizing influence.” As such, he specified that the greatest portion of the funds be awarded to four schools — Davidson College, Duke University, Johnson C. Smith University and Furman University — to help the institutions increase access to educational opportunities and become more affordable.