Given the many organizations working to improve the lives of families and children throughout the Carolinas, identifying objective evidence of success is increasingly challenging as the Endowment seeks to commit resources where it can have the most impact.
For over a decade, the Endowment has committed millions of dollars to foster (and broaden) successful evidence-based programs in the Carolinas.
Since 2008, the Endowment’s support has produced significant, measurable results for children, families and the service providers who serve them.
Rather than merely funding service delivery, support for evidence-based interventions is most successful when applied toward creating or strengthening the infrastructure needed to implement or expand an existing program.
There are many organizations in North and South Carolina that work to prevent child abuse, improve parenting, repair lives after abuse, and help children with behavioral, emotional and social problems.
The reality is that some programs are more effective than others and identifying successful programs through evidence-based, quantitative results is a challenge as the Endowment seeks partners to support broader child and family well-being services throughout the Carolinas.
The Duke Endowment believes that evidence-based interventions are the most effective for successfully improving the lives of children and their families.
Since 2008, The Duke Endowment has committed $16 million to help expand the use of proven, evidence-based interventions in North Carolina and South Carolina.
This initiative is ongoing; unsolicited grant requests are not being considered at this time.
In 2008, the Endowment endorsed several evidence-based programs and offered funding to help encourage their use in North Carolina and South Carolina.
North Carolina Counties
Beaufort, Bertie, Cabarrus, Camden, Carteret, Catawba, Chowan, Cleveland, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Lenoir, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, New Hanover, Northampton, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Polk, Robeson, Rutherford, Tyrrell, Wake, Washington, Wilson
South Carolina Counties
Abbeville, Anderson, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Union, Williamsburg
Each year, the Endowment’s efforts continue to accelerate the growth of evidence-based interventions in the Carolinas. Every dollar spent on intervention saves eight dollars in later support and care.
Since 2008, implementation sites delivering the evidence-based interventions in this initiative have reached approximately 10,000 children and families, and have trained more than 200 child service providers.
The draw of evidence-based practices is compelling, but implementing them successfully in new locations requires the right infrastructure to assure appropriate service delivery and results. New sites must have the financial means and human resources to provide ongoing quality assurance, training, monitoring and data collection to remain true to the fundamental tenets of an evidence-based program.
The Duke Endowment determined that its support would be best used to create or strengthen infrastructure for implementing a program, rather than simply supporting service delivery. This approach allowed the Endowment to complement the existing efforts of public funders and expand their effectiveness.
