Before You Proceed
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Child & Family Well-Being Grant Application and Eligibility
The Duke Endowment has introduced a new pre-application process for the Child and Family Well-Being program area. It consists of several questions, which will help confirm your eligibility and guide you to one of three areas of work: Support for Implementation of Tested Programs, Commit to Innovation or Advocate for Improvement.
Pre-application deadlines for Child & Family Well-Being grants are June 15 and December 15. The pre-application portal will open approximately six weeks prior to these deadlines. Pre-applications cannot be accepted outside of these dates.
Within 30 days of receiving your pre-application, The Duke Endowment will either invite you to submit an application for the upcoming grant cycle, or inform you that your project does not align with current priorities, thereby concluding the process.
Pre-application deadlines for Child & Family Well-Being grants are June 15 and December 15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is eligible for Child & Family Well-Being grants?
A. Child and Family Well-Being works through accredited organizations and other nonprofit groups in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Target population: children, youth and families who have either experienced child abuse or neglect or those at imminent risk of experiencing child maltreatment.
Q. What kinds of projects does Child and Family Well-Being fund?
A. Our funding is divided into three broad categories:
Implementation support for evidence-based programs/implementation support for grants reflects the value we place on proven programs and effective practices driven by active implementation. “Active implementation” contrasts with the usual practice of passively spreading knowledge. Rather than “letting change happen,” we work with organizations and agencies to “make change happen” for children and families through proven programs. We value established approaches with clear records of success and replicable models, including:
- Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
- Strengthening Families
- The Incredible Years
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Positive Parenting Program (Triple‑P)
Other proven approaches will be considered as well.
Advocating for System improvements grants prioritize educating and advocating with policy makers, public funders, public agencies and others to accelerate policy and practices changes.
Advancing innovation grants reflect our investment in projects that advance innovation when high-achieving, successful models are lacking.
Q. Why does the Endowment only support programs in North Carolina and South Carolina?
A. We exist to fulfill the legacy of North Carolina industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke. All grantmaking is guided by an Indenture of Trust in which Mr. Duke set forth specific funding guidelines focused on children, rural churches, health care and higher education in the Carolinas. While our Trustees have full discretion over year-to-year disbursements, all grants must be in accord with the wishes of Mr. Duke that they support lives and communities in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Q. My organization is starting a child care program/early education program/afterschool program. Can we apply for a grant?
A. Currently, those programs fall outside of our funding areas.
Q. Does the Endowment make grants to public schools?
A. No.
Q. Our residential facility serves some children from the Carolinas, but we are located in another state. Are we eligible for a grant?
A. No. In keeping with Mr. Duke’s directions, residential facilities must be located in the Carolinas to be eligible.
Q. We are starting a group home for children. Is it eligible for support?
A. No. We do not support startups.
Q. Does the Endowment support congregate care?
A. We do not support congregate care. Providers may offer congregate care services as part of a service array but our dollars go towards other aspects of the array, such as foster care, therapeutic foster care, adoption services, prevention and early intervention services. Candidates must be a quality agency as evidenced by:
- A diverse array of services (i.e. early/intervention or prevention, family foster care, therapeutic foster care, independent living, post-care supportive services.)
- A model of care (Teaching Family, Sanctuary, CARE) or evidence-based model (i.e., Multisystemic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy)
- Accreditation by Council on Accreditation and/or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
- Tracking outcomes while children are in care and after discharge
- Providing placement to youth who are aging out of foster care without identified family support, for crisis stabilization or short term treatment
Q. What types of accreditation does the Endowment require for children’s welfare agencies?
A. For residential facilities, foster care programs and adoption placement services, we recognize accreditation by the Council on Accreditation or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Q. My organization does not have two years of audited financials. Am I eligible to apply?
A. Eligible organizations must have two years of audited financial statements. If not available, the applicant organization should contact Child & Family Well-Being program staff prior to submitting a pre-application.
Learn more about the Endowment’s new Zero to Eight emphasis.
Funding Strategies
Support Implementation for Tested Programs
We fund implementation support for projects that adopt and sustain evidence-based or ‑informed models shown to prevent or treat child abuse and neglect and enhance well-being. “Implementation” refers to activities that are designed to put defined programs into practice. An active implementation framework answers the questions of what needs to be done (effective interventions), how to establish what needs to be done in practice, who will do the work to accomplish positive outcomes and where will effective interventions and implementation thrive. Rather than letting change happen, we work with organizations and agencies to make change happen for children and families of all races and ethnicities.
Commit to Innovation
We recognize the lack of evidence-based or ‑informed models for the range of issues children and families face and the diverse populations served. If we did not commit to innovation, we would miss opportunities to identify programs that improve outcomes. We support grantees in developing and testing innovative, tailored, data-driven approaches. We encourage models that specifically look at risks and solutions through the lens of race.
Advocate for Improvement
Many dedicated, knowledgeable professionals work in the child welfare system, but systemic challenges can inhibit their effectiveness. We use our resources and relationships to support advocacy and communications strategies that speed improvement of the prevention, early intervention and foster care systems. We believe that by working closely with government agencies and nonprofit organizations that reflect the communities served, we can enhance the spread of information and facilitate conversations within communities.