The Doris Duke Foundation’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice is an ongoing, active engagement reflected in our grantees, museums, centers, board and staff.
From sickle cell research to Native communities, from youth in the foster system to artists, from clean air and water to career pipeline leadership programs, each program area’s funding priorities signify this dedication to addressing inequality and its systemic roots. At the core of our work is a dedication to serving and learning from organizations and individuals addressing inequities and working toward a more just, healthy and inclusive society.
This commitment to addressing inequities extends the work Doris Duke supported during her lifetime, which included reproductive health, AIDS research, children and communities, environmental conservation, and artists working outside of the mainstream. It is the common thread that runs through all our funding strategies. To learn more about how these values manifest in our grantmaking, please visit the foundation's individual What We Support pages for our grant programs.
Further, the foundation recognizes the immense importance and value of having a diverse set of perspectives at the table, and we are proud that the racial and ethnic makeup of DDF’s staff and board mirror that conviction. Within the foundation, a staff-led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group organizes an ongoing series of workshops, lectures and readings for the personal and professional development of all staff members. The activities of the DEI Working Group not only help inform internal policies of the foundation to make it a more equitable and inclusive workplace, but also seed our thinking for ways to improve our pursuit of these principles in our work.
