Dragon Fund

Each year parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, alumni, corporations, foundations and friends give generously to Duke School’s Dragon Fund. The mission of the Dragon Fund is to help Duke School provide a transformative educational experience for our students while limiting our reliance on tuition. The Dragon Fund has a significant qualitative effect on the school and its programs by providing unrestricted, immediate support of our operating budget. Gifts to the Dragon Fund are used in the current school year and provide a direct investment in:

The Dragon Fund helps Duke School limit increases in tuition in order to remain competitive as well as to ensure that we don’t prohibit many families from having the opportunity of a Duke School education. Moreover, the Duke School Dragon Fund is not solely the responsibility of our current families but rather a community effort. Through tax-deductible gifts to the Dragon Fund, the generosity of all our donors help keep tuition costs more affordable and ensure Duke School maintains our standard of academic excellence for generations to come. 

The responsibility for maintaining and enhancing Duke School’s excellence rests squarely on the shoulders of every member of the community who is a beneficiary of its past or guardian of its future.

We are fortunate to receive support for the Dragon Fund from current families, grandparents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, staff, corporations, foundations and friends of the school. We believe this show of support from members of our entire community is a testament to the impact Duke School has had in the lives of so many students and their families for more than 65 years and to the difference it will make both in our community and our world in the years to come.

Duke School needs every member of the school community to make this institution a charitable giving priority through a gift to the Dragon Fund. A high rate of participation demonstrates to other donors from whom we seek funding that those closest to Duke School go above and beyond in their support of the school. Decisions by foundations to support our school are positively influenced by strong, broad support to the Dragon Fund. Every gift, no matter the size, is important.

Periodic appeals are made for specific needs such as new construction, facility improvements and/or increases to the endowment. These appeals are typical during a capital campaign. While all of these projects are important to the health and longevity of Duke School, the Dragon Fund addresses our most current needs and provides critical unrestricted support during the academic year, and thus is a top priority for the school every year.

Whether you give because the needs noted above resonate with you, or simply to support a school you have come to love, we ask that members of our community participate in giving to the best of their ability. Modeling healthy philanthropic habits is important for our children, and we hope you’ll keep Duke School at the top of your philanthropic priority list.

Gifts of all sizes will be gratefully received, well-utilized and acknowledged in the Annual Report unless the donor makes a specific request to remain anonymous.  Gifts, are recognized as part of the following giving clubs:

Yes. If you prefer to pledge now and pay later, we encourage you to do so! Simply let us know your intended gift amount and the date by which you plan to pay your pledge in full.

The Dragon Fund campaign fiscal year begins on July 1, and closes on June 30, each year. 

At Duke School, as in typical independent school communities, there are numerous opportunities to be involved and participate in supporting the school. We ask that each family, to the extent they are financially able, support the Dragon Fund every year, and that they also participate in periodic appeals made for specific needs such as facility improvements, increases to the endowment and fundraising projects of our parent service organizations.

Since it provides for the school’s core operating expenses, the Trustees have deemed the Dragon Fund a pre-eminent priority of the school. Our parent organizations play an important role in supporting our families, students and teachers through a variety of outreach and community building opportunities as well as fundraising activities. These organizations also offer fantastic opportunities to be actively involved in our community. 

Duke School operates as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit independent day school and gifts to the school are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Cash/Check: Cash gifts or gifts made via check (payable to Duke School) can be sent to:

Duke School
Development Office
3716 Erwin Road
Durham, NC 27705

Credit Card: Duke School accepts gifts made via Visa and MasterCard. You also may make your Dragon Fund gift via periodic installments on your credit card. To take advantage of this convenient giving option, visit our website at www.dukeschool.org or contact Nancy Joyce in the development office at 919.493.9968 or via e-mail at nancy.joyce@dukeschool.org.

Securities: Many individuals donate appreciated stock to Duke School. To initiate a stock transfer or cash wire, contact Russell Rabinowitz in the Duke School Business Office at 919-493-9857 or at russell.rabinowitz@dukeschool.org.

Matching Gifts: Many corporations will match their employee’s gift to Duke School. Any matching gifts will be combined with yours to determine the giving level at which you will be recognized. When applying for a match, companies often ask for the recipient organization’s Federal Tax Identification Number (EIN). Duke School’s EIN is 58-1521494. To find out if your company will match your gift to the Annual Fund, contact your Human Resources department.

E-mail Shenise Foote, Duke Schools’ Director of Development, or contact her at 919-493-9968. You can also reach out to the Director of Dragon Fund and Alumni Relations Alexandria Turnley.

If you are interested in helping with any part of Duke School’s development efforts, we encourage you to reach out and become involved.