Duke officially announces $3.25 billion capital campaign

Duke officially announced its $3.25 billion capital campaign, Duke Forward: Partnering for the Future, Saturday afternoon.

The fundraising campaign, which began in a silent phase two years ago, will benefit each of Duke’s 10 schools and a variety of other University programs. The campaign is launching this weekend with a series of alumni and donor events. This is Duke’s largest capital campaign to date, it and will run through June 2017. The University will benefit from the campaign in three major aspects, according to a Duke news release—“enriching the Duke experience,” “activating Duke’s power for the world” and “sustaining Duke’s momentum.”

Duke Forward raised about $1.325 billion during its planning phase.

"The generosity and vision of our supporters have propelled our rise to the very top tier of universities," President Richard Brodhead said in the release. "Through Duke Forward, we will capitalize on our university's spirit of innovation and partnership to help shape new solutions and train the leaders and problem-solvers our world requires."

The campaign will be manned by Trustees Anne Bass, Bruce Karsh, Trinity ’77, and Board Vice Chair David Rubenstein, Trinity ’70, according to the release. The planning process also involved faculty, academic deans and administrators.

Major gifts during the planning period include an $80 million donation from the Charlotte-based Duke Endowment to renovate buildings on campus, a $50 million gift from Karsh’s family to go toward need-based financial aid and a $25 million bequest from Trustee Jack Bovender, Fuqua ’69, to benefit student programs at the Fuqua School of Business.

Duke Medicine plays a large role in the campaign, with a $1.2 billion goal. They hope to address research, medical education, global health disparities and patient care.

Fundraising will also focus on Duke’s unique strengths—such as interdisciplinary efforts in medicine, the arts, global health, the environment and entrepreneurship, according to the release. The campaign will additionally prioritize financial aid, research, athletics and more.