Doris Duke Foundation
American charitable foundation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) is a charitable foundation based in the United States. It was established in 1996, following the 1993 death of billionaire heiress Doris Duke, who bequeathed the bulk of her $1.2 billion fortune to the Foundation, with the mission of providing grants for performing arts,[1] the environment,[2] education,[3] child welfare,[4][5] medical research,[6] and fostering goodwill and inclusion with the Muslim community of the United States.[7][8]
The Foundation has given several significant awards to individual artists in the performing arts, including the Doris Duke Dance Award for New Work,[9] and a large unstricted grant, the Doris Duke Artist Award, a program which began in 2011 and was previously called the Doris Duke Performing Artist Initiative.[10]
Administration
Doris Duke's friend and adviser, Bernard Lafferty, was named executor of the will and a trustee of the foundation. The will also named a friend, Marian Oates Charles, as a trustee, but gave Lafferty authority to appoint the other three members of the board.[7] Lafferty died on November 4, 1996, at age 51.[11]
The Board of Trustees is currently chaired by Samsher Gill, and Anthony Fauci serves as Vice Chair.[12]