The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation is a private foundation based in Durham, North Carolina, established in 1956. The foundation supports arts nonprofits, arts education, and PreK-12 education organizations, with a particular focus on the Triangle region of North Carolina. The foundation also maintains historical commitments to Duke University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and three churches that held significance to Mary Duke Biddle and her family.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$43.0M
+5.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
-5.7% YoY
Grant Count
51
-8.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
+3.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to support arts organizations, artists, and K-12 education in the Triangle region of North Carolina, with the goal of improving people's lives and responding to evolving community needs.
The foundation's primary grantmaking focuses on three areas:
The Arts — Supporting arts nonprofits and artists in the Triangle region.
Arts Education — Funding K-12 arts education programs, with emphasis on helping children in under-resourced communities acquire knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to succeed in school, career pathways, and life.
Student Academic Success — Supporting PreK-12 education organizations focused on student success and learning, particularly for students lacking access to programs and opportunities due to economic conditions, race or ethnic background, geography, disability, abuse, or neglect.
Per Mary Duke Biddle's direction, one-half of the foundation's funding goes to Duke University.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $1,000 to $565,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation makes grants to organizations located in and serving students in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina. The foundation also maintains historical grantmaking in New York and Tennessee, and continues support for Duke University and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $43,028,444 (as of 2024)
Total Giving: $1,499,995 (2024)
Total Revenues: $3,840,733 (2024)
Total Expenses: $3,211,057 (2024)
Annual Revenue (2023): $1,918,788
Annual Expenses (2023): $2,960,000
Total Assets (2023): $40,900,000
The foundation has been tax-exempt since June 1958.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $43,028,444 | $40,889,071 | $38,339,116 |
| Revenue | $3,840,733 | $1,918,788 | $3,094,907 |
| Expenses | $3,211,057 | $2,960,771 | $2,954,187 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,999,979 | $2,167,479 | $2,168,396 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,580,669 | $1,163,337 | $2,395,605 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,964,883 | $1,934,687 | $2,025,713 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
249 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
Arts Education: Multiyear Grant
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
Amount
US $15,000 - US $50,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Arts Education: One-year Grant
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
Amount
US $5,000 - US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
PreK-12 Education Grant
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mimi O'Brien — Executive Director
The foundation employs 2 people.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARGARET MIMI O'BRIEN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $204,592 |
| DR YOMI ADIGUN | TREASURER | 5 | $6,000 |
| GEORGE BIDDLE | TRUSTEE | 5 | $6,000 |
| C RUSSELL BRYAN | VICE CHAIR | 5 | $6,000 |
| E'VONNE COLEMAN-COOK | TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| LOIS DELOATCH | MDBF ALLOCATIONS COMMITTEE | 5 | $3,500 |
| N ALLISON HALTOM | MDBF ALLOCATIONS COMMITTEE | 5 | $3,500 |
| BEN JONES | CHAIR | 5 | $1,500 |
| DR JACKIE LOONEY | TRUSTEE | 5 | $6,000 |
| JOE LUCAS | TRUSTEE | 5 | $6,000 |
Contact Information
Address: 318 Blackwell Street, Durham, NC 27701-2883
Phone: 919-493-5591
Email: info@mdbf.org
Website: mdbf.org
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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