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
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Duke University Trinity College of Arts & Sciences ($275,000), Duke University ($119,995), Duke University- Nasher Museum of Art ($115,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN DANCE FESTIVAL DURHAM, NC | 2024 HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP | $50,000 |
| ARTSPACE INC RALEIGH, NC | 2024 ARTS OPERATING BUDGET | $15,000 |
| BISCUITS & BANJOS FESTIVAL - UNMANAGEABLE NASHVILLE, TN | ARTS GRANT | $10,000 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF CENTRAL CAROLINA SANFORD, NC | EDUCATION GRANT | $25,000 |
| CHATHAM COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL INC PITTSBORO, NC | 2024 OPERATING GRANT | $12,500 |
| CHRIST CHURCH UNITED METHODIST NEW YORK, NY | FOR ANNUAL SUPPORT. THIS GRANT REFLECTS THE LONG HISTORY SHARED BY THE CHURCH, MARY DUKE BIDDLE, AND THE BIDDLE FOUNDATION. | $5,000 |
| CIRCLE CITY THEATRE COMPANY PITTSBORO, NC | 2024 ARTS GRANT | $5,000 |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE, NC | HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF | $50,000 |
| DUKE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH DURHAM, NC | FOR ANNUAL SUPPORT. THIS GRANT REFLECTS THE LONG HISTORY SHARED BY THE CHURCH, MARY DUKE BIDDLE, AND THE BIDDLE FOUNDATION. | $5,000 |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY - DUKE ARTS PRESENTS DURHAM, NC | ARTS GRANT | $70,000 |
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation fund?
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, sk…
How do I apply for a grant from The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation?
**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $1,000 to $565,000. **Active Grant Programs:** The foundation currently offers six active grant opportunities: • The Arts: One-Year Grant • The Arts: Multiyear Grant • Student Academic Success: One-Year Grant • Student Academic Success: Multiyear Grant • Arts Education: One-Year Grant • Arts Education: Multiyear Grant **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation made 39 grants in 2024, with total giving of $1,499,995. Recent grantees include the Universit…
Where does The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation make 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.
What size grants does The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation award?
In 2024, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation awarded 51 grants totaling $1.5M — an average of about $29K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation's EIN?
The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6068883. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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