Doris Duke Foundation: Letter of Inquiry

The majority of the Doris Duke Foundation’s (DDF) grants are awarded through competitive (request-for-proposal) processes or by invitation. While very few grants result from unsolicited letters of inquiry, foundation staff do review unsolicited letters from nonprofit organizations to see if there is a possible fit with DDF’s program goals and strategies and to identify potential funding opportunities.

Prior to submitting a letter of inquiry to DDF, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to review the grantmaking processes for the appropriate program to determine the potential fit of their project with the program’s strategies.

The Doris Duke Foundation seeks to demonstrate how effective conservation can protect and restore nature, help address climate change and promote a more equitable society. We support initiatives that increase the pace and scale of land conservation and stewardship across the United States to protect biodiversity, bolster the resilience of natural areas and advance climate change mitigation. We also focus on conservation efforts that advance equity, in particular for communities that identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color. To achieve these goals, the foundation concentrates on three complementary and intersecting areas of focus: Nature, Climate, and Equity