Chapel Hill
DURHAM COUNTY RTP
Carrboro
Zebulon
Raleigh Cary
WAKE COUNTY
Siler City Garner
CHATHAM COUNTY Pittsboro Fuquay-Varina
K-12 Education Grant Program
Wake Forest
ORANGE COUNTY
Arts Grant Program
Durham
Duke University and Other Grant Recipients
Hillsborough
About The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
2018 Annual Report
2018 | Annual Report
A
The Arts
K-12 Education
$370,100
s directed by Mrs. Biddle, the foundation each year gives about half its grant funding to Duke University, and in 2018, MDBF approved grants to Duke totaling $665,000. It also approved grants totaling $670,100 through an open and competitive process to nonprofit organizations that focus on K-12 education and the arts, primarily in the Triangle region of North Carolina. In addition, the foundation approved grants totaling $25,000 to the churches Mrs. Biddle attended and for other projects that advance MDBF’s philanthropic goals.
$300,000
2018 Grants Approved
$1,360,100 Endowment
$32.5 million
Supporting the arts and K-12 education in the Triangle region of North Carolina Clockwise, top left: Pleiades Art, Hispanic Liaison of Chatham County, Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, American Ballet Theater/Duke University masterclass
Duke University
$665,000
Other Grantees
$25,000
CLOCKWISE, TOP LEFT: FRANK MYERS, KEVIN SEIFERT, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, ALEX BOERNER
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
About The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation
Chair’s Message
Impact. This is the watchword for the MDBF board and staff. How can our relatively modest grants better serve nonprofit organizations and their constituencies?
In addition to continuing our singleyear grant program, we also awarded four multi-year grants, one in each of our priority areas. Multi-year funding provides increased financial stability for nonprofits, particularly as they embark on new projects. MDBF invited proposals from organizations to help them build their capacity, recognize and reward artists, and develop and expand hands-on, experiential K-12 learning programs. We expect to make additional multi-year grants on an invitational basis to those organizations with which MDBF has an existing relationship. (continued)
JARED LAZARUS
We addressed that question by articulating more specific goals and criteria for our grantmaking programs in the Arts and K-12 education, limiting our geographic scope, and increasing our grant amounts. In 2018, MDBF had the great pleasure of awarding our first single-year grants under these revamped guidelines. We’re delighted to see the results: our grant focus resonated with area nonprofits, which submitted compelling proposals covering a variety of strong, innovative, and interesting projects.
MDBF Trustees and Administration: Seated, left to right: Chris Harris, Chair; Mimi O’Brien, Executive Director; Ben Jones. Standing, left to right: Todd Walker, Treasurer; James D. Semans, Vice Chair; Lois Deloatch; Russell Bryan, Secretary; Allison Haltom.
In Memoriam
As the longest tenured member of the board, James provided a bridge from the foundation’s current and future operations to its past. He was known for asking perceptive questions and pushing back, gently, when needed to retain this connection. He helped the foundation remain true to its history while also understanding the importance of adapting its practices and processes to fit the changing needs in the nonprofit communities which it serves. He enjoyed meeting with nonprofits and learning about their programs and projects. As a member of the Allocations Committee, his extensive institutional knowledge was invaluable in considering proposals and making decisions.
In 2017, the Biddle Foundation received an extraordinary gift of $1,000,000 from the Jenny Lillian Semans Koortbojian Trust.
DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY
Our beloved friend and trustee James D.B.T. Semans passed away in December 2018. James, vice chair of the foundation, was a grandson of Mary Duke Biddle and son of founding trustees Mary D.B.T. Semans and James H. Semans, M.D. He joined the Biddle board in 1992 and was an active member of the Allocations, Board Affairs, and Legal Committees.
(Chair’s message) We look forward to sharing the impact of these grants over the next several years.
Jenny, granddaughter of Mary Duke Biddle, was a Durham resident, an artist, a friend of the arts, and a lifelong learner. Her gift was placed in the foundation’s endowment, where it will provide continued funding for the arts and education and have an impact for years to come. In 2018, we awarded the first grants supported by this fund, which are identified throughout the report. We appreciate the confidence placed in the foundation to further Jenny’s philanthropic interests. MDBF also had an unparalleled opportunity to partner with the Trust to fund a three-year project at Duke University that will establish a model for innovative, immersive, and engaged arts education at Duke and with the surrounding communities. A description of this project is on the next page. I hope you will enjoy reading about these projects in the pages that follow and will see the impact that the foundation made in 2018.
We will miss his questions, his spirit, his kindness, his wry sense of humor, and his truly loyal friendship. Chris Harris, Chair
Mary Duke Biddle specified that half of the foundation’s funding go to Duke University in recognition of its significance to her and her family. The arts are a central focus for these grants, as are innovative, collaborative projects. She singled out three churches, in Durham, New York City, and Irvington, New York as institutions important to her. Grants are also made to support and strengthen the nonprofit community in North Carolina.
Duke University: Redefining Arts Education
ALEX BOERNER
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o inspire new artistic creation and reinvigorate arts education, Duke University is undertaking three collaborative and intertwined projects rooted in innovation, immersion, and community engagement. The three-year project is funded jointly with a $250,000 grant from The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation and a $250,000 gift from the Jenny Lillian Semans Koortbojian Trust. Dr. Scott Lindroth, vice provost for the arts and the project’s lead, is working with multiple arts departments to create opportunities to engage Duke students, local K-12 students, and the local arts community with forward-thinking artists. For the first project, the Duke Dance Program in collaboration with Duke Performances is hosting a residency for the American Ballet Theater (ABT). The residency will include visits by young dancers from the ABT Studio Company for two weeks each year for three years, and a visit by the main company during the second year, culminating in a series of performances at the Durham Performing Arts Center. In addition, ABT will engage the local dance community, including adult dancers, dance studios, and public high school classes, through masterclasses and other programs. Hosting the worldrenowned ABT offers an unparalleled experience for the Durham community. The second project, known as The Documentary Moment, will team the Center for Documentary Studies, the Master of Fine Arts in
Experimental and Documentary Arts, Arts of the Moving Image, and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. The project will explore fresh approaches to documentary storytelling that are informed by experimental practices and novel settings, such as documentary film in
the context of installations and art exhibits, and in film theater. The Documentary Moment will explore new ways to produce and present documentary storytelling to a wider audience, deepening the relevance and impact both at Duke and beyond. The project will provide additional filmmaking experiences to students in Full Frame’s School of Doc program. The third project, known as The Future of Music, will expand Duke’s Visiting Music Ensembles in Residence program hosted in the Music Department in collaboration with Duke Performances. The project will deepen and expand collaborations with visiting artists and performers, with the focus on masterclasses, readings, and performances and recordings of original compositions. It will enhance music studies at Duke by engaging literate, technicallyskilled artists who embrace contemporary musical thinking and practices. Local K-12 music students from Kidznotes, Mallarmé Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Duke String School, and others will also work with and learn from these talented musicians. The first residency will be Imani Winds, a Grammy-nominated quintet known for their dynamic playing, culturally relevant programming, virtuosic collaborations, and inspirational outreach programs. All three projects are based at the Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke, known as “The Ruby.” As a meeting ground for the arts, the Ruby facilitates curricular innovation by bringing together artistic production, interactions with visiting artists, academic inquiry, and significant community engagement.
Duke University and Other Grant Recipients
Duke University and Other Grant Recipients | $690,000
Grant Recipients at Duke University
Sarah P. Duke Gardens | $10,000 For annual support Trinity College of Arts and Sciences | $211,000 For projects within the Departments of Art, Art History & Visual Studies; Music; and Theater Studies, and the Programs in the Arts of the Moving Image and Dance
Duke University Health System
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN
Nasher Museum of Art | $87,500 For K-12 education programs, exhibitions, conservation efforts, and student internships
Vice Provost for the Arts | $250,000 For “Redefining Arts Education,” three collaborative and intertwined projects rooted in innovation, immersion, and community engagement intended to inspire new artistic creation and reinvigorate arts education. The three-year project is funded jointly with a $250,000 grant from MDBF and a $250,000 gift from the Jenny Lillian Semans Koortbojian Trust. Arts & Health at Duke | $30,000 For the Artists in Residence Program which provides music at patients’ bedsides Duke University School of Medicine | $25,000 For need-based financial aid for third year medical students
Other Grant Recipients Christ Church United Methodist | $5,000 New York, NY For annual support. This grant reflects the long history shared by the church, Mary Duke Biddle, and the Biddle Foundation. Duke Memorial United Methodist Church | $5,000 Durham, NC For annual support. This grant reflects the long history between Duke Memorial, Mary Duke Biddle, and the Biddle Foundation. KEVIN SEIFERT
Duke Performances | $51,500 For Black Atlantic, a festival of music from Africa and the African Diaspora and a three-part residency with the acclaimed Camille A. Brown & Dancers
Above: The Jack Quartet/ Duke University masterclass Left: William Dawson, Arts & Health at Duke
Irvington Presbyterian Church | $5,000 Irvington, NY For annual support. This grant reflects the long history shared by the church, Mary Duke Biddle, and the Biddle Foundation. North Carolina Center for Nonprofits | $5,000 Raleigh, NC For annual support University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill–Campus Y | $5,000 Chapel Hill, NC For the Kenan-Biddle Partnership, which stimulates collaboration between students at UNC-CH and Duke University. This is the third payment on a three-year grant.
Arts Grant Program
Arts Grant Program | $370,100 While remaining committed to its legacy support of the UNC School of the Arts, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation focuses its arts grantmaking on efforts that strengthen arts organizations, encourage collaboration, nurture artistic talent, and reinforce a strong and thriving cultural sector in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina.
UNC School of the Arts: Fostering Creative Innovation
STACY VAN BERKEL
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he University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) established its Alumni Artpreneur of the Year Award to support alumni who generate creative projects of the highest merit, artistic excellence, or innovative potential. With a three-year grant of $75,000 from MDBF, three UNCSA graduates will each receive one-time funding of up to $25,000. The awards will go to generative/lead artists actively working on a creative project with a screening, opening, or publication scheduled within one year. This award is part of the Chancellor’s Artpreneur Initiative, which also includes grants for graduating students and for creative enterprises undertaken by faculty, staff, current students, or alumni. UNCSA defines an Artpreneur as “an artist who is not defined by what is, but inspired by all that could be; who is business savvy and technologically aware; who is devoted to creating value and impact through their creative practice; who reaches beyond existing disciplines to create new ways to connect with others; who is willing to take creative risks in order to positively transform our world.” The Artpreneur awards are part of the university’s strategic goal to establish itself as an incubator for arts-based innovation and entrepreneurship by increasing student and alumni opportunities for artistic and entrepreneurial exploration. Founding MDBF trustees Dr. James H. and Mary D.B.T. Semans were instrumental in establishing UNCSA, the nation’s first state-supported conservatory for the arts. They nurtured a relationship between the foundation and the school that continues to this day.
School of Music Graduate Brass, UNCSA
The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle: Building Capacity for Artistic Expansion
KEVIN SEIFERT
Based in Chapel Hill and founded in 1982, the orchestra will use the grant to cover part of the salary of one of three new full-time positions it is creating to expand its programming and its role in the region’s art community. The new positions include an administrative manager, director of marketing and patron loyalty, and its first executive director. All three positions provide the staffing capacity essential to achieve the Chamber’s artistic goals. The orchestra expects to realize an increase in attendance and income, more effective marketing and communications, and deeper relationships with its patrons. In so doing, it seeks to be a more relevant regional force for great music and advocacy for young performers.
Arts Grants To Preserve and Enrich the Triangle’s Cultural Life and Landscape Artspace | $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support to assess programs and staff capacity and to develop a strategic results framework with a goal of expanding community impact and increasing earned income
COURTESY OF CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
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our advanced music students at Triangle universities will get a special opportunity, as fellows, to train and perform with a professional orchestra. Five new works drawing inspiration from African-American songs and spirituals will be commissioned over five years. A young professional string quartet will get a three-year contract for a 12-week residency each year, and will participate in 40 or more outreach events at local public schools, retirement communities, universities, and other civic settings. Those are among the ambitious goals of The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle that will be supported with a three-year capacity building grant of $75,000 from MDBF.
The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle | $75,000 Chapel Hill, NC Support to increase organizational capacity to allow for artistic expansion and underpin strong existing programs. This grant will be paid over three years and was made by invitation. $10,000 | Support for the 2018-19 concert season. MDBF does not typically make grants for season support. This grant reflects the long history shared by the orchestra and MDBF.
Chatham County Arts Council l $10,000 Pittsboro, NC Support for the Sustainable Small Staff model, which builds organizational capacity to invest in artists and provide K-12 arts education while addressing small nonprofit staffing challenges Choral Society of Durham l $10,000 Durham, NC Support for collaborative performances of “Mass of the Children” in Durham and Raleigh by the Choral Society of Durham and Raleigh Boychoir Durham Art Guild l $10,000 Durham, NC Support to advance and expand Art@Work, which connects local artists with businesses to lease or sell their work and nurtures investment in the arts and culture sector Pleiades Arts | $5,100 Durham, NC Support to define mission and vision, identify priorities, and develop an action plan to increase its impact as a cultural arts resource
Triangle ArtWorks l $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support to develop ArtSwell, a cooperative regional professional development program for Triangle artists and arts organizations VAE l $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support for Queer Home, a communitybuilt installation to highlight the creative contributions and diversity of the queer community while exploring domesticity from the queer perspective
To Develop and Nurture Artistic Talent American Dance Festival l $10,000 Durham, NC Support to commission and premiere a new work by Pilobolus’s first allwomen trio during the 2018 season $10,000 l Support to commission a new work by NC artists Tommy Noonan and Murielle Elizéon of Culture Mill during the 2019 season Black On Black Project | $5,000 Raleigh, NC Support for the Jo Ann Williams Artist Fellowship, a five-month residency for NC artists of color that includes a stipend, studio space, a solo exhibition, and other resources
Opposite page, top: Artspace Below: VAE, American Dance Festival, ShaLeigh Dance Works
Durham Arts Council l $10,000 Durham, NC Support for the Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists awards, which provide professional development project grants to individual artists residing in Durham, Orange, Chatham, Person, and Granville Counties North Carolina Theatre l $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support for “Peace of Clay,” a new work by Mike Wiley and Howard L. Craft. This play is part of the Reflections: Sharing our Stories collaboration between NC Theatre and Theatre Raleigh. ShaLeigh Dance Works l $10,000 Durham, NC Support for the Bamboo Wind project, which commissioned artists in music, film, poetry, photography, sculpture, theatre, costume design, and dance for a multimedia performance
Southern Documentary Fund l $20,000 Durham, NC Support for the final year of a five-year grant to fund documentaries made about North Carolina or by North Carolinians University of North Carolina School of the Arts l $60,000 Winston-Salem, NC UNCSA Dean’s Discretionary and Creative Excellence Fund supports the Deans of the five schools with funds for additional artistic educational resources. This grant reflects the long history shared by UNCSA and MDBF. $75,000 | Support for the Chancellor’s Artpreneur Award: Creative Project, providing support for recent UNCSA alumni involved in a creative project/ enterprise demonstrating artistic excellence and innovation potential. This grant will be paid over three years and was made by invitation.
KEVIN SEIFERT, BEN MCKEOWN FOR ADF
The Justice Theater Project l $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support to build capacity to sustain JTP’s social justice mission of connecting, inspiring, and impacting the community through engaging performing arts outreach, education, and advocacy
K-12 Education Grant Program | $300,000 The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation has a longstanding commitment to youth education. We focus grantmaking on programs that support academic achievement and on arts education in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina. In both areas, MDBF makes grants to help children, especially those in underserved communities, acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors they need to succeed in school, career pathways, and life.
East Durham Children’s Initiative: Preventing Summer Learning Loss
Student Success and Learning Grants
ince 2011, the East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) has provided a comprehensive pipeline of programs and services for low-income children and families living in distressed neighborhoods in Northeast Central Durham. A key focus is connecting students with high-quality out-of-school learning programs that produce measurable results in reading and math proficiency and also provide critical social-emotional supports. Given the correlation between poverty and school performance, it is critical to engage students in East Durham in these programs, particularly to prevent summer learning loss. In 2017, EDCI started the STEAM Summer Camp, a full-day, six-week academic enrichment program for public school students in grades three to five. A three-year grant totaling $75,000 from MDBF will allow EDCI to increase enrollment by 20 students, bringing total enrollment to 180. In the summer camp, students receive full-day, small-group
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle | $10,000 Morrisville, NC Support for the STEMentor Initiative “SMART Saturday Academy,” which provides STEM classes, camps, and activities throughout the year to school-aged children in Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties
EDUCATION GRANT PHOTOS BY KEVIN SEIFERT
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instruction (1:10 teacher to student ratio) in reading, writing, and math, as well as immersive workshops and field trips that focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. Small group instruction enables teachers to identify students’ individual learning needs, academic strengths, and personal interests. Evaluation results from the 2017 Camp indicate that this highly individualized form of instruction yields significant increases in reading fluency and comprehension for students with a wide range of academic proficiency levels.
Communities in Schools of Durham | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for “Sustainable Living & Me,” an agricultural and biology-focused summer enrichment program that integrates science, history, math, and English and includes a teaching garden Communities in Schools of Wake County | $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support for Project CHAMPS, a pilot program that will provide specialized, experiential learning, preparing K-8 students for postsecondary opportunities and the 21st century workforce Durham’s Partnership for Children | $5,000 Durham, NC Support for Durham’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
East Durham Children’s Initiative | $75,000 Durham, NC Support to expand the STEAM Summer Camp which offers individualized and small-group instruction, tailored social-emotional supports, and immersive workshops and field trips. This grant will be paid over three years and was made by invitation. Hispanic Liaison of Chatham County | $10,000 Siler City, NC Support for Orgullo Latinx Pride Youth Group, a year-round program designed to improve academic success for Latinx high school students in Chatham County Teachers2Teachers – International | $10,000 Chapel Hill, NC Support for Bringing STEM Lessons Alive Through Global Math Stories, a professional development program for Chatham County school teachers to help them teach culturally relevant, globally connected STEM lessons The Center for Inquiry Based Learning | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for Hands-on STEM, which provides all K-5 teachers in Durham Public Schools with professional development in STEM subjects and with instructional kits for their classrooms The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for the Institute for Civic Engagement, which allows high school students to develop skills and knowledge for effective civic participation
Arts Education Grants Arts Access | $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support for the Durham Arts Inclusion Project, a professional development program for arts educators to increase the participation of K-12 students with disabilities in cultural arts activities Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for the Teach the Teachers and Youth Screening programs $75,000 | Support to pilot and establish a new School of Doc afterschool program. This grant will be paid over three years and was made by invitation.
Community Health Coalition | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for “My View of a Healthy World,” a PhotoVoice project using digital photography to improve students’ literacy levels and critical thinking through the examination of community health issues Kidznotes | $10,000 Durham, NC Support for the ‘Vivaldi’ curriculum for middle school and early high school students, using the nationally-recognized El Sistema model for youth empowerment and development through music education Music is Life | $5,000 Raleigh, NC Support for a music enrichment program that is aligned with NC Music Standards and encourages music literacy programming incorporated with STEM Puppet Show | $5,000 Chapel Hill, NC Support to foster character education and promote social emotional learning in young children, through programs aligned with NC Essential Standards
Communities in Schools of Wake County and United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County | $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support to expand the in-service arts integration professional development program to 32 middle school teachers in two eastern Wake County schools to promote arts education standards
Voices Together | $5,000 Durham, NC Support for the Little Voices Program, which uses music-based therapy as an innovative, early intervention program for young children with developmental differences
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival’s School of Doc: Learning Teamwork Through Filmmaking
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he Full Frame Documentary Film Festival added an after-school program to its highly successful School of Doc summer program, with support from a three-year grant of $75,000 from MDBF. Established in 2011, the School of Doc brings Durham public high school students together to work as a crew to produce a PSA for a local nonprofit organization, free of charge. Coursework includes all technical elements of the craft: camera, lights, sound, editing, and special effects, as well as pre- and post-production considerations such as rights and clearances, graphics, and credits. Part of what makes the School of Doc distinctive is that students create a team and learn valuable skills beyond filmmaking, such as conflict resolution, compromise, and collaboration. School of Doc students requested an afterschool program to continue to develop skills and build competitive portfolios that can be used to apply
for film schools, internships, or jobs. Through this program, students will refine their skills and delve into more advanced techniques to produce a short documentary film. In addition, scheduled speakers and fields trips will connect students with professionals who hire interns or filmmaking staff. Students will develop their job-seeking skills, including how to approach professionals and pitch themselves and their work. By the end of the program, students will have identified a local connection to serve as a potential employer or mentor.
K-12 Education Grant Program
Wake Education Partnership | $10,000 Raleigh, NC Support for SummerSTEM, a professional development program for Wake County Public Schools educators, giving them project-based learning tools and STEM immersion experiences to bring realworld lessons to their classrooms
Our History Mary Lillian Duke Biddle (18871960) was born in Durham, N.C., the daughter of Benjamin Newton Duke and Sarah Pearson Angier Duke. She attended public schools in Durham and graduated from Trinity College, later named Duke University in honor of her grandfather, Washington Duke. Mrs. Biddle developed an appreciation for the importance of philanthropy from her father, who was the guiding hand behind many of the Duke family’s charitable activities. Duke University, in particular, flourished in its early days thanks to the financial backing of her grandfather, father,
and uncle James B. Duke, who were successful entrepreneurs as well as philanthropists. In September 1956, she established The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Mrs. Biddle directed that at least one-half of the foundation’s grants be made to Duke University and identified three churches as institutions important to her. Otherwise, she was intentionally broad in her directions to future trustees on how and where to award grants. Mrs. Biddle valued the input and wisdom of her friends and trusted advisors, and, from the beginning, the foundation’s Board of Trustees
has included family and non-family members. The foundation continues her practice of actively engaging members of the community to serve as trustees. In 2018 the board was comprised of three family and four non-family members. Mrs. Biddle’s vision for current and purposeful giving drives the work of the foundation’s trustees and staff.
Staff Mimi O’Brien, Executive Director Kathy L. Harrison, Executive Assistant
Contributors Andrea Cobb, Artist Colleen Carrigan, Art Director Todd Cohen, Writer Kevin Seifert, Photographer
MissionPost, PMB #101 | 318 Blackwell Street, Suite 130 | Durham, NC 27701 | 919.493.5591 | www.mdbf.org