Thank you

Give to the Sanford Annual Fund

Your support matters

Annual Fund Report

Sanford will reach new heights by continuing to invest in the school's core research and teaching missions.

Hitting goals

In 2021-2022, we surpassed $1.5 million for just the second time. For this we are deeply grateful.

Your Belief

Every donor and every dollar demonstrates your belief in the rigor and quality of a Sanford education. The money supports teaching assistantships, stipends for low-paying internships, scholarships, fellowships, alumni networking, major classroom renovations, and funding for the Dean to respond immediately to the school's most pressing needs.

Strong Foundation

For Sanford to continue on its upward trajectory of success and influence, it must rely on a strong financial foundation that the Annual Fund helps undergird.

Our 2022-2023 Goal: $1,550,000

Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference and inspires others to give.

Please consider making your gift before June 30.

With your help, our students will be transformed by their Duke experience, and will enter the global community uniquely prepared to put knowledge in the service of society and to become the leaders of their generation.

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Annual Fund FAQs

Who supports the annual fund?

Alumni, parents and friends of the Sanford School of Public Policy support and grow its Annual Fund. Alumni participation is vitally important to the annual fund, and undergraduate alumni are invited to participate in giving programs–like class reunions–as part of the larger Duke Annual Fund program. And the graduating class each spring makes a commitment to support the Sanford Annual Fund through a participation drive for MPP and MIDP students.

Look at the Annual Fund Honor Roll here.

Where are the annual fund monies allocated?

Gifts designated for the Sanford Annual Fund are unrestricted. Each year brings its own particular needs and opportunities. Still, some areas, like financial aid, continue to grow in importance and the dean elects such areas to receive additional funding. Last year, your annual fund gifts helped provide financial aid to students, supported the required internships that are a hallmark of a Sanford education, and renovated classrooms in the 1994 Sanford Building to provide the technological infrastructure essential to teaching today.

Giving society membership and recognition

Gifts to the Sanford Annual Fund at the level of $1,000 or more enter the donor into the Washington Duke Giving Society. For public policy studies graduates in the undergraduate classes of 2013-2017, the minimum threshold is $500, while for the most recent graduates (classes of 2018 on), the minimum is $250. Learn about other Giving Societies and their benefits.

Fast & Secure Giving

Making your gift online to the Sanford Annual Fund is fast and secure.