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What happens when you combine Duke's Centennial celebration, the enduring legacy of Terry Sanford, and the "outrageous ambition" of the Duke alumni community? Something truly remarkable takes root, it turns out.
In January 2024, the Development and Alumni Relations team at the Sanford School of Public Policy launched "Sanford Serves," inviting all Duke alumni worldwide to honor these milestones and plant seeds of change in their communities through service. The initial goal felt ambitious yet fitting: collectively contribute 100 hours. However, what blossomed from that initial seed surpassed all expectations, quickly transforming a celebratory idea into a vibrant, ongoing movement of impact that resonated across the entire Duke family.
SEEDS OF CHANGE
It started as a small experiment by Maggie Stroud, Sanford's Associate Director of Alumni Relations. Inspired by her own volunteer service and the tiny "seeds of change," she saw through serving. The initiative taps directly into the spirit articulated by the school's namesake, Terry Sanford, who believed Duke should cultivate minds with "an abiding concern for justice, with a resolve for compassion and concern for others...with a dedication to service to society." He declared these goals "worthy of outrageous ambitions," a challenge Duke alumni seem uniquely poised to accept, providing fertile ground for initiatives like this. Sanford Serves offered a simple, yet powerful channel: choose a public service mission that is meaningful to you, commit your time and talents, and share your experience.
From Durham to D.C., California to the United Kingdom, the response took root immediately and flourished. The initial 100-hour collective goal wasn't just met; it was shattered, with alums logging over 2,000 hours within the first few months and surpassing 3,000 hours to date. More than 200 alumni, representing graduation years spanning from 1978 to 2024, and incredibly, all twelve Duke schools and colleges, jumped in. Whether dedicating 30 minutes or several hours, their combined efforts have nourished over 80 organizations across 14 states and two countries to date.
"We in the Development and Alumni Relations office are truly blown away by the outpouring of enthusiasm for Sanford Serves," said Josh Bond, Associate Dean for Development & Alumni Relations. "To see alumni from every Duke school and generation answer this call to service is a testament to the incredible spirit of the Duke community. It’s been inspiring to see how a simple idea to celebrate the Centennial and honor Terry Sanford’s legacy of service to society has sparked meaningful service around the world —while bringing our alumni closer together.
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At a recent Sanford Serves event, Sanford alumni and friends worked to pack diapers for the Diaper Bank of North Carolina. Together, they wrapped a total of 10,250 diapers.
Launched by Sanford but embraced by Blue Devils everywhere, Sanford Serves has become more than just a Centennial initiative.
Sanford alumni network volunteers
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The beauty of Sanford Serves lies in the diverse seeds alums chose to sow in their communities, often connecting their unique skills and passions to local needs. Christine Graham MPP’08 found a way to merge her Duke degree with how she volunteers at a local elementary school: "I focused on social and education policy during my MPP program at Duke, and now my volunteering also focuses on public education. I am the PTA president at my children’s Title I elementary school in Herndon, Virginia. My focus this year was bringing together different students, families, and communities.”
For others, service is a conduit for their existing interests. Kat Olin T'93 P’27 “I feel so fortunate to have discovered PAWS NY because it allows me to combine my passion for animals with my passion for helping others. The mission of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS) NY is to help New York City’s most vulnerable residents remain with their pets by delivering critical programs and services through a community of partners and volunteers. I have volunteered for multiple PAWS NY clients, walking their dogs, taking their pets to veterinary appointments, and simply being there to listen. I have no doubt I have gained more from my PAWS NY experience than I have given, and I have shared my joy with other Duke alumni who now volunteer for PAWS NY as well.”
Similarly, Kristen Macleod PPS'03, serving with Family Centers counseling service, focused on planting the value of service for the next generation: “It’s important for me to model service and giving back to the community with my children, so this was a great opportunity to do so with my son Hayes.”
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The initiative also fostered connections, deepening the roots of the Duke network. Regional service events brought alumni together in Durham, Nashville, and Washington D.C. Colleen Crowley F'86, after supporting a Turning the Page book drive and volunteering at their sale in Georgetown, shared, "I really enjoyed meeting other Duke alumni during the event!" In Durham, members of the Duke Alumni Board, including Mimi Bliss PPS’88 and Daniel Karslake PPS'87, along with over a dozen other alumni leaders, pitched in together at the Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI).
Each participant receives a Sanford Serves t-shirt, a small token that became a symbol of a shared commitment, popping up in photos shared online with the #SanfordServes hashtag and nurturing a sense of a "virtual family" united in purpose.
Launched by Sanford but embraced by Blue Devils everywhere, Sanford Serves has become more than just a Centennial initiative. It's a testament to the enduring Duke mindset of service and leadership, a living example of Planting Seeds of Change. Given its profound success and the overwhelming enthusiasm from alumni, the Sanford School has decided to keep growing. Sanford Serves will continue, becoming an enduring part of its commitment to service. As the initiative continues to aim for even greater engagement among alumni and nurture this growth, it’s clear that the Duke community’s dedication to service is outrageously ambitious, making a tangible difference and cultivating a positive impact, one hour and one act of service at a time.
“Terry Sanford envisioned a school committed to ethical leadership and knowledge in service to society – goals he felt were worthy of 'outrageous ambition.' ‘Sanford Serves' brings that vision to life vibrantly, and we are so incredibly grateful to our very own Maggie Stroud for conceiving this brilliant initiative", said Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan. "Watching our alumni, and indeed graduates from across Duke, embrace this call during the Centennial year, dedicating their time and talents to planting seeds of positive change in communities near and far... that is the heart of Terry's mission in action. It demonstrates the profound and lasting impact of engaged citizenship that Sanford strives to foster every day."