To President Vincent Price, Duke is not just ambitious — it’s also optimistic, team-oriented and goal-driven. That’s why the University coined its major fundraising campaign “Made for This”: to define an institution ready to embark on its second century.
Following Duke’s announcement of its major fundraising campaign, The Chronicle spoke to the University’s president about the campaign and how it aims to serve Duke in the years to come.
“How we advance science and technology, how we work to create a more sustainable planet, how we invest in the next generation of leaders … [and how we] advance health care to help communities thrive … will profoundly shape the future,” Price said of the campaign’s four main pillars.
The campaign focuses on research in computing, materials science and body and brain resilience to make strides in science and technology, while for the Climate Commitment, it aims to build on researchers’ work and push sustainable practices across campus. To improve the student experience, it seeks to enhance access, wellness and learning opportunities, and for Duke Health, to encourage world-class care, innovation and education.
Price also outlined the process by which Duke receives donations and how those funds are stored and spent.
He explained that funds are “commitments” made by donors and provided over a set period of time. These funds may take the form of an endowment, such as professorships and scholarships. Other gifts, which “are intended for expenditure over a bigger window of time,” include building laboratory facilities, which are categorized as “term funds.”
“Made for This” aims to utilize both endowment and facility-based capital developments. According to Price, the majority of the campaign’s funds will go towards creating new professorships, expanding financial aid for students and offering programmatic activities to enable students, faculty and staff to do their “very best work.”
Although the University “never stops raising funds” in pursuit of its mission, Duke notably made no significant push to fundraise during its Centennial celebrations in 2024. However, Price explained that this intentional decision allowed the Centennial to serve as a “moment of reflection” on Duke’s achievements rather than on how to “resource [its] future.”
“The campaign coming off of the Centennial is that opportunity to think about how we come together to make sure that we have — as a community — the resources to fuel our ambitions,” he said. “The timing of the campaign, as we move into our second century, is absolutely related to the Centennial, but we wanted to make sure that the Centennial ha[d] its time, its own moment.”
Breaking precedent from campaigns during President Emerita Nannerl Keohane and President Emeritus Richard Brodhead’s tenures, Duke has not announced a dollar goal for this fundraiser. Instead, the effort centers on not only tangible philanthropic donations, but also how the community can “give back through their volunteerism and expertise,” according to David Kennedy, vice president for alumni engagement and development.
“This is what will be distinctive about this campaign — [placing] more of a focus on non-financial ways we can partner and work together,” Price said.
The president emphasized that planning for the “Made for This” campaign spanned several years. The product, he shared, is reflective of an effort to articulate the University’s goals of “working, collaborating and resourcing [its] ambitions to [serve] the entire Duke community and beyond.”
However, the campaign’s launch coincides with threats to higher education from the Trump administration, in particular, the targeting of federal research grants. Price reflected on how the campaign aims to navigate this terrain in its pursuit to develop the health system.
He noted that despite the challenges to federal funding — which Duke takes “very seriously” — the campaign is the “ideal way to carry forward” Duke’s mission, “regardless of the future.”
Price admitted that although philanthropy is one “set of resources,” it will not completely fill the gaps presented by such funding cuts. However, as the University works to continue its partnership with the federal government, he remained optimistic that “the campaign is perfectly timed to address these needs.”
Ultimately, Price shared that the campaign’s main goal is to bring together the Duke community — students, alumni and other supporters alike — to shape the University’s future. He highlighted Duke’s ability to advance innovative work not just on its own campus, but across the higher education landscape more broadly.
“Duke University is made for this moment. We've just celebrated 100 years, our ascent in higher education is unrivaled, we're a young university, we’re ambitious [and] we’re adaptable,” Price said. “… The world needs a university like Duke now … Let's get together [and] let's get to work.”
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Abby Spiller is a Trinity junior and editor-in-chief of The Chronicle's 120th volume.