The Duke Endowment
Elizabeth (Ellie) Smith currently serves as a Program Officer at The Duke Endowment, having previously held the role of Program Analyst. Smith's experience includes work as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Atrium Health and a Research Associate at Denver Health, where involvement in the surgery and trauma department focused on developing new protocols and care guidelines for trauma patients. Prior research experience encompasses positions as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, where Smith analyzed nonpharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a Teaching Assistant at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Educational qualifications include an MSPH in Global Disease Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Public Health Sciences degree with Biology and Anthropology minors from Santa Clara University.
The Duke Endowment
Since 1924, The Duke Endowment has worked to help people and strengthen communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Fulfilling a Legacy Located in Charlotte, N.C., the Endowment seeks to fulfill the visionary genius and innovative legacy of James Buchanan Duke, one of the great industrialists and philanthropists of the 20th century. Mr. Duke established the Endowment in 1924 with $40 million. In 1925, it was expanded with an additional $67 million from his estate. Adjusted for present value, Mr. Duke's total gifts would amount to more than $1.4 billion today. Governed by a board of trustees, Endowment staff conduct grantmaking according to guidelines in Mr. Duke's original Indenture of Trust, a legal document that remains relevant and timely after nearly 90 years. Our Work The Endowment has awarded nearly $3.6 billion in grants since its inception, including over $1.5 billion to Duke University. With assets of $3.35 billion in 2015, the Endowment is one of the nation's largest 501(c)(3) private foundations. Today, almost 82 percent of our total spending goes to grantmaking. Financial information is available on our web site or by contacting us.