DUKE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY

Philanthropic Leaders for Children's Health

The Duke Children's Society is a special group of annual donors committed to the Duke Children’s mission of clinical care, pediatric research, and provider education that will impact children not just in Durham, but around the world. Support from members of this society provides the philanthropic leadership for this critical work.

This society honors the generosity of supporters who have given $2,500 or more during a fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) to Duke Children’s. The impact of your generosity is significant as we continue our mission to provide hope and healing for the children and families we treat. Your Duke Children’s Society commitment helps us continue our mission to build a healthier tomorrow for our children.

Please make your gift today! For more information, contact Amelia Howle at amelia.howle@duke.edu
 

In recognition of your Duke Children’s Society membership, you will receive the following benefits:

  • Special invitation for two people to a Duke Children’s annual event
  • Your name listed on the Annual wall in the Duke Children’s Health Center and the Leadership Society or Innovators Society wall in Duke Clinic
  • Subscription to Stories magazine twice a year and The Bounce quarterly
    e-newsletter
A blue Duke Children's Bouncing Ball with the text "Duke Children's Society" juxtaposed on top of it.

“It is not exaggeratory to say, ‘These providers saved my child’s life.’ I will forever be grateful for how they have cared for him. He has a complicated body and multiple providers across various teams work closely together to come up with the best plan for him.” - Julie Forrest, Duke Children's Patient Parent and Duke Children's Society Member

Zach and his parents, Julie and James

Duke Children's Society Levels: 

Partners - $2,500
Your Partners level gift can provide 11 infant seats to comfort and soothe babies in the Intensive Care Nursery.

Champions - $5,000
Your Champions level gift can fund the pet therapy research program for over a year to comfort and calm children receiving treatment.

Leadership - $10,000
Your Leadership level gift can cover the cost of 20 3D-printed hearts for planning complex pediatric heart surgeries.

Innovators - $25,000
Your Innovators level gift can provide an advanced patient simulator to train neonatology teams in the care of pre-term babies.

The Duke Children's Society Luncheon

The second annual Duke Children’s Society Celebration was held on September 14, 2023 at Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center on Duke University campus. The Duke Children’s Society recognizes annual donors who give $2,500 or more cumulatively to any area at Duke Children’s. In the 2022 fiscal year, Duke Children’s Society members contributed $4M, which is 40% of the total revenue raised through annual fundraising.

Nearly 125 attendees heard from K.C. Nelson, Chair of the Duke Children’s National Leadership Council, and Dr. Ann M. Reed, chair of the department of pediatrics and physician-and-chief of Duke Children’s. They were given a special video tour of Duke Children’s and were our first audience to meet our 2023-2024 Champion Patient Ambassadors.

During the event, the Forrest family shared their incredible Duke Children’s story that led them to become Society members by supporting pediatric urology research that will help more children like their son, Zach. Chief of the division of pediatric urology, John Wiener, MD, who is one of Zach’s providers, shared his mission to help children like Zach by improving overall quality of life and the joy and importance of working collaboratively with other providers across Duke Children’s to create comprehensive care plans for every patient.

Two awards were presented during the event: the Duke Children's Hero Award to Hands for Hearts and the first-ever Duke Children's Partner Award to MIX 101.5 

Read more about the 2023 Duke Children's Society Luncheon 

The Duke Children's Hero Award

The Duke Children’s Hero Award is presented to individuals who have shown an exceptional commitment to furthering Duke Children’s mission of providing the best medical care to every child. The honoree or honorees must be advocates, supporters, partners, and friends of Duke Children’s who are willing to devote their own time and resources to help our patients, providers, researchers, and staff. The award was established in 2018 to show our gratitude to those who hold Duke Children’s in a special place in their hearts.

Duke Children's Hero Award Winners:

  • Hands for Hearts, 2023
  • Joan and Glenn Petty, the 'Jump for the Children' Horse Show, 2022
  • The Krzyzewski Family, 2019 
  • Jim Kelly, MIX 101.5, 2018
  • Stan Simmerson, Duke University Hospital, 2018 
Hands for hearts

The Duke Children's Partner Award

The Duke Children’s Partner Award is a new award to recognize and honor our corporate partners who have shown an exceptional commitment to furthering the Duke Children’s mission of providing the best medical care to every child. These organizations must be staunch advocates for Duke Children’s, aligning their social responsibility with our missions of world-class clinical care, pediatric research that saves lives, and provider education that will shape the pediatricians of tomorrow.

Duke Children's Partner Award Winners:

  • MIX 101.5 and Capitol Broadcasting Company, 2023
MIX 101.5

YOUR GIFT CREATES A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

We appreciate gifts of any size, making sure that your generosity is used to advance medical care and provide a better tomorrow for our children. You can choose a dollar amount to give now, or continue exploring more ways that you can support Duke Children’s.