2025 Grantees
2025 Multiyear Grants
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Invest in its historic home to secure a vibrant, innovative arts hub.
Organizational Life Stage: Established
Total Amount Awarded: $60,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Wake
Website Link: https://artspacenc.org/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Sustainably build capacity and strengthen fundraising.
Organizational Life Stage: Established
Total Amount Awarded: $150,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Chatham
Website Link: https://www.chathamartscouncil.org/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Strengthen administrative capacity and increase opportunities for earned income.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $150,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website Link: https://gasparddancers.org/company/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Strengthen organizational infrastructure and increase financial stability.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $60,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Triangle
Website Link: https://www.paperhandpuppet.org/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Strengthen and diversify fundraising and pilot earned income strategies.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $90,000
Funding Area: Arts Education
County: Wake
Website Link: https://www.thegiftedarts.org/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Prepare for a leadership transition.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $105,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Wake
Website Link: https://www.triangleartworks.org/
2025 | 3-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Grow bilingual academic support for immigrant students and increase engagement of refugee and immigrant families in schools by sustainably scaling staff.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $120,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham
Website Link: https://worldrelief.org/durham/
2025 One-Year Grants
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Strengthen fundraising capacity to support program growth and long-term financial sustainability.
Organizational Life Stage: Established
Total Amount Awarded: $9,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham and Orange
Website Link: https://bgcdoc.org/
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Develop a 3-5 year strategic plan to help guide its growth and long-term sustainability.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $9,000
Funding Area: Arts Education
County: Durham
Website Link: https://www.bumpthetriangle.org/
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Build organizational stability through developing partnerships, expanding staff, and increasing earned revenue.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $9,000
Funding Area: Arts Education
County: Durham
Website Link: https://bullcitywoodshop.org/
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Build the fundraising infrastructure that will support long-term program growth.
Organizational Life Stage: Developing
Total Amount Awarded: $9,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Wake
Website Link: https://trcnc.org/
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Strategic Goal: Strengthen its marketing, branding, and outreach to expand visibility and build broader community engagement.
Organizational Life Stage: Established
Total Amount Awarded: $9,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Wake
Website Link: https://theatreraleigh.com/
Historical Relationship Grants
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $20,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by the American Dance Festival and the Biddle Foundation.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
This grant reflects the long history shared by Christ Church United Methodist and Mrs. Biddle's family.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
This grant reflects the long history shared by Duke Memorial United Methodist Church and Mrs. Biddle's family.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
2025 | One-Year Special Project Grant for the Emerging Artists Grant Program
Total Amount Awarded: $20,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by the Durham Arts Council and the Biddle Foundation.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
This grant reflects the long history shared by Irvington Presbyterian Church and Mrs. Biddle's family.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $ 20,000
2025 | One-Time Support for 50th Anniversary
Total Amount Awarded: $25,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by the Hayti Heritage Center and the Duke family.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $20,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Triangle
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the Biddle Foundation.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $70,000
Funding Area: The Arts
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by the UNCSA and the Biddle Foundation.
Adapting to a Changing Funding Landscape
2025 | One-Time Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham and Orange
Website
Invitational grant to support capacity building in response to federal, state, and/or local funding changes.
2025 | Special Program Grant for the McKinney-Vento Community Support Fund
Total Amount Awarded: $25,000
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham
Website
Invitational grant to support capacity building in response to federal, state, and/or local funding changes. This grant is made in partnership with the Durham Funders Collaborative.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $15,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Orange
Website
Invitational grant to support capacity building in response to federal, state, and/or local funding changes.
2025 | One-Year Leadership Transition Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
2025 | One-Time Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $15,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
Invitational grant to support nonprofits impacted by federal, state, and/or local funding changes.
2025 | One-Time Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $15,000
Funding Area: Arts Education
County: Wake
Website
Invitational grant to support nonprofits impacted by federal, state, and/or local funding changes.
Disaster Relief Grants
2025 | One-Time Disaster Relief Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $25,000
Website
This grant supports the NCCF’s Disaster Relief Fund which supports long-term rebuilding efforts for communities affected by Hurricane Helene is Western North Carolina.
2025 | One-Time Disaster Relief Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Orange
Website
Invitational grant to support rebuilding efforts due to the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal.
2025 | One-Time Disaster Relief Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Triangle
Website
Invitational grant to support rebuilding efforts due to the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal.
Other Grants
2025 | One-Time Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham
Website
2025 | One-Time Special Project Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $7,500
Funding Area: Student Academic Success
County: Durham
Website
2025 | Food Insecurity Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
2025 | Grant to honor retiring MDBF Trustee, Ben Jones
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
County: Chatham
Website
Invitational grant responding to federal funding shifts to food security programs.
2025 | One-Time Operating Support Grant, Multiyear Finalist
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: Arts Education
County: Wake
Website
2025 | One-Year Leadership Transition Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
2025 | Food Insecurity Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
County: Durham
Website
Invitational grant responding to federal funding shifts to food security programs.
2025 | Food Insecurity Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $10,000
County: Triangle
Website
Invitational grant responding to federal funding shifts to food security programs.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
Website
This grant reflects the foundation’s support of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits as an essential resource for the nonprofit sector.
2025 | Special Project Grant for the 2025 Uproar! Public Art Exhibition
Total Award Amount: $1,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Orange
Website
Fiscal Sponsor: Triangle ArtWorks
2025 | One-Time Special Project Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $5,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
An invitational special project grant supporting the development and delivery of accessibility-focused professional development for individual artists.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $4,500
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
2025 | One-Time Grant for TCF’s Responsive Grantmaking Program
Total Amount: $10,000
County: Triangle
Website
This collaborative funding grant supports TCF’s responsive grant making program created in response to nonprofits impacted by federal, state, or local funding changes.
Duke University Grants
2025 | One-Year Operating Support
Total Amount Awarded: $60,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
Funding supports the Musician-in-Residence and Semans-Byrd Performing Arts Coordinator position.
2025 | One-Year Project Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $40,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
Funding supports the artist experience at the Festival and related professional development opportunities.
2025 | One-Year Project Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $75,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
Grant funds support the Duke Arts Fellows Program in partnership with Durham Public Schools and the Duke Arts at American Tobacco Campus in partnership with the Hayti Heritage Center.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant for Trinity College’s 5 arts departments
Total Amount Awarded: $275,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount Awarded: $125,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
Funding supports the Nasher’s education programs, exhibitions, and 20th anniversary community engagement event.
2025 | One-Year Operating Support Grant
Total Amount: $50,000
Funding Area: The Arts
County: Durham
Website
This grant reflects the long history shared by Sarah P. Duke Gardens and the Biddle Foundation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
MDBF views our arts grantmaking through an equity lens. We are particularly interested in supporting organizations led by people of color, that incorporate arts accessibility into their work, and whose boards and staff reflect the diversity of the Triangle. By accessibility, we mean opportunities to encounter, appreciate, and participate in the arts. We support organizations that embrace and advance DEI practices and work towards equitable access and engagement in the arts.
