The Foundation advances the cause of improving care for the terminally ill and their families in several ways, including, but not limited to:

Support of the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life

The Foundation is a founding benefactor of the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, the nation’s first comprehensive institute for the advancement of research, education and caregiving for those near death.

Using a unique interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the spiritual, psychosocial and medical care necessary for “dying well,” the Institute is involved in research, practical training for the entire spectrum of end-of-life caregivers and the stimulation of public discourse and learning about death, dying and bereavement issues.

The Foundation’s financial support is critical to the ongoing work of the Duke Institute. Its founding grant of $10 million will fund such planned initiatives as: 

Research Grants and Partnerships

The Foundation awards grants to fund promising research studies at sites throughout the country, including hospices, teaching hospitals, other providers and academic research centers.

The Foundation focuses on supporting research that springs from the actual observations and experiences of caregivers dealing with the terminally ill and that has the potential for rapid transfer to practical, bedside caregiving.

To better leverage its resources, the Foundation partners with other grant makers and philanthropic institutions that share its interest in end-of-life care to fund major research initiatives that may be beyond the scope of any one grant-making source.

“Special Needs” Grants for Individual Patients and Families

Perhaps the most compelling and concrete examples of how the Foundation’s resources are used to make a difference in people’s lives fall under the category of “Special Needs.” The Foundation makes grants to fund extraordinary expenses that lie outside the realm of hospice care but are nevertheless critically important to the comfort or peace of mind of patients and their families.

The examples are many. For the patient dying in the middle of summer in a stifling apartment, the Foundation provides funds for a window air conditioner. For another patient, the Foundation makes it possible for beloved family members living at a distance to fly to the patient’s bedside in time for final farewells.

An advisory group that includes front-line caregivers evaluates the special grant requests from hospices across the country to ensure that dollars are directed to the most critical needs in a timely fashion.

Grants to Hospices to Share Best Practices

The Foundation makes grants to hospice providers to facilitate the development and sharing of “best practice” caregiving models and techniques. 

For example, a hospice with an exemplary bereavement program could qualify for a grant to study and quantify the success of that program. Foundation support will make it possible to publish such studies so that hospice caregivers nationwide have access to the best models and the most successful techniques in end-of-life care.

Funding for the Hospice Foundation of America

The Foundation supports the Hospice Foundation of America, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting those who cope either personally or professionally with terminal illness, death and the process of grief.

The Foundation for End-of-Life Care assists the Hospice Foundation of America in implementing specific programs, including clergy-to-clergy services, grief counseling activities and the National Bereavement Teleconference. This annual event links more than 40,000 clergy members, social workers, hospice caregivers and other end-of-life professionals and volunteers across the United States to share successful strategies for supporting the journey of dying patients and their loved ones.

Community Education

The Foundation supports initiatives to educate the public about end-of-life issues and options. Many people currently do not receive the benefits of hospice care simply because they do not know such a resource exists. By encouraging community outreach programs and forums, the Foundation fosters much-needed discussion of death and dying and improves access to supportive resources for terminally ill patients and their loved ones.