Duke HomeGrown Goals

Below is the full set of HomeGrown goals: specific commitments that bring our four pillars to life and guide how we’ll track progress in the years ahead.

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EMPLOY

Duke will boost economic mobility by cultivating youth talent pipelines, hiring from Durham and the Triangle, and providing committed support for career advancement and financial stability. 

Early Inspiration

• Invest in local youth by creating 75 new paid internships through YouthWorks—expanding our baseline of 154 per year to 229 per year.
• Launch a Pre-Apprenticeship Academy in partnership with DurhamTech and WakeTech to train residents in skilled trades.
• In partnership with Durham and Wake County Public Schools, Duke will deliver 10 work-based learning experiences to support career exploration for youth in our communities.

Durham and the Triangle First

• Increase local hiring from 69% to 80% for entry-level roles with advancement potential, including patient service associates, facilities staff, and administrative positions.
• Double the number of formerly incarcerated employees from 50 to 100.
• Retain 75% of new local entry-level and formerly incarcerated employees through their first year of employment.

Grow our Own

• Design career ladders for key entry-level positions with clearly mapped steps to promotion and higher pay within 24 months.
• Increase Duke tuition benefit participation from 1,464 to 1,600 employees, creating clear career pathways for career advancement.
• Increase entry-level employee participation in financial literacy and wealth-building workshops to a minimum of 1,000. Offer workshops during paid work time.

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BUILD

Duke anticipates investing $380 million annually on capital projects in the 2026-2027 fiscal year (excluding specialized equipment). Of that, $213 million (56%) is projected to be spent with Durham and Triangle construction-related firms. To deepen this impact, Duke will launch a targeted expansion of our local partnerships with construction-related firms in the Durham and Triangle area. 

Transparency & Access

• Host bi-annual "Open Doors" forums to share early-stage construction project forecasts and streamlined procurement guidance with Durham and Triangle-based firms.

Increase Spending with Durham and Triangle Spending

• Increase capital project spending with Durham and Triangle construction-related firms by a cumulative $120 million.
• Increase the number of unique Durham and Triangle construction-related firms engaged in capital projects from 120 to 140. 

Create Alignment

• Require economic mobility plans in all major project bids—requiring lead firms document Durham and Triangle hiring, including those from local apprenticeship and training programs, as well as formerly incarcerated hires, and spending commitments in these areas.

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BUY

Leverage Duke’s purchasing of goods and services as a catalyst for Durham and Triangle-based business growth, job creation, and community wealth-building.

Promote Opportunities Transparently

• Publish a rolling 6–12 month “What’s Coming to Bid” outlook for targeted services categories and host quarterly Durham and Triangle supplier access sessions outlining requirements, timelines, and how to become bid-eligible.
• Launch a Durham and Triangle Supplier CEO Council to share upcoming sourcing waves early, align suppliers to “Duke-ready” standards, and convert engagement into pilots, and prime/sub pathways that help Durham and Triangle firms scale into sustained Duke work.

Create a Durham and Triangle Services Marketplace 

• Establish pre-qualified pools of Durham/Triangle suppliers and run rapid mini-bids for recurring service needs (award within 24–72 hours), starting with catering/events, landscaping, outlying environmental services, printing, and other operational services suited to Durham and Triangle competition. 

Increase Spend with Durham and Triangle-based Companies

• Target a $45 million cumulative increase in Durham and Triangle services spend through a three-year strategic ramp-up, committing to $5 million in year one, $15 million in year two, and $25 million in year three via enhanced bid visibility and local supplier readiness.
• Boost spending from $640,000 per year to $735,000 per year with on-campus restaurants and caterers, 60% of which are locally owned.

Spur Durham tourism

• Launch nine new events, including a minimum of 3 athletic events co-sponsored by the Durham Sports Commission and Duke University at Durham athletic facilities.
• Track and report tourism impact metrics (hotel occupancy, restaurant revenue, visitor spending) in partnership with the Durham Sports Commission and Discover Durham for each event.

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INVEST

Guided by the expertise of our affordable housing strategic council, Duke will deploy capital to accelerate housing supply and expand homeownership pathways through comprehensive education and financial tools.

Catalyze supply

• Increase investment in local CDFIs from $22 million to $60 million and strengthen our partnership with non-profit housing providers to accelerate the creation of affordable housing units in Durham and the Triangle.

Strengthen pathways to ownership

• Through the Duke Homebuyers Club, Duke will launch a savings match program to provide 100 participants with a structured path to mortgage readiness.
• Deploy targeted down payment assistance for Duke Homebuyers Club graduates, aiming to triple the number of annual homebuyers from three to ten per year.