Volunteer Leadership
Service, Advocacy, and Leadership
Duke alumni, parents, and friends who serve on Duke’s volunteer leadership boards provide valuable service, advocacy, and leadership to academic and administrative leadership across the University.
Getting Started
The first step to board participation is understanding the volunteer leadership landscape and deciding how and where you’d like to be involved. Candidates considered for the following boards often have previous volunteer engagement experience with the university, usually starting at the local level with increased levels of engagement or philanthropic impact over time.
Many boards invite nominations from campus colleagues and the wider alumni community, and many (but not all) boards have nominating committees that review prospective members and make recommendations to the dean or director and fellow board members.
In order to support each board's mission and goals, these positions might have certain qualifications relating to expertise, volunteer experience, and philanthropic support. Please contact each group below for more information.
Contact Us!
For general questions and assistance, please contact alumni-volunteer@duke.edu.
2025 Board Nominations are Open
Do you know alumni with an exceptional commitment to service and passion for Duke? Help us identify Duke’s future volunteer leaders by nominating alumni for board service today!
Nominations are due February 5, 2025:
Global Duke University Boards
Duke University Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Duke University. As the university’s fiduciary, the board is responsible for Duke’s long-term health, overseeing and aligning its strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations with the mission of the university. Through its two affiliated boards, it oversees the Duke University Health System and DUMAC, Inc., the university’s investment company.
Duke Alumni Board of Directors
The Duke Alumni Board of Directors is the University’s volunteer leadership advisory board representing the global alumni community. Comprising alumni from every Duke school, the mission of the Board is to engage, connect, and celebrate alumni, students, and friends of Duke University. - Nominations Open!
Annual Fund Advisory Board
The Duke University Annual Fund Advisory Board (AFAB) is made up of alumni from a variety of disciplines who are charged with supporting the Duke Annual Fund. AFAB members work closely with the Annual Fund staff to ensure that philanthropic goals are met and that its programs effectively promote the mission of the Annual Fund. Individually and collectively, AFAB members provide strategic guidance to help drive the organization forward and address current and future issues affecting the Annual Fund.
Body
Affinity Boards
- Duke Asian Alumni Alliance (DAAA)
- Duke Black Alumni (DBA)
- Duke Hispanic/Latino Alumni (DUHLA)
- Duke LGBTQ Alumni Network Board (LGBTQ)
- Duke Women’s Impact Network (WIN) Leadership Council
- Advisory Board for Jewish Life at Duke
- Duke Arab Alumni
- Duke First
- Duke International Network
- Duke Jewish Alumni Network
- Duke Muslim Alumni
- Duke Native American/Indigenous Alumni
- Duke Pacific Islander Alumni
- Young Alumni Development Council
Regional Boards
School Boards
- Divinity School Alumni Council
- Divinity School Board of Visitors
- Duke Law Alumnae Leadership Council
- Duke Law School Board of Visitors
- Duke School of Medicine Board of Visitors
- Duke School of Nursing Board of Visitors
- Fuqua Alumni Council
- Fuqua Healthcare Alumni Advisory Board
- Fuqua Minority Alumni Advisory Board
- Fuqua School of Business Board of Visitors
- The Graduate School Board of Visitors
- Law Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Medical Alumni Council
- Nicholas School of the Environment Alumni Council
- Nicholas School of the Environment Board of Visitors
- Nursing Alumni Council
- Pratt School of Engineering Alumni Council
- Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors
- Sanford School of Public Policy Board of Visitors
- Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Board of Visitors
Unit, Institute, and Center Boards
- Athletics Leadership Group
- Bolch Judicial Institute Leadership Council
- Cancer Institute Board of Advisors
- Catholic Center Board of Advisors
- Children’s National Leadership Council
- Duke Chapel Advisory Board
- Duke Estate Planning Council
- Duke Eye Center
- Duke Financial Economics Center Steering Committee
- Duke Global Health Institute Board of Advisors
- Duke Heart Center Leadership Council
- Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Board of Advisors
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) Board of Advisors - Nominations Open!
- Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy Advisory Board
- Duke Raleigh Hospital Board of Advisors
- The Kenan Institute for Ethics Advisory Board
- Library Advisory Board
- Nasher Museum of Art Board of Advisors
- Nicholas Institute Board of Advisors
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens Advisory Board
- Wilson Center for Science & Justice Advisory Board - Nominations Open!