Forest at Duke Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE A CARING, RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY THAT FOSTERS THE INDEPENDENCE OF RESIDENTS OF RETIREMENT AGE BY ENHANCING THEIR CAPABILITY TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL, ACTIVE, HEALTHY AND SECURE LIVES.
- Income
- $34.5 million
- Spending
- $35.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -50.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 93%
- Employees
- 428
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $372,089, president, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 95% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $30.4 million spent. The Forest at Duke welcomed its first residents in 1992 with a mission to provide a caring, responsible community that fosters the independence of residents of retirement age by enhancing their ability to lead purposeful, active, healthy and secure lives. The 47-acre campus is home to approximately 500 residents and includes 304 independent living residences, 32 assisted living suites and 58 skilled nursing residences. In 2007, The Forest was awarded a BBB+ credit rating by Fitch Ratings, achieved national Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities/Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CARF-CCAC) accreditation, and received another health center deficiency free survey from the NC Department of Health Regulators. In 2007, The Forest also chose to participate in the Medicare Part A program and gained certification under Medicare. In December 2022, The Forest at Duke was reviewed by CARF-CCAC and earned another five-year term as an accredited continuing retirement community. The Forest has completed the construction of 15 cottage homes and all were occupied by the end of fiscal year 2015. The renovation to the Community Center, including enlarging the Fitness Center, enhancing dining and other interior program modifications, was completed by the end of fiscal year 2016. In June 2021, The Forest completed the financing to build a new health center on its current campus. The facility will have 90 new units in the "small house" format in a five-story, approximately 110,000 square foot building. The small house model of care is designed around houses (or groups of rooms) in which each house has 10 private rooms each with a bathroom and all common spaces and support areas located within the house. The small house model will provide the same scope of services, each neighborhood will have a team that provides the care, residents will have short walking distances to increase level of independence, resident privacy, additional dining and fitness venues. The project is complete and the residents moved into the new health center in February 2023. In November 2022, The Forest completed the financing for Phase Two of the project. The project includes the addition of seventy-one (71) new independent living apartments and an expanded community center which connects the existing community center to the health center. The expanded community center also includes service and amenity spaces such as additional dining, fitness area, classroom, multipurpose rooms, a clinic and office spaces. The new apartments have an average of 1,450 square feet with spacious open-living design floorplans, ten foot ceilings, and finishes commensurate with high-end real estate in the market area. Other features include gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances, large covered balconies or ground level patios for outdoor living in each apartment home. Each apartment home is expected to include assigned underground parking. The project was substantially complete in July 2025 and new residents began to take occupancy of their new homes in September 2025. The Forest at Duke takes seriously its commitment to social responsibility and leadership. Outreach includes major annual corporate financial assistance to the Durham Council for Senior Citizens, the Durham Center for Senior Life, the Senior PHARMAssist Program, and Rogers-Herr Middle School. Throughout the year, other local non-profits are helped with cash, in-kind and volunteer donations as well. More than 75,000 resident volunteer hours per year benefit local schools, churches, Duke Hospitals and other area service organizations. The Forest continues to have strong associations with educational and licensing institutions. The community serves as a training site for: * Geriatric Fellows - Duke University Medical Center * Internal Medicine Residents - Duke University Medical Center * Nursing students - Watts School of Nursing * Interns in the Leadership in Aging Program - Duke University * Therapeutic recreation interns from surrounding universities * Nursing Home Administrators - The North Carolina Board of Licensing of Nursing Home Administrators The Forest actively participates with its peers in the industry through Association involvement. Forest employees often serve in leadership and as presenters at state and national educational sessions. The Forest maintains memberships in the following professional associations: * LeadingAge * Leading Age North Carolina * North Carolina Health Care Association * American Health Care Association * Durham Chamber of Commerce * North Carolina Coalition for Long Term Care Enhancement * Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1989.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.