An Extraordinary Legacy:
$9 million gift to protect lemurs and Madagascar
The largest commitment in Duke Lemur Center’s history
Inspired to make their first gift to the Duke Lemur Center following a trip to Madagascar in 2017, Katy (pictured here) and her husband, John, recently named the Duke Lemur Center as a beneficiary of their estate. This commitment with an estimated value of $9 million represents the largest individual gift in the Duke Lemur Center’s history.
Written by Mary Paisley, Development Director. Posted on October 10, 2025.
The Duke Lemur Center proudly announces the largest commitment in its history: a record-breaking $9 million legacy gift that will profoundly shape the future of lemur conservation and research.
The story of this extraordinary act of generosity began in 2017 when Katy and John, an adventurous couple from California, embarked on a life-changing journey to Madagascar. Captivated by the island’s extraordinary biodiversity and the resilience of its people, they returned home determined to make a difference.
“I’ve loved lemurs for as long as I can remember,” Katy shared. “When we visited Madagascar, I realized how fragile this ecosystem is—and how much work it takes to protect it. Someone needs to do it.”
Katy began searching for organizations dedicated to protecting lemurs and Madagascar’s forests. That search led her to the Duke Lemur Center. After an inspiring conversation with Charlie Welch, then DLC Conservation Coordinator, Katy made her first gift to support reforestation efforts in the SAVA region of Madagascar and included the following comment:
“My husband and I appreciate what you are doing for Madagascar. All throughout my childhood, I’ve had an infatuation with lemurs. This year, I finally was able to visit for the first time and we spent 3 weeks traveling throughout Madagascar … not nearly enough time. It is the most fabulous place on earth and dear to my heart. ❤️ The work you are doing to save it is appreciated. The more poverty-stricken areas might not yet understand the importance of sustainability and saving their habitat, but one day they will. Wish I could donate more, hopefully at a later time.”
Over the years, Katy and John became loyal supporters, contributing annually to the Madagascar Programs Fund and the General Fund, and even visiting the Center to meet the people and lemurs behind the mission.
Their commitment deepened recently when they updated their estate plans, naming the Duke Lemur Center as a key beneficiary of their wills and revocable trust. The result: a future gift now estimated at $9 million, the largest single commitment ever made to the Center.
Duke Lemur Center Development Director, Mary Paisley, knew Katy was preparing to send a signed legacy commitment form, but she did not know the estimated amount of the gift until the form was received: “When I saw the email from Katy and opened the attachment (the signed commitment form), it was a jaw-dropping moment I’ll never forget!”
The plans for this transformational future gift are now formally documented with Duke University to ensure Katy and John’s wishes to support the Duke Lemur Center’s work are honored when the gift is realized.
Katy’s vision is one that resonates with our mission:
“If developing countries receive help to restore rainforests and learn sustainability, wildlife comes back, and quality of life improves. Protecting Madagascar benefits generations—and the world.”
Greg Dye, Executive Director of the DLC, expressed his excitement upon learning of Katy and John’s record-breaking commitment:
“This is incredible news for our future—and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. We’re facing devastating cuts in federal funding and the loss of essential resources needed to sustain our progress,” he said. “Bold generosity like this proves that we can do more than simply ‘power through’ challenges—we can ‘power forward’ with the support of friends and advocates who believe in our mission, our work, and the people and lemurs who are part of it all.”
Now is the time to make a gift with lasting impact to protect lemurs and Madagascar.
Explore our funding priorities at lemur.duke.edu/priorities. To learn more about ways to plan a future legacy gift, or a gift now to support our work—learning from and protecting lemurs and their natural habitat—visit the SUPPORT US section of our website and contact Mary Paisley, Development Director, at mary.paisley@duke.edu or (919) 401-7252 if you have questions.
Below are a few photos from Katy and John’s 2017 Madagascar trip:
