The Forest at Duke

What it reported doing in 2024

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 * Therape

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.2%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 85.2%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 95.9%; rating input score 96; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3.4%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.84; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.95; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings