497

THE DUNHAM FUNDS

Incorporated herein by reference is the definitive version of the prospectus for the Dunham Funds filed pursuant to Rule 497 (c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on March 5, 2014 (SEC Accession No. 0000910472-14-001012).

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Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.94%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

1.35%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.27%

^[2]

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 886

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,524

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

2,184

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,937

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.33%)

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.05%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jun. 15, 2012

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.94%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

1.35%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

4.02%

^[2]

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

404

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,224

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

2,060

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

4,223

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.00%)

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.34%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jun. 15, 2012

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.94%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

1.35%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.02%

^[2]

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

305

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

933

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,587

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,337

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(1.96%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

5.14%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(0.06%)

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2011

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

5.35%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(7.12%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.06%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.34%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jun. 15, 2012

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.91%)

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.26%

^[3]

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.04%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.61%

^[3]

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

Objective [Heading]

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Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends,

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

with capital preservation during market downturns as a secondary goal.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination

February 28, 2015

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 292% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

292.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

  The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the total return portion of the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing common stocks of U.S. companies, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs") that invest primarily in common stocks of U.S. companies.  The Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the capital preservation portion of the Fund's investment objective during down markets by using risk management techniques including (1) stop-loss limits (a form of automatic sell decision based upon a set drop in a security's price), (2) security price targets, (3) allocation to cash equivalents and (4) hedging portfolio-level price risk with inverse ETFs (funds that are designed to rise in price when stock prices are falling).  The Fund invests in companies of any market capitalization.

The Sub-Adviser seeks to find what it believes are attractively valued income-producing opportunities with the potential for long-term growth of capital.  The Sub-Adviser defines "income-producing" securities as stocks that exhibit an above-average current level of distributable income, or cash flow growth when compared to the broad U.S. stock market.  The Sub-Adviser utilizes fundamental and macroeconomic research, coupled with a technical analysis overlay, to select holdings for the portfolio.  Macroeconomic research focuses on the outlook for the U.S. economy and security prices, in general.  Fundamental research on each company generally includes an industry-peer-group comparative analysis of revenue, earnings, dividends, and cash flow growth.  Issuers are selected based on a relatively low stock price compared to their measures described above.  

In general, the Sub-Adviser buys a security, including ETFs, when it believes that it exhibits above-average growth prospects that have not yet been recognized in the security's valuation.  In general, the Sub-Adviser will sell a security, including an ETF, when a more attractive security is identified, the current security's fundamentals deteriorate, or the security reaches a valuation target.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make quarterly distributions to shareholders. All income will be distributed quarterly regardless of whether such income will be treated as return of capital. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in this Prospectus.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e. from your original investment).  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

ETF Risk – ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund.  As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in common stocks.  The ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track and the market value of ETF shares may differ from their net asset value.  ETFs are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund.  For instance, ETFs investing in common stocks are subject to the risk that the value of the securities they hold can fall in response to developments affecting the company issuing the stock or in response to changing economic conditions.  When the value of ETFs held by the Fund decline, the value of your investment in the Fund declines.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent, or poor management.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies. Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies. Investing in lesser-known, small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk of volatility of the Fund's net asset value than is customarily associated with larger, more established companies. Often smaller and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they are focused are still evolving and, while this may offer better growth potential than larger, more established companies, it also may make them more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  During the period for which the Fund's performance is presented, the Fund's principal investment strategies were substantially different from those presently employed by the Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 5.35% (quarter ended December 31, 2011) and the lowest return for a quarter was -7.12% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; 

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund | IQ Hedge Long/Short Beta Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

10.32%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.94%

^[3]

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[2] The Fund's Sub-Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the annual Sub-Advisory fee to the extent necessary to maintain the Fund's total annual operating expenses (excluding any brokerage fees and commissions, indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short, taxes, extraordinary expenses such a litigation or expenses in connection with a merger or reorganization) ) at 1.59% for Class N shares, 1.84% for Class A shares, and 2.59% for Class C shares; provided, however that the annual Sub-Advisory fee shall in no case be waived to less than 0.10% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The Agreement is effective as of March 18, 2013 and shall remain in effect until at least February 28, 2015

[3] Inception date is April 30, 2010. On June 15, 2012, the Fund's principal investment strategies were substantially changed. Therefore, the performance prior to that date may have been different had the current principal investment strategies been in place.

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Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Large Cap Value Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Large Cap Value Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	0.65%	0.65%	0.65%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.35%	0.35%	0.35%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.25%	2.00%	1.00%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Large Cap Value Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	695	949	1,222	1,999
Class C	203	627	1,078	2,327
Class N	102	318	552	1,225

Portfolio Turnover:  

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 16% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in value-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" common stocks of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market.  The Fund defines large capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in the common stock of large cap companies.  The Sub-Adviser focuses on large capitalization value stocks it believes are statistically undervalued while exhibiting attractive earnings dynamics.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that it believes are undervalued and have better than average valuation as measured by statistics such as price to earnings or price to book ratios, and sells them when they become fully valued or more compelling investments are available.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "value" and potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

 

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 15.87% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -21.09% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Large Cap Value Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	30.52%	15.40%	6.14%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	29.90%	15.13%	5.62%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	17.28%	12.33%	4.86%	[1]
Class C	29.26%	14.25%	5.10%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	30.19%	15.11%	4.12%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	32.53%	16.67%	6.89%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.97%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.88%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.34%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.44%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 808

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,292

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,801

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,192

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.90%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.19%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Mar. 25, 2009

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.97%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.88%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.34%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.19%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

322

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

983

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,669

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,494

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.18%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

(0.55%)

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

May 14, 2009

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.97%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.88%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.34%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.19%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

222

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

685

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,175

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,524

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

8.30%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(10.43%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

0.00%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

1.19%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2010

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

10.22%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(5.08%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.19%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.18%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Feb. 13, 2009

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.19%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.47%

^[2]

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

0.67%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.69%

^[2]

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by realizing gains during periods of rising and declining markets.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of this Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the period August 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 934% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

934.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

To achieve the Fund's investment objective, the Fund's Sub-Adviser applies proprietary methodologies to take advantage of long-term (sometimes intermediate-term) moves that may result in achieving positive returns during various market environments and cycles – the Fund's Sub-Adviser refers to this management approach as Trend Following. In implementing this Trend Following approach, the Fund will primarily invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) that represent various major indices.  These indices include: U.S. and overseas equity markets; U.S. fixed income markets; broad commodity indices; and, various currency indices.

 The goal of the Fund is to capture profits from rising and declining periods of the equities markets and to a lesser degree, commodities, currency and fixed income markets.

 The Sub-Adviser's top-down strategies and methodologies are designed to profit from market trends in both positive and negative directions across broad asset classes, with little regard for fundamental research and/or analysis of individual equity or debt securities. The Sub-Adviser seeks investment opportunities for the Fund in ETFs as potential trends are identified. When the Sub-Adviser identifies potential rising trends in the market, ETFs that hold traditional equity holdings are purchased. When the Sub-Adviser identifies potential falling trends in the market, "Enhanced" ETFs (as defined below) that move in an inverse relationship to the market are purchased.  Enhanced ETFs are ETFs designed to provide investment results that match a positive or negative multiple of the performance of an underlying index.  The Sub-Adviser generally does not cause the Fund to short any securities directly.  The Sub-Adviser's strategy for the Fund is not biased towards ETFs that represent long investments or short investments - each opportunity is independently evaluated.  The Sub-Adviser invests primarily in ETFs based on equity indices, but allocations in other asset classes are made, as well.  The Sub-Adviser also purchases ETFs that cover the following asset classes: commodities, currencies and U.S. fixed income. The Sub-Adviser also actively employs the use of cash and cash equivalents and, in particular, shares of money market funds.   As a result, the Sub-Adviser's ability to invest both long (utilizing ETFs) or short (utilizing enhanced/inverse ETFs) across these asset classes, the strategy may offer low volatility compared to traditional investment strategies.

The Sub-Adviser's Trend Following strategy focuses on investing long in asset classes with rising prices and investing short (through inverse ETFs) in asset classes with falling prices.

Furthermore, the Sub-Adviser's methodology, which includes investing across multiple asset classes that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated, is designed to provide returns that are un-correlated, or have a low correlation, with the broad investment market over a long-term time frame.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund may allocate its assets among ETFs representing various regions and countries, including the United States.  As conditions warrant, the Fund may deviate from this strategy. Aside from various domestic ETFs, the Fund's portfolio may also include ETFs that invest in Developed and/or Emerging Markets. The Fund may invest up to 50% net long in international ETFs. The Fund may invest up to 50% in inverse ETFs. Generally, up to 25% of the Fund may be invested in the following asset classes: commodities, currencies and fixed income.  As previously noted, the remainder of the Fund may be allocated to either equity-based ETFs or cash (and cash equivalents).  The Fund may invest directly in the securities that comprise the ETFs discussed above, such as individual equities and U.S. Government obligations. In addition to ETFs, the Fund's exposure to U.S. fixed income markets may include investments in other investment companies.

The Fund will engage in very active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities.

 

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.  The following risks represent risks associated with the securities in which the Fund may invest, either directly or through ETFs or other investment companies.

Emerging Markets Risks – In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in foreign securities, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

ETF Risk - The Fund invests in ETFs or other investment companies. As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in common stocks.  You will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses.  Additional risks of investing in ETFs are described below:

Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk, and foreign currency risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities and commodities.

Investment in the Fund should be made with the understanding that the ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Fund invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by the ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ETFs' ability to track their applicable indices.

The market value of ETF shares may differ from their NAV. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for fund shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying basket of securities.  Accordingly, there may be times when shares trades at a premium or discount to NAV.

The strategy of investing in ETFs could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to you and therefore may increase the amount of taxes you pay.

The Fund engages in hedging activities by investing in inverse ETFs. Inverse ETFs may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the underlying stock index upon which they are based. Any strategy that includes inverse securities could cause the Fund to suffer significant losses.  The value of an inverse ETF may not track or correlate to the value of the security or portfolio it is intended to hedge.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investing in foreign companies, or ETFs which invest in foreign companies, may involve more risks than investing in U.S. companies.  These risks can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may include, among others, currency devaluations, currency risks (fluctuations in currency exchange rates), country risks (political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of limiting or restricting foreign investment or the movement of assets), different trading practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility. Additionally, investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar.  A decline in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar will reduce the value of securities held by the Fund and denominated in those currencies.

Interest Rate Risk - In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price. The use of leverage, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and engaging in forward commitment transactions or investing in leveraged ETFs, will magnify the Fund's gains or losses.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.  There is also a risk that the Fund's investments will underperform either the securities markets generally or particular segments of the securities markets.  

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]

rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N shares (converted from Class I shares of the Predecessor Fund) from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Although Class A and C shares would have similar annual returns to Class N shares because the classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, the returns for Class A and C shares would be different from Class N shares because Class A and C shares have different expenses than Class N shares. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to February 25, 2013 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. did not serve as Adviser to the Fund until the merger with the Predecessor Fund was completed on February 22, 2013 and did not serve as Adviser to the Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N shares (converted from Class I shares of the Predecessor Fund) from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 10.22% (quarter ended December 31, 2010) and the lowest return for a quarter was -5.08% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund | Credit Suisse Managed Futures Liquid Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

7.49%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

(0.12%)

^[2]

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[2] The Life of Fund performance is measured from when the Sub-Adviser began managing the Fund as a Predecessor Fund. For Class N Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of the Predecessor Fund's Class I Shares on February 13, 2009. For Class A Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of Class P Shares of the Predecessor Fund on March 25, 2009. Class P Shares of the Predecessor Fund converted to Class A shares of the Fund on February 25, 2013. For Class C Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of the Predecessor Fund's Class C Shares on May 14, 2009.

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Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends,

with capital preservation during market downturns as a secondary goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees		0.73%	0.73%	0.73%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		0.94%	0.94%	0.94%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	[1]	1.35%	1.35%	1.35%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	[2]	3.27%	4.02%	3.02%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	886	1,524	2,184	3,937
Class C	404	1,224	2,060	4,223
Class N	305	933	1,587	3,337

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 292% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

  The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the total return portion of the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing common stocks of U.S. companies, real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), and Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs") that invest primarily in common stocks of U.S. companies.  The Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the capital preservation portion of the Fund's investment objective during down markets by using risk management techniques including (1) stop-loss limits (a form of automatic sell decision based upon a set drop in a security's price), (2) security price targets, (3) allocation to cash equivalents and (4) hedging portfolio-level price risk with inverse ETFs (funds that are designed to rise in price when stock prices are falling).  The Fund invests in companies of any market capitalization.

The Sub-Adviser seeks to find what it believes are attractively valued income-producing opportunities with the potential for long-term growth of capital.  The Sub-Adviser defines "income-producing" securities as stocks that exhibit an above-average current level of distributable income, or cash flow growth when compared to the broad U.S. stock market.  The Sub-Adviser utilizes fundamental and macroeconomic research, coupled with a technical analysis overlay, to select holdings for the portfolio.  Macroeconomic research focuses on the outlook for the U.S. economy and security prices, in general.  Fundamental research on each company generally includes an industry-peer-group comparative analysis of revenue, earnings, dividends, and cash flow growth.  Issuers are selected based on a relatively low stock price compared to their measures described above.  

In general, the Sub-Adviser buys a security, including ETFs, when it believes that it exhibits above-average growth prospects that have not yet been recognized in the security's valuation.  In general, the Sub-Adviser will sell a security, including an ETF, when a more attractive security is identified, the current security's fundamentals deteriorate, or the security reaches a valuation target.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make quarterly distributions to shareholders. All income will be distributed quarterly regardless of whether such income will be treated as return of capital. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in this Prospectus.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e. from your original investment).  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

ETF Risk – ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund.  As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in common stocks.  The ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track and the market value of ETF shares may differ from their net asset value.  ETFs are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund.  For instance, ETFs investing in common stocks are subject to the risk that the value of the securities they hold can fall in response to developments affecting the company issuing the stock or in response to changing economic conditions.  When the value of ETFs held by the Fund decline, the value of your investment in the Fund declines.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent, or poor management.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies. Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies. Investing in lesser-known, small and medium capitalization companies involves greater risk of volatility of the Fund's net asset value than is customarily associated with larger, more established companies. Often smaller and medium capitalization companies and the industries in which they are focused are still evolving and, while this may offer better growth potential than larger, more established companies, it also may make them more sensitive to changing market conditions.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  During the period for which the Fund's performance is presented, the Fund's principal investment strategies were substantially different from those presently employed by the Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the period shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 5.35% (quarter ended December 31, 2011) and the lowest return for a quarter was -7.12% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Loss Averse Equity Income Fund	1 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	0.06%	1.34%	[1]	Jun. 15, 2012
Class N return after taxes on distributions	(1.91%)	0.26%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	0.04%	0.61%	[1]
Class C	(1.00%)	0.34%	[1]	Jun. 15, 2012
Class A	(0.33%)	1.05%	[1]	Jun. 15, 2012
IQ Hedge Long/Short Beta Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	10.32%	6.94%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[2] The Fund's Sub-Adviser has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the annual Sub-Advisory fee to the extent necessary to maintain the Fund's total annual operating expenses (excluding any brokerage fees and commissions, indirect expenses such as acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short, taxes, extraordinary expenses such a litigation or expenses in connection with a merger or reorganization) ) at 1.59% for Class N shares, 1.84% for Class A shares, and 2.59% for Class C shares; provided, however that the annual Sub-Advisory fee shall in no case be waived to less than 0.10% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The Agreement is effective as of March 18, 2013 and shall remain in effect until at least February 28, 2015

[1] Inception date is April 30, 2010. On June 15, 2012, the Fund's principal investment strategies were substantially changed. Therefore, the performance prior to that date may have been different had the current principal investment strategies been in place.

XML

Dunham International Stock Fund

Dunham International Stock Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham International Stock Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham International Stock Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	1.56%	1.56%	1.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.56%	0.56%	0.56%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	2.37%	3.12%	2.12%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham International Stock Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	801	1,272	1,768	3,126
Class C	315	963	1,635	3,430
Class N	215	664	1,139	2,452

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 131% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing in equities (common and preferred stock and depositary receipts for common and preferred stock) of international corporations traded on stock exchanges around the world, including those in emerging markets, alternative trading venues or in the over-the-counter market.  To the extent the Fund's currency exposure differs from the MSCI All Country World ex US Index Net, the Sub-Adviser typically seeks to hedge this foreign currency exposure using forward currency exchange contracts.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in stock of non-U.S. companies in at least three foreign countries, which may include companies located or operating in established or emergingmarket countries.  The Fund defines a non-U.S. company as one that is domiciled, has its principal place of business, derives at least 50% of its revenue or profits, or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S.  The primary regions of investment are Western Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada,

Australia and Asia.  The Sub-Adviser generally constructs its portfolios by using proprietary econometric models and a proprietary optimization process that balances the trade-off between a stock's expected return, its contribution to portfolio level risk, portfolio specific restrictions, and its opportunity costs relative to trading costs.  Buys and sells occur when opportunities arise that improve the portfolio's risk adjusted benchmark relative expected returns, net of amortized transaction costs. The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives, such as forward contracts, may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses.  Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Emerging Markets Risks – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk - Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 32.82% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -22.89% (quarter ended September 2008).

Dunham International Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham International Stock Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	21.27%	15.62%	6.31%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	20.37%	15.15%	5.39%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	12.03%	12.47%	4.88%	[1]
Class C	20.13%	14.47%	5.26%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	20.98%	15.33%	2.42%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
MSCI All Country World ex U.S. Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	15.29%	12.82%	6.79%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.20%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.71%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.10%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.26%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 791

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,241

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,715

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,021

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.79%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.11%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

0.27%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.20%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.71%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.10%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.01%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

304

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

930

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,582

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,327

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(4.62%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.25%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.39%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.20%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.71%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.10%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.01%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

204

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

630

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,083

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,338

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

27.94%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

34.62%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

26.09%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(61.55%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

109.49%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

15.40%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(22.59%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

18.68%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(3.65%)

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

53.31%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(35.60%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.65%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.43%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.45%

^[3]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.65%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.30%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.85%

^[3]

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.06%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.29%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.00%

^[3]

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.   More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:  

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 166% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

166.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial   highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the   Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in emerging market equity securities traded on foreign stock exchanges.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in stock of companies that are organized in or maintain at least 50% of their assets in, or that derive at least 50% of their revenues from, emerging market countries.  The Fund defines equity securities to include: common stocks, preferred stocks (either convertible or non-convertible), rights, warrants, direct equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises, convertible debt instruments and special classes of shares available only to foreigners in markets that restrict ownership of certain shares or classes to their own nationals or residents.  The Fund defines an emerging market country as any country that has been determined by an international organization, such as the World Bank, to have a low- to middle-income economy.  Additionally, the Fund includes Singapore and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China regardless of their economic income ranking.  

In general, the Sub-Adviser uses a quantitative model to rank countries according to their characteristics, including various measures of value, momentum and risk.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys companies in countries that are ranked highest by the model and generally sells companies in countries that rank lower.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Emerging Markets Risks – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 53.31% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -35.60% (quarter ended September 30, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund | MSCI Emerging Markets Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.60%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.79%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

10.51%

^[3]

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new Sub-Advisory agreement that is effective July 1, 2013. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The new Sub- Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base or fulcrum of 50 bps (0.50%) and can range from 0.10% to 0.90%, depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[3] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.93%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.78%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.96%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 763

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,155

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,571

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,729

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

37.28%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

20.71%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 08, 2011

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.93%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.78%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.71%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

274

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

841

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,435

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,041

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

36.25%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

19.83%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 08, 2011

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.93%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.78%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.71%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

174

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

539

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

928

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,019

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

12.79%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2013

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

18.59%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2012

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(8.17%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

37.68%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

20.98%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 08, 2011

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

36.94%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

20.67%

^[1]

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

21.37%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

16.22%

^[1]

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.   During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 91% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

91.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign growth-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" equity securities (common stock and securities convertible into common stocks) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. The Fund defines large cap companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in large cap companies. Shareholders will be provided 60 days advance notice of any change to this policy.  The Fund is considered a focused fund as it generally limits the number of holdings in the portfolio to 35 stocks.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy focuses on the analysis of the company's financial statements, the company's business model, the company's perceived advantages over its competitors, and the attractiveness, size and growth rate of each company's market where it competes. The Sub-Adviser considers a company that is increasing revenues and cash flow to be a "growth" company. The Sub-Adviser further analyzes each company's management track record and continuity in conjunction with an in-depth analysis and evaluation of its financial statements. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities when the company is demonstrating above average growth in revenues and cash flow and it believes the security is reasonably priced relative to its expected rate of growth.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the company may have deteriorating growth prospects as measured by slowing revenue growth or slowing cash flow growth or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Foreign Investing Risk– Investments in foreign countries are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]

rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Year Ended December 31

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

37.68%

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 18.59% (quarter ended September 30, 2013) and the lowest return for a quarter was -8.17% (quarter ended June 30, 2012).  

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund | Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

33.48%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

23.80%

^[1]

[1] The Fund commenced operations on December 8, 2011.

XML

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	0.93%	0.93%	0.93%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.78%	0.78%	0.78%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.96%	2.71%	1.71%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	763	1,155	1,571	2,729
Class C	274	841	1,435	3,041
Class N	174	539	928	2,019

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.   During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 91% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign growth-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" equity securities (common stock and securities convertible into common stocks) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. The Fund defines large cap companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in large cap companies. Shareholders will be provided 60 days advance notice of any change to this policy.  The Fund is considered a focused fund as it generally limits the number of holdings in the portfolio to 35 stocks.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy focuses on the analysis of the company's financial statements, the company's business model, the company's perceived advantages over its competitors, and the attractiveness, size and growth rate of each company's market where it competes. The Sub-Adviser considers a company that is increasing revenues and cash flow to be a "growth" company. The Sub-Adviser further analyzes each company's management track record and continuity in conjunction with an in-depth analysis and evaluation of its financial statements. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities when the company is demonstrating above average growth in revenues and cash flow and it believes the security is reasonably priced relative to its expected rate of growth.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the company may have deteriorating growth prospects as measured by slowing revenue growth or slowing cash flow growth or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Foreign Investing Risk– Investments in foreign countries are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Year Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 18.59% (quarter ended September 30, 2013) and the lowest return for a quarter was -8.17% (quarter ended June 30, 2012).  

Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Focused Large Cap Growth Fund	1 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	37.68%	20.98%	[1]	Dec. 08, 2011
Class N return after taxes on distributions	36.94%	20.67%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	21.37%	16.22%	[1]
Class C	36.25%	19.83%	[1]	Dec. 08, 2011
Class A	37.28%	20.71%	[1]	Dec. 08, 2011
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	33.48%	23.80%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] The Fund commenced operations on December 8, 2011.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.75%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

2.15%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.04%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.19%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 878

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,502

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

2,148

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,868

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

19.36%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

11.26%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2012

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.75%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

2.15%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.04%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.94%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

396

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,201

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

2,023

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

4,155

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

18.48%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

10.44%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2012

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.75%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

2.15%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.04%

^[1]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.94%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

297

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

910

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,548

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,261

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

19.63%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Mar. 31, 2013

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

8.46%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(1.49%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

19.63%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

11.54%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 14, 2012

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

17.90%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

10.29%

^[2]

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

11.44%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.38%

^[2]

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund primarily seeks to maximize income

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of this Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information).

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:  

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

69.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign income-producing equity securities which Harbor Springs Financial Management, LLC (the "Sub-Adviser") believes will pay above-average, sustainable, dividends. The Fund defines equity securities to include the common stock or securities convertible to common stock of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets, as well as preferred stocks, common or preferred interests or units of real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs"). MLPs are typically publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources.  The Fund expects to invest no more than 25% of its total assets in foreign securities and no more than 25% in MLPs.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy focuses on the analysis of the company's financial statements, the company's business model, the company's management track record, the company's debt structure, and the sustainability and growth of its distributed dividend income. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities when the company is providing above-average dividend income and cash flow growth.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the company may have difficulty sustaining its dividend distributions, as measured by slowing revenue growth or slowing cash flow growth, or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make quarterly distributions to shareholders. All income will be distributed quarterly regardless of whether such income will be treated as return of capital. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in this Prospectus.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e. from your original investment).  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

Foreign Investing – Investments in securities of foreign issuers are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.

MLP Risk - Prices of common units of individual MLPs, like the prices other equity securities, can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios.  MLPs common units have limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP and risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP's general partner.  MLPs do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level.  A change in current tax law, or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income.

·

Energy Related Risk.  MLP securities are typically focused in the energy infrastructure sector.  Because of the focus in this sector, the performance of the MLPs in which the Fund may invest is tied closely to and affected by developments in the energy sector, such as the possibility that government regulation will negatively impact companies in this sector.  Energy infrastructure entities are also subject to the risks specific to the industry they serve.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]

rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance One Year or Less [Text]

rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.46% (quarter ended March 31, 2013) and the lowest return for a quarter was –1.49% (quarter ended June 30, 2013).  

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Alternative Income Fund | Dow Jones US Select Dividend Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

29.06%

Since Inception

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

24.25%

^[2]

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[2] The Fund commenced operations on September 14, 2012.

XML

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund primarily seeks to maximize income

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of this Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information).

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Alternative Income Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Alternative Income Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees		0.75%	0.75%	0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		2.15%	2.15%	2.15%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	[1]	0.04%	0.04%	0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		3.19%	3.94%	2.94%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Alternative Income Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	878	1,502	2,148	3,868
Class C	396	1,201	2,023	4,155
Class N	297	910	1,548	3,261

Portfolio Turnover:  

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign income-producing equity securities which Harbor Springs Financial Management, LLC (the "Sub-Adviser") believes will pay above-average, sustainable, dividends. The Fund defines equity securities to include the common stock or securities convertible to common stock of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter markets, as well as preferred stocks, common or preferred interests or units of real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and Master Limited Partnerships ("MLPs"). MLPs are typically publicly traded partnerships engaged in the transportation, storage, processing, refining, marketing, exploration, production, and mining of minerals and natural resources.  The Fund expects to invest no more than 25% of its total assets in foreign securities and no more than 25% in MLPs.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy focuses on the analysis of the company's financial statements, the company's business model, the company's management track record, the company's debt structure, and the sustainability and growth of its distributed dividend income. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities when the company is providing above-average dividend income and cash flow growth.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the company may have difficulty sustaining its dividend distributions, as measured by slowing revenue growth or slowing cash flow growth, or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make quarterly distributions to shareholders. All income will be distributed quarterly regardless of whether such income will be treated as return of capital. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in this Prospectus.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e. from your original investment).  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

Foreign Investing – Investments in securities of foreign issuers are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.

MLP Risk - Prices of common units of individual MLPs, like the prices other equity securities, can be affected by fundamentals unique to the partnership or company, including earnings power and coverage ratios.  MLPs common units have limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP and risks related to potential conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP's general partner.  MLPs do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level.  A change in current tax law, or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in such MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income.

·

Energy Related Risk.  MLP securities are typically focused in the energy infrastructure sector.  Because of the focus in this sector, the performance of the MLPs in which the Fund may invest is tied closely to and affected by developments in the energy sector, such as the possibility that government regulation will negatively impact companies in this sector.  Energy infrastructure entities are also subject to the risks specific to the industry they serve.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 8.46% (quarter ended March 31, 2013) and the lowest return for a quarter was –1.49% (quarter ended June 30, 2013).  

Dunham Alternative Income Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Alternative Income Fund	1 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	19.63%	11.54%	[1]	Sep. 14, 2012
Class N return after taxes on distributions	17.90%	10.29%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	11.44%	8.38%	[1]
Class C	18.48%	10.44%	[1]	Sep. 14, 2012
Class A	19.36%	11.26%	[1]	Sep. 14, 2012
Dow Jones US Select Dividend Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	29.06%	24.25%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[1] The Fund commenced operations on September 14, 2012.

XML

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to maximize total return under varying market conditions through both current income and capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	0.86%	0.86%	0.86%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.54%	0.54%	0.54%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.65%	2.40%	1.40%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.   The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	733	1,065	1,420	2,417
Class C	243	748	1,280	2,736
Class N	143	443	766	1,680

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 62% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, in a diversified portfolio of (1) convertible, (2) equity (common and preferred stock) and (3) fixed-income securities of corporate issuers, including securities of foreign issuers and those rated below investment grade (rated BB+ or lower by S&P or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO)), also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, and in unrated debt securities determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  Junk bonds, which may be purchased in any amount, are speculative investments that carry greater risks and are more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher quality fixed-income securities. Convertible and fixed income securities are purchased without restriction as to maturity. In addition, the Fund may invest without restriction as to issuer capitalization or country. The Fund attempts to utilize these different types of securities to strike the appropriate balance between risk and reward in terms of growth and income when compared to a peer group of securities that the Sub-Adviser believes have similar risk of loss.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys a blend of equity and convertible securities offering the potential for long-term growth and current income and sells them when the issuer's economic fundamentals deteriorate or relative valuations between securities change.  The Sub-Adviser purchases individual convertible and equity securities based on the potential to generate above-average income and/or capital growth appreciation. The Sub-Adviser buys fixed-income securities that it believes have a higher expected total return when compared to competing convertible or equity securities.  Within the universe of fixed-income securities, the Sub-Adviser selects specific securities based upon their expected total return and expected probability of default when compared to a peer group of securities with similar credit risk.  The Sub-Adviser sells them when the issuer's economic fundamentals deteriorate or relative valuations between securities change.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objective.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 14.63% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -16.03% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	19.81%	14.53%	6.36%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	19.07%	13.89%	5.51%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	11.21%	11.51%	5.07%	[1]
Class C	18.54%	13.38%	5.31%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	19.37%	14.23%	7.26%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
BofA ML Convertibles ex Mandatory Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expense, or taxes)	25.01%	18.83%	7.26%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] The Fund's Class C and Class N shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to provide positive returns in rising and falling market environments.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	1.81%	1.81%	1.81%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Dividend Expense on securities sold short		0.24%	0.24%	0.24%
Remaining Other Expenses		0.29%	0.29%	0.29%
Other Expenses		0.53%	0.53%	0.53%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	[2]	0.03%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		2.62%	3.37%	2.37%
Fee Waiver	[3]	(0.17%)	(0.17%)	(0.17%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Reimbursement		2.45%	3.20%	2.20%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	809	1,327	1,871	3,347
Class C	323	1,020	1,741	3,647
Class N	223	723	1,250	2,693

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 227% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by using a variety of absolute-return strategies.  These strategies, some or all of which may be employed at any one time, are intended to achieve relatively consistent returns across a range of market environments.  These strategies include: (1) short-selling where the Sub-Adviser seeks to protect the Fund's portfolio against market declines, typically related to a merger-arbitrage transaction; (2) option writing where the Fund writes covered call options on its portfolio securities or a market index that is representative of its portfolio with the expectation of generating additional income; (3) merger-arbitrage where the Fund may purchase the equity securities of companies involved in publicly announced mergers, takeovers and other corporate reorganizations including those outside the U.S., and use one or more hedging arbitrage strategies in connection with the purchase to reduce market and/or company specific price risk; (4) fixed-income where the Fund may purchase fixed-income securities without limit to quality or maturity, including higher-risk corporate bonds ( known as "junk bonds"), bank debt and preferred stock to generate income.  Collectively, the strategies are intended to produce positive returns in rising and falling market environments.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys securities that it believes offer an attractive reward relative to risk and sells securities when the reward becomes less attractive relative to the risk.  The Sub-Adviser sells short securities, which is considered a form of leverage, to protect the Fund's portfolio against market declines, typically related to a merger-arbitrage transaction and covers (buys back) these securities to close out a hedging transaction.  The Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objective.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make twelve monthly distributions to shareholders. The level of monthly distributions (including any return of capital) is not fixed but is expected to be at or near the level of the prime interest rate ("Prime Rate").  Additionally, the Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in the Fund's Prospectus.

Principal Investment Risks:

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions. This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations. They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund. An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline. Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives, such as options, may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived. Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits. However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e., from your original investment). Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit. Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities. Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price. The use of leverage, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and engaging in forward commitment transactions, will magnify the Fund's gains or losses.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties. Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result. The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Merger and Event-Driven Risk – Investments in companies that are expected to be, or already are, the subject of a publicly announced merger, takeover, tender offer, leveraged buyout, spin-off, liquidation or other corporate reorganizations carry the risk that the proposed or expected corporate event may not be completed or may be completed on less favorable terms than originally expected.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Purchasing Put Options Risk – When the Fund purchases put options, it risks the loss of the cash paid for the options if the options expire unexercised.

Selling (Writing) Covered Call Options Risk – When the Fund sells covered call options, it foregoes the opportunity to benefit from an increase in the value of the underlying stock above the exercise price, but it continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying stock.

Short Selling Risk – If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund covers its short position, the Fund will incur a loss which may be unlimited. Also, the Fund is required to deposit collateral in connection with such short sales and may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies. Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Tax Consequence Risk – The Fund expects to generate a high level of premiums from its sale of call options. These premiums typically result in short-term capital gains to a Fund for federal and state income tax purposes.

Performance:

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class A Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is not reflected in the bar chart, and if the sales charge were included, returns would be less than those shown. The sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to September 29, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. did not begin managing the predecessor fund until August 2008. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.comor by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class A Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 5.13% (quarter ended September 30, 2010) and the lowest return for a quarter was -6.14% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund	1 Year	5 Years	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class A	(1.29%)	5.25%	3.60%	[1]	Aug. 01, 2008
Class A return after taxes on distributions	(3.32%)	4.26%	1.30%	[1]
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	(0.74%)	3.80%	1.53%	[1]
Class C	3.96%	5.71%	2.79%	[1]	Aug. 01, 2008
Class N	4.98%	6.78%	4.58%	[1]	Sep. 29, 2008
IQ Hedge Market Neutral Beta Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	3.61%	3.73%	2.87%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class N shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class A shares.

[1] Management fees have been restated as if the Fund's current fee waiver had been in effect at the beginning of the previous fiscal year.

[2] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[3] The Fund's Sub-Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its Sub-Advisory fees so that such fees, on an annual basis, do not exceed 1.05% of the Fund's aggregate average daily net assets. This Agreement is effective as of April 1, 2013 and shall remain in effect until February 28, 2015.

[1] For Class A and Class C Shares, life of Fund performance is measured from August 1, 2008 when the Adviser began managing the Fund as a Predecessor Fund. For Class N Shares, life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of Class N Shares on September 29, 2008. On March 2, 2009, the Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategy were materially changed. Therefore, the Fund's performance prior to that date may have been different had the current investment objective and principal investment strategy been in place.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.79%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.61%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 729

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,054

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,401

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,376

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

48.38%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

21.35%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

9.17%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.79%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.36%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

239

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

736

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,260

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,696

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

47.28%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

20.42%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.15%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.79%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.36%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

138

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

431

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

745

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,635

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

7.13%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

5.59%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

18.06%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(40.29%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

41.23%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

24.27%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(7.07%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

9.72%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

48.79%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

18.25%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(24.96%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

48.79%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

21.64%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

9.22%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

39.22%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

19.80%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.32%

^[1]

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

29.06%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

17.16%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.81%

^[1]

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 231% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

231.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic growth-oriented, small-capitalization or "small-cap" common stocks of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market using its proprietary stock selection process.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in small cap companies.  The Fund defines small capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations less than $4 billion at the time of investment.  The Sub-Adviser attempts to invest in companies trading at a discount to their growth rate.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities of companies that it identifies as having a product or service with a superior value proposition coupled with a positive business outlook when it believes shares in those companies are attractively priced.  The Sub-Adviser sells securities to limit overconcentration in individual stocks, to take advantage of attractive price level valuations and to remove those companies with eroding or less attractive value propositions.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Small Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in small cap companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Small cap companies often have narrower markets, fewer products, or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 18.25% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -24.96% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).    

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund | Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

43.30%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

22.58%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

9.23%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income,

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	4.50%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	1.05%	1.05%	1.05%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	0.75%	none
Other Expenses	[2]	0.47%	0.47%	0.47%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.77%	2.27%	1.52%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Class A	622	982
Class C	230	709
Class N	155	480

Portfolio Turnover:  

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund is newly organized no portfolio turnover figures are available.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund's assets (defined as net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds. The Fund defines "bonds" as bonds, derivatives and other instruments with similar economic exposures (including interest rate futures, interest rate swaps, inflation swaps, credit default swaps, forward contracts on foreign exchanges, forward mortgage-backed securities trades and repurchase agreements) of foreign government and corporate issuers. The Fund primarily invests in issuers outside the United States. The Fund invests in debt securities of issuers in both developed and emerging markets. The Fund may buy securities issued by companies of any size or market capitalization and it can invest in debt securities having short, intermediate or long maturities. The Fund does not limit its investments to a particular credit quality or rating category and can invest without limit in securities rated below investment grade (known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds) by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or in unrated securities.

The Fund may also use derivatives to seek increased returns or to try to manage investment risks, including but not limited to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, swaps (including interest rate swaps, inflation swaps and credit default swaps), and structured notes. The Sub-Adviser may manage foreign currency exposure, both to reduce risk and to seek to enhance returns. To do so, the Fund may invest in foreign exchange derivatives, including forwards and options related to foreign currencies, including currencies of both developing and emerging market countries.

The Fund's Sub-Adviser selects investment by analyzing opportunities and risks in individual national economies by considering the business cycle, political, and macro-economic conditions in both emerging market and developing countries. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics. The Sub-Adviser generally measures a security's risk/reward by comparing the security's yield to the risks associated with the issuer, the issuer's country and/or region, and compared to the yield available from other opportunities. It generally sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria or when a more attractive opportunity is identified.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage, which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Emerging Markets Risk – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Interest Rate Risk - In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Structured Note Risk – Structured notes involve tracking risk, issuer default risk and may involve leverage risk.

Performance:  

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

[1] The management fee above assumes the Sub-Adviser's base fee. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base (or fulcrum) of 0.45% and can range from 0.20% to 0.70% depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Estimated for the Fund's first fiscal year.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

4.50%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.92%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.45%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 591

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

888

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,207

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,107

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.70%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.65%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.74%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.92%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.75%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.95%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

198

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

612

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,052

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,275

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.15%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.15%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.87%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.92%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.28%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.20%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

122

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

381

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

660

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,455

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

1.43%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

3.91%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

6.30%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

0.90%

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

10.37%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

7.81%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

4.83%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

7.38%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

(0.46%)

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

4.87%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2013

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(2.91%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.46%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.92%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.64%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.92%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.18%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.06%

^[2]

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.26%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.04%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.06%

^[2]

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to provide current income and capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 ofthe Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 173% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

173.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual base Sub-Adviser fee.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in corporate and government bonds using the Sub-Adviser's active management techniques including interest rate anticipation, sector rotation, issuer selection and opportunistic trading.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in corporate bonds of issuers from any country and in government bonds.  The Fund defines corporate bonds to include:  (1) debt securities issued by a corporation (or equivalent entity), (2) non-government mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (MBS), (3) asset-backed securities (ABS) and (4) index-linked bonds.  The Fund defines government bonds to include:  (1) any United States government issued or guaranteed MBS (Gov-MBS) and debt securities issued by the United States' Treasury, any agency or instrumentality of the United States; (2) any multi-governmental entity of which the United States is a member; and (3) any state or other political subdivision within the United States or its territories.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that its active management techniques identify as undervalued and sells them when more compelling investments are available.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

The Fund may invest up to 40% of its assets in higher-yielding, higher-risk corporate and government bonds, including high-yield bank loans — also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds — with medium to low credit quality ratings.  High-yield bonds and bank loans are rated BB+ or lower by S&P, or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or if unrated determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  However, the Fund intends to maintain an average portfolio credit quality of investment grade.  The bonds in the Fund's portfolio can be of any maturity.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Prepayment Risk – Mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risk that borrowers will prepay their loans more quickly than originally expected if interest rates fall.  This may force the Fund to reinvest prepayment proceeds at lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Senior Bank Loan Risk – Senior loans are subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds the most senior position in the issuer's capital structure, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans.

 

Risk Lose Money [Text]

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As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

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Performance:

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.comor by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

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Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31,

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

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During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 4.87% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -2.91% (quarter ended June 30, 2013).

Performance Table Heading

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Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

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After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund | Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(2.02%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.44%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.54%

^[2]

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual base Sub-Adviser fee.

[2] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

4.50%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.05%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.77%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 622

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

982

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.05%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.75%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.27%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

230

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

709

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.05%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.52%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

155

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

480

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham International Opportunity Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

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Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income,

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

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This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:  

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund is newly organized no portfolio turnover figures are available.

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

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This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund's assets (defined as net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds. The Fund defines "bonds" as bonds, derivatives and other instruments with similar economic exposures (including interest rate futures, interest rate swaps, inflation swaps, credit default swaps, forward contracts on foreign exchanges, forward mortgage-backed securities trades and repurchase agreements) of foreign government and corporate issuers. The Fund primarily invests in issuers outside the United States. The Fund invests in debt securities of issuers in both developed and emerging markets. The Fund may buy securities issued by companies of any size or market capitalization and it can invest in debt securities having short, intermediate or long maturities. The Fund does not limit its investments to a particular credit quality or rating category and can invest without limit in securities rated below investment grade (known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds) by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or in unrated securities.

The Fund may also use derivatives to seek increased returns or to try to manage investment risks, including but not limited to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, swaps (including interest rate swaps, inflation swaps and credit default swaps), and structured notes. The Sub-Adviser may manage foreign currency exposure, both to reduce risk and to seek to enhance returns. To do so, the Fund may invest in foreign exchange derivatives, including forwards and options related to foreign currencies, including currencies of both developing and emerging market countries.

The Fund's Sub-Adviser selects investment by analyzing opportunities and risks in individual national economies by considering the business cycle, political, and macro-economic conditions in both emerging market and developing countries. In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics. The Sub-Adviser generally measures a security's risk/reward by comparing the security's yield to the risks associated with the issuer, the issuer's country and/or region, and compared to the yield available from other opportunities. It generally sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria or when a more attractive opportunity is identified.

The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage, which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Emerging Markets Risk – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Interest Rate Risk - In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Structured Note Risk – Structured notes involve tracking risk, issuer default risk and may involve leverage risk.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]

rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

Performance One Year or Less [Text]

rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.

[1] The management fee above assumes the Sub-Adviser's base fee. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base (or fulcrum) of 0.45% and can range from 0.20% to 0.70% depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Estimated for the Fund's first fiscal year.

XML

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by realizing gains during periods of rising and declining markets.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of this Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees		0.97%	0.97%	0.97%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		0.88%	0.88%	0.88%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	[1]	0.34%	0.34%	0.34%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		2.44%	3.19%	2.19%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	808	1,292	1,801	3,192
Class C	322	983	1,669	3,494
Class N	222	685	1,175	2,524

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the period August 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 934% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

To achieve the Fund's investment objective, the Fund's Sub-Adviser applies proprietary methodologies to take advantage of long-term (sometimes intermediate-term) moves that may result in achieving positive returns during various market environments and cycles – the Fund's Sub-Adviser refers to this management approach as Trend Following. In implementing this Trend Following approach, the Fund will primarily invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) that represent various major indices.  These indices include: U.S. and overseas equity markets; U.S. fixed income markets; broad commodity indices; and, various currency indices.

 The goal of the Fund is to capture profits from rising and declining periods of the equities markets and to a lesser degree, commodities, currency and fixed income markets.

 The Sub-Adviser's top-down strategies and methodologies are designed to profit from market trends in both positive and negative directions across broad asset classes, with little regard for fundamental research and/or analysis of individual equity or debt securities. The Sub-Adviser seeks investment opportunities for the Fund in ETFs as potential trends are identified. When the Sub-Adviser identifies potential rising trends in the market, ETFs that hold traditional equity holdings are purchased. When the Sub-Adviser identifies potential falling trends in the market, "Enhanced" ETFs (as defined below) that move in an inverse relationship to the market are purchased.  Enhanced ETFs are ETFs designed to provide investment results that match a positive or negative multiple of the performance of an underlying index.  The Sub-Adviser generally does not cause the Fund to short any securities directly.  The Sub-Adviser's strategy for the Fund is not biased towards ETFs that represent long investments or short investments - each opportunity is independently evaluated.  The Sub-Adviser invests primarily in ETFs based on equity indices, but allocations in other asset classes are made, as well.  The Sub-Adviser also purchases ETFs that cover the following asset classes: commodities, currencies and U.S. fixed income. The Sub-Adviser also actively employs the use of cash and cash equivalents and, in particular, shares of money market funds.   As a result, the Sub-Adviser's ability to invest both long (utilizing ETFs) or short (utilizing enhanced/inverse ETFs) across these asset classes, the strategy may offer low volatility compared to traditional investment strategies.

The Sub-Adviser's Trend Following strategy focuses on investing long in asset classes with rising prices and investing short (through inverse ETFs) in asset classes with falling prices.

Furthermore, the Sub-Adviser's methodology, which includes investing across multiple asset classes that are not expected to have returns that are highly correlated, is designed to provide returns that are un-correlated, or have a low correlation, with the broad investment market over a long-term time frame.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund may allocate its assets among ETFs representing various regions and countries, including the United States.  As conditions warrant, the Fund may deviate from this strategy. Aside from various domestic ETFs, the Fund's portfolio may also include ETFs that invest in Developed and/or Emerging Markets. The Fund may invest up to 50% net long in international ETFs. The Fund may invest up to 50% in inverse ETFs. Generally, up to 25% of the Fund may be invested in the following asset classes: commodities, currencies and fixed income.  As previously noted, the remainder of the Fund may be allocated to either equity-based ETFs or cash (and cash equivalents).  The Fund may invest directly in the securities that comprise the ETFs discussed above, such as individual equities and U.S. Government obligations. In addition to ETFs, the Fund's exposure to U.S. fixed income markets may include investments in other investment companies.

The Fund will engage in very active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities.

 

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.  The following risks represent risks associated with the securities in which the Fund may invest, either directly or through ETFs or other investment companies.

Emerging Markets Risks – In addition to the risks generally associated with investing in foreign securities, countries with emerging markets also may have relatively unstable governments, social and legal systems that do not protect shareholders, economies based on only a few industries, and securities markets that trade a small number of issues.

ETF Risk - The Fund invests in ETFs or other investment companies. As a result, your cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in common stocks.  You will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the ETFs in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses.  Additional risks of investing in ETFs are described below:

Each ETF is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the fund. These risks could include liquidity risk, sector risk, and foreign currency risk, as well as risks associated with fixed income securities and commodities.

Investment in the Fund should be made with the understanding that the ETFs in which the Fund invests will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track because the total return generated by the securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred in adjusting the actual balance of the securities. In addition, the ETFs in which the Fund invests will incur expenses not incurred by their applicable indices. Certain securities comprising the indices tracked by the ETFs may, from time to time, temporarily be unavailable, which may further impede the ETFs' ability to track their applicable indices.

The market value of ETF shares may differ from their NAV. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for fund shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the underlying basket of securities.  Accordingly, there may be times when shares trades at a premium or discount to NAV.

The strategy of investing in ETFs could affect the timing, amount and character of distributions to you and therefore may increase the amount of taxes you pay.

The Fund engages in hedging activities by investing in inverse ETFs. Inverse ETFs may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the underlying stock index upon which they are based. Any strategy that includes inverse securities could cause the Fund to suffer significant losses.  The value of an inverse ETF may not track or correlate to the value of the security or portfolio it is intended to hedge.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investing in foreign companies, or ETFs which invest in foreign companies, may involve more risks than investing in U.S. companies.  These risks can increase the potential for losses in the Fund and may include, among others, currency devaluations, currency risks (fluctuations in currency exchange rates), country risks (political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of limiting or restricting foreign investment or the movement of assets), different trading practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility. Additionally, investments in securities denominated in foreign currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar.  A decline in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar will reduce the value of securities held by the Fund and denominated in those currencies.

Interest Rate Risk - In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price. The use of leverage, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and engaging in forward commitment transactions or investing in leveraged ETFs, will magnify the Fund's gains or losses.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – A Fund that is a non-diversified investment company means that more of the Fund's assets may be invested in the securities of a single issuer than a diversified investment company.  This may make the value of the Fund's shares more susceptible to certain risk than shares of a diversified investment company.  As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.  There is also a risk that the Fund's investments will underperform either the securities markets generally or particular segments of the securities markets.  

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N shares (converted from Class I shares of the Predecessor Fund) from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Although Class A and C shares would have similar annual returns to Class N shares because the classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, the returns for Class A and C shares would be different from Class N shares because Class A and C shares have different expenses than Class N shares. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to February 25, 2013 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. did not serve as Adviser to the Fund until the merger with the Predecessor Fund was completed on February 22, 2013 and did not serve as Adviser to the Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 10.22% (quarter ended December 31, 2010) and the lowest return for a quarter was -5.08% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Alternative Strategy Fund	1 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	1.19%	1.18%	[1]	Feb. 13, 2009
Class N return after taxes on distributions	1.19%	0.47%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	0.67%	0.69%	[1]
Class C	0.18%	(0.55%)	[1]	May 14, 2009
Class A	0.90%	1.19%	[1]	Mar. 25, 2009
Credit Suisse Managed Futures Liquid Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	7.49%	(0.12%)	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[1] The Life of Fund performance is measured from when the Sub-Adviser began managing the Fund as a Predecessor Fund. For Class N Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of the Predecessor Fund's Class I Shares on February 13, 2009. For Class A Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of Class P Shares of the Predecessor Fund on March 25, 2009. Class P Shares of the Predecessor Fund converted to Class A shares of the Fund on February 25, 2013. For Class C Shares, Life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of the Predecessor Fund's Class C Shares on May 14, 2009.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.86%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.65%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 733

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,065

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,420

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,417

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

19.37%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.23%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.26%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.86%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.40%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

243

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

748

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,280

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,736

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

18.54%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.38%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.31%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.86%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.54%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.40%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

143

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

443

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

766

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,680

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

4.22%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

9.08%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

16.15%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(33.79%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

38.68%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

13.14%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(2.48%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

7.52%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

19.81%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

14.63%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(16.03%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

19.81%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.53%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.36%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

19.07%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.89%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.51%

^[1]

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

11.21%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

11.51%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.07%

^[1]

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return under varying market conditions through both current income and capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 62% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

62.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.   The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing, under normal market conditions, in a diversified portfolio of (1) convertible, (2) equity (common and preferred stock) and (3) fixed-income securities of corporate issuers, including securities of foreign issuers and those rated below investment grade (rated BB+ or lower by S&P or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO)), also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, and in unrated debt securities determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  Junk bonds, which may be purchased in any amount, are speculative investments that carry greater risks and are more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions than higher quality fixed-income securities. Convertible and fixed income securities are purchased without restriction as to maturity. In addition, the Fund may invest without restriction as to issuer capitalization or country. The Fund attempts to utilize these different types of securities to strike the appropriate balance between risk and reward in terms of growth and income when compared to a peer group of securities that the Sub-Adviser believes have similar risk of loss.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys a blend of equity and convertible securities offering the potential for long-term growth and current income and sells them when the issuer's economic fundamentals deteriorate or relative valuations between securities change.  The Sub-Adviser purchases individual convertible and equity securities based on the potential to generate above-average income and/or capital growth appreciation. The Sub-Adviser buys fixed-income securities that it believes have a higher expected total return when compared to competing convertible or equity securities.  Within the universe of fixed-income securities, the Sub-Adviser selects specific securities based upon their expected total return and expected probability of default when compared to a peer group of securities with similar credit risk.  The Sub-Adviser sells them when the issuer's economic fundamentals deteriorate or relative valuations between securities change.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objective.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 14.63% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -16.03% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Appreciation & Income Fund | BofA ML Convertibles ex Mandatory Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expense, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

25.01%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

18.83%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.26%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class C and Class N shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to provide current income and capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 ofthe Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	4.50%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	0.92%	0.92%	0.92%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	0.75%	none
Other Expenses		0.28%	0.28%	0.28%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.45%	1.95%	1.20%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	591	888	1,207	2,107
Class C	198	612	1,052	2,275
Class N	122	381	660	1,455

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 173% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in corporate and government bonds using the Sub-Adviser's active management techniques including interest rate anticipation, sector rotation, issuer selection and opportunistic trading.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in corporate bonds of issuers from any country and in government bonds.  The Fund defines corporate bonds to include:  (1) debt securities issued by a corporation (or equivalent entity), (2) non-government mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (MBS), (3) asset-backed securities (ABS) and (4) index-linked bonds.  The Fund defines government bonds to include:  (1) any United States government issued or guaranteed MBS (Gov-MBS) and debt securities issued by the United States' Treasury, any agency or instrumentality of the United States; (2) any multi-governmental entity of which the United States is a member; and (3) any state or other political subdivision within the United States or its territories.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that its active management techniques identify as undervalued and sells them when more compelling investments are available.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

The Fund may invest up to 40% of its assets in higher-yielding, higher-risk corporate and government bonds, including high-yield bank loans — also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds — with medium to low credit quality ratings.  High-yield bonds and bank loans are rated BB+ or lower by S&P, or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or if unrated determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  However, the Fund intends to maintain an average portfolio credit quality of investment grade.  The bonds in the Fund's portfolio can be of any maturity.

Principal Investment Risks:

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Prepayment Risk – Mortgage-backed securities are subject to the risk that borrowers will prepay their loans more quickly than originally expected if interest rates fall.  This may force the Fund to reinvest prepayment proceeds at lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Senior Bank Loan Risk – Senior loans are subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds the most senior position in the issuer's capital structure, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans.

 

Performance:

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.comor by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31,

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 4.87% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -2.91% (quarter ended June 30, 2013).

Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Corporate/Government Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	(0.46%)	5.92%	4.64%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	(1.92%)	4.18%	3.06%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	(0.26%)	4.04%	3.06%	[1]
Class C	1.15%	5.15%	3.87%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	(0.70%)	5.65%	4.74%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	(2.02%)	4.44%	4.54%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual base Sub-Adviser fee.

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

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Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 ofthe Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Small Cap Value Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Small Cap Value Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	0.73%	0.73%	0.73%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		0.57%	0.57%	0.57%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.55%	2.30%	1.30%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Small Cap Value Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	724	1,036	1,371	2,314
Class C	233	718	1,230	2,636
Class N	132	412	713	1,568

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 147% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic, value-oriented, small-capitalization or "small cap" equity securities (common stock) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market using its fundamental stock selection process.  The Fund defines small capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations less than $4 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in small cap companies.  Under general supervision of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser seeks to fulfill the Fund's investment objective by using a quantitative stock ranking system combined with a qualitative risk review.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys securities of small cap companies that are ranked highest by the model and pass the risk review.  It generally sells securities when higher ranked or more compelling investments are identified. Although a "total return" investment objective typically entails both capital appreciation and income, the Fund emphasizes capital appreciation, but will capture some income through dividends and interest from cash investments.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "value" and potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Small Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in small cap companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Small cap companies often have narrower markets, fewer products, or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 21.24% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -27.88% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Small Cap Value Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	36.06%	17.52%	5.86%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	34.61%	17.21%	5.21%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	21.55%	14.23%	4.73%	[1]
Class C	34.68%	16.36%	4.82%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	35.66%	17.26%	4.89%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
Russell 2000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	34.52%	17.64%	7.48%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N.  

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new Sub-Advisory agreement that is effective July 1, 2013. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The new Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base or fulcrum of 45 bps (0.45%) and can range from 0.10% to 0.80%, depending on the effect of performance fees.

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

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Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	1.10%	1.10%	1.10%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.42%	0.42%	0.42%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.77%	2.52%	1.52%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.   The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	745	1,100	1,479	2,539
Class C	255	785	1,340	2,856
Class N	155	480	829	1,813

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 38% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign growth-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" equity securities (common stock and securities convertible into common stocks) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market that it believes are undervalued.   The Fund defines large capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% if its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in large cap companies.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy is to focus on attractive growth stocks while maintaining an emphasis on risk control.  In accordance with this philosophy, the Sub-Adviser's investment strategy centers around (i) analyzing stocks for their potential growth in revenue or profits when compared to their peers and determining if they are reasonably priced and (ii) addressing risk by implementing strict and systematic risk controls.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys stocks where the underlying company is demonstrating above average growth characteristics and it believes the stock is reasonably priced.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the security no longer offers attractive growth prospects or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 12.47% (quarter ended March 31, 2012) and the lowest return for a quarter was -25.45% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund  AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	30.87%	13.80%	3.95%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	30.60%	13.72%	3.39%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	17.47%	11.06%	2.97%	[1]
Class C	29.56%	12.64%	2.92%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	30.57%	13.52%	3.01%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	33.48%	20.39%	8.18%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

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Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.   More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	1.20%	1.20%	1.20%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		0.71%	0.71%	0.71%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	[2]	0.10%	0.10%	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		2.26%	3.01%	2.01%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	791	1,241	1,715	3,021
Class C	304	930	1,582	3,327
Class N	204	630	1,083	2,338

Portfolio Turnover:  

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 166% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in emerging market equity securities traded on foreign stock exchanges.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in stock of companies that are organized in or maintain at least 50% of their assets in, or that derive at least 50% of their revenues from, emerging market countries.  The Fund defines equity securities to include: common stocks, preferred stocks (either convertible or non-convertible), rights, warrants, direct equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures and other unincorporated entities or enterprises, convertible debt instruments and special classes of shares available only to foreigners in markets that restrict ownership of certain shares or classes to their own nationals or residents.  The Fund defines an emerging market country as any country that has been determined by an international organization, such as the World Bank, to have a low- to middle-income economy.  Additionally, the Fund includes Singapore and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China regardless of their economic income ranking.  

In general, the Sub-Adviser uses a quantitative model to rank countries according to their characteristics, including various measures of value, momentum and risk.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys companies in countries that are ranked highest by the model and generally sells companies in countries that rank lower.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Emerging Markets Risks – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 53.31% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -35.60% (quarter ended September 30, 2008).

Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Emerging Markets Stock Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	(3.65%)	16.43%	7.45%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	(3.65%)	16.30%	5.85%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	(2.06%)	13.29%	6.00%	[1]
Class C	(4.62%)	15.25%	6.39%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	(3.79%)	16.11%	0.27%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
MSCI Emerging Markets Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	(2.60%)	14.79%	10.51%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new Sub-Advisory agreement that is effective July 1, 2013. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The new Sub- Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base or fulcrum of 50 bps (0.50%) and can range from 0.10% to 0.90%, depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

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Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Document Type	dei_DocumentType	Other
Document Period End Date	dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	Dunham Funds
Central Index Key	dei_EntityCentralIndexKey	0001420040
Amendment Flag	dei_AmendmentFlag	false
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Mar. 05, 2014
Document Effective Date	dei_DocumentEffectiveDate	Mar. 05, 2014
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Feb. 28, 2014

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Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.81%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Dividend Expense on securities sold short

rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.24%

Remaining Other Expenses

rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.29%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.53%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.62%

Fee Waiver

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.17%)

^[3]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

2.45%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 809

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,327

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,871

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,347

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

9.00%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

9.56%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(0.08%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

9.67%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

4.72%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2010

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

5.13%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2011

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(6.14%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(1.29%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.25%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.60%

^[4]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Aug. 01, 2008

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | Class A | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(3.32%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

4.26%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.30%

^[4]

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | Class A | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

(0.74%)

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.80%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.53%

^[4]

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.81%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Dividend Expense on securities sold short

rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.24%

Remaining Other Expenses

rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.29%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.53%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.37%

Fee Waiver

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.17%)

^[3]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

3.20%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

323

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,020

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,741

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,647

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

3.96%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

5.71%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.79%

^[4]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Aug. 01, 2008

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.81%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Dividend Expense on securities sold short

rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.24%

Remaining Other Expenses

rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.29%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.53%

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses

rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets

0.03%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.37%

Fee Waiver

rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets

(0.17%)

^[3]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Reimbursement

rr_NetExpensesOverAssets

2.20%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

223

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

723

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,250

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,693

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

4.98%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

6.78%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.58%

^[4]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Sep. 29, 2008

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to provide positive returns in rising and falling market environments.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 227% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

227.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Not Correlated to Ratio Due to Acquired Fund Fees [Text]

rr_ExpensesNotCorrelatedToRatioDueToAcquiredFundFees

The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by using a variety of absolute-return strategies.  These strategies, some or all of which may be employed at any one time, are intended to achieve relatively consistent returns across a range of market environments.  These strategies include: (1) short-selling where the Sub-Adviser seeks to protect the Fund's portfolio against market declines, typically related to a merger-arbitrage transaction; (2) option writing where the Fund writes covered call options on its portfolio securities or a market index that is representative of its portfolio with the expectation of generating additional income; (3) merger-arbitrage where the Fund may purchase the equity securities of companies involved in publicly announced mergers, takeovers and other corporate reorganizations including those outside the U.S., and use one or more hedging arbitrage strategies in connection with the purchase to reduce market and/or company specific price risk; (4) fixed-income where the Fund may purchase fixed-income securities without limit to quality or maturity, including higher-risk corporate bonds ( known as "junk bonds"), bank debt and preferred stock to generate income.  Collectively, the strategies are intended to produce positive returns in rising and falling market environments.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys securities that it believes offer an attractive reward relative to risk and sells securities when the reward becomes less attractive relative to the risk.  The Sub-Adviser sells short securities, which is considered a form of leverage, to protect the Fund's portfolio against market declines, typically related to a merger-arbitrage transaction and covers (buys back) these securities to close out a hedging transaction.  The Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objective.

The Fund's distribution policy is to make twelve monthly distributions to shareholders. The level of monthly distributions (including any return of capital) is not fixed but is expected to be at or near the level of the prime interest rate ("Prime Rate").  Additionally, the Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share.  Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits.  However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital.  Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit.  For more information about the Fund's distribution policy, please turn to "Distribution Policy and Goals" section in the Fund's Prospectus.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions. This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations. They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund. An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline. Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives, such as options, may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived. Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Distribution Policy Risk – The Fund's distribution policy is not designed to generate, and is not expected to result in, distributions that equal a fixed percentage of the Fund's current net asset value per share. Shareholders receiving periodic payments from the Fund may be under the impression that they are receiving net profits. However, all or a portion of a distribution may consist of a return of capital (i.e., from your original investment). Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit. Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities. Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price. The use of leverage, such as borrowing money to purchase securities, engaging in reverse repurchase agreements, lending portfolio securities and engaging in forward commitment transactions, will magnify the Fund's gains or losses.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties. Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result. The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Merger and Event-Driven Risk – Investments in companies that are expected to be, or already are, the subject of a publicly announced merger, takeover, tender offer, leveraged buyout, spin-off, liquidation or other corporate reorganizations carry the risk that the proposed or expected corporate event may not be completed or may be completed on less favorable terms than originally expected.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Purchasing Put Options Risk – When the Fund purchases put options, it risks the loss of the cash paid for the options if the options expire unexercised.

Selling (Writing) Covered Call Options Risk – When the Fund sells covered call options, it foregoes the opportunity to benefit from an increase in the value of the underlying stock above the exercise price, but it continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying stock.

Short Selling Risk – If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund covers its short position, the Fund will incur a loss which may be unlimited. Also, the Fund is required to deposit collateral in connection with such short sales and may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies. Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions. The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Tax Consequence Risk – The Fund expects to generate a high level of premiums from its sale of call options. These premiums typically result in short-term capital gains to a Fund for federal and state income tax purposes.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. 

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class A Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is not reflected in the bar chart, and if the sales charge were included, returns would be less than those shown. The sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to September 29, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, Inc. did not begin managing the predecessor fund until August 2008. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.comor by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class A Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class A Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 5.13% (quarter ended September 30, 2010) and the lowest return for a quarter was -6.14% (quarter ended September 30, 2011).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class N shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class A shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class N shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class A shares.

Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | IQ Hedge Market Neutral Beta Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

3.61%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

3.73%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.87%

^[4]

[1] Management fees have been restated as if the Fund's current fee waiver had been in effect at the beginning of the previous fiscal year.

[2] Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies. The operating expenses in this fee table may not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund's financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

[3] The Fund's Sub-Adviser has contractually agreed to waive or limit its Sub-Advisory fees so that such fees, on an annual basis, do not exceed 1.05% of the Fund's aggregate average daily net assets. This Agreement is effective as of April 1, 2013 and shall remain in effect until February 28, 2015.

[4] For Class A and Class C Shares, life of Fund performance is measured from August 1, 2008 when the Adviser began managing the Fund as a Predecessor Fund. For Class N Shares, life of Fund performance is measured from commencement of operations of Class N Shares on September 29, 2008. On March 2, 2009, the Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategy were materially changed. Therefore, the Fund's performance prior to that date may have been different had the current investment objective and principal investment strategy been in place.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.65%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.35%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.25%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 695

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

949

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,222

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,999

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

30.19%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.11%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.12%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.65%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.35%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.00%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

203

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

627

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,078

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,327

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

29.26%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.25%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.10%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.65%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.35%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.00%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

102

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

318

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

552

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,225

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

10.52%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

13.16%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

3.84%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(36.87%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

21.62%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

15.10%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(2.35%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

14.71%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

30.52%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

15.87%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(21.09%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

30.52%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.40%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.14%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

29.90%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.13%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.62%

^[1]

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

17.28%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.33%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.86%

^[1]

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:  

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 16% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

16.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in value-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" common stocks of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market.  The Fund defines large capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in the common stock of large cap companies.  The Sub-Adviser focuses on large capitalization value stocks it believes are statistically undervalued while exhibiting attractive earnings dynamics.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that it believes are undervalued and have better than average valuation as measured by statistics such as price to earnings or price to book ratios, and sells them when they become fully valued or more compelling investments are available.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "value" and potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

 

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 15.87% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -21.09% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

Dunham Large Cap Value Fund | Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

32.53%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.67%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.89%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	0.79%	0.79%	0.79%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.57%	0.57%	0.57%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.61%	2.36%	1.36%

Example:  

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	729	1,054	1,401	2,376
Class C	239	736	1,260	2,696
Class N	138	431	745	1,635

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 231% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic growth-oriented, small-capitalization or "small-cap" common stocks of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market using its proprietary stock selection process.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in small cap companies.  The Fund defines small capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations less than $4 billion at the time of investment.  The Sub-Adviser attempts to invest in companies trading at a discount to their growth rate.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities of companies that it identifies as having a product or service with a superior value proposition coupled with a positive business outlook when it believes shares in those companies are attractively priced.  The Sub-Adviser sells securities to limit overconcentration in individual stocks, to take advantage of attractive price level valuations and to remove those companies with eroding or less attractive value propositions.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Small Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in small cap companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Small cap companies often have narrower markets, fewer products, or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 18.25% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -24.96% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).    

Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Small Cap Growth Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	48.79%	21.64%	9.22%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	39.22%	19.80%	7.32%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	29.06%	17.16%	6.81%	[1]
Class C	47.28%	20.42%	8.15%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	48.38%	21.35%	9.17%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	43.30%	22.58%	9.23%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	4.50%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	0.75%	none
Other Expenses	[2]	0.51%	0.51%	0.51%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.76%	2.26%	1.51%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years
Class A	621	979
Class C	229	706
Class N	154	477

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund is newly organized, no portfolio turnover figures are available.  

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser, Newfleet Asset Management LLC (the "Sub-Adviser"), seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund's assets (defined as net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds.  The Fund defines "bonds" as floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities. Floating rate loans generally represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities from banks and other lenders. The loans in which the Fund will primarily invest are non-investment grade (or "junk") bank loans. Floating rate loans have interest rates that reset periodically (typically quarterly or monthly). The interest rates on floating rate loans are generally based on a percentage above LIBOR (the London Interbank Offered Rate), a U.S. bank's prime or base rate, the overnight federal funds rate, or another rate.

The loans held by the fund may be senior or subordinate obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior floating rate loans are typically paid (to the extent assets are available) before certain other creditors of the borrower (e.g., bondholders and stockholders). Holders of subordinate loans may be paid after more senior bondholders. Loans may or may not be secured by collateral. There is no limit on the fund's investments in unsecured loans or in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations, or financial restructurings. There are no maturity restrictions, so the fund can purchase longer-term loans and bonds, which tend to have higher yields (but are more volatile) than shorter-term loans and bonds. The Fund generally invests in loans that are rated below investment-grade (BB and lower, or an equivalent rating) or are not rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO).

The Fund may invest up to 25% of total assets in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated foreign securities and foreign floating rate loans, including Yankee bonds. The Fund may purchase derivative instruments, including, but not limited to, options, futures contracts, credit-linked notes, and swaps (including interest rate swaps, inflation swaps and credit default swaps) for investment purposes and to manage risks identified by the Sub-Adviser.  The Fund may borrow an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed).  The Fund may borrow for investment purposes, to meet repurchase requests and for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes.

In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics. The Sub-Adviser generally measures a security's risk/reward by comparing the security's yield to the risks associated with the borrower, such as its financial condition and industry position, and compared to the yield available from other opportunities. It generally sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria or when a more attractive opportunity is identified.

Principal Investment Risks:

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk –If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using  derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Senior Bank Loans Risk – Senior loans are subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds the most senior position in the issuer's capital structure, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans.

Performance:

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

[1] The management fees above assume the Sub-Adviser's base fee. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base (or fulcrum) of 0.40% and can range from 0.20% to 0.60% depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Estimated for the Fund's first fiscal year.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.55%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 724

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,036

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,371

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,314

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

35.66%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

17.26%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.89%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.30%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

233

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

718

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,230

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,636

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

34.68%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.36%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.82%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.73%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.57%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.30%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

132

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

412

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

713

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,568

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

(4.93%)

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

19.78%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

(4.60%)

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(33.85%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

21.24%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

25.87%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(0.94%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

9.00%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

36.06%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

21.24%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(27.88%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

36.06%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

17.52%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.86%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

34.61%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

17.21%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.21%

^[2]

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

21.55%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.23%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.73%

^[2]

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and income.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 ofthe Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 147% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

147.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new Sub-Advisory agreement that is effective July 1, 2013.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic, value-oriented, small-capitalization or "small cap" equity securities (common stock) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market using its fundamental stock selection process.  The Fund defines small capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations less than $4 billion at the time of investment.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in small cap companies.  Under general supervision of the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser seeks to fulfill the Fund's investment objective by using a quantitative stock ranking system combined with a qualitative risk review.  The Sub-Adviser generally buys securities of small cap companies that are ranked highest by the model and pass the risk review.  It generally sells securities when higher ranked or more compelling investments are identified. Although a "total return" investment objective typically entails both capital appreciation and income, the Fund emphasizes capital appreciation, but will capture some income through dividends and interest from cash investments.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "value" and potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Small Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in small cap companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Small cap companies often have narrower markets, fewer products, or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 21.24% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -27.88% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N.  

Dunham Small Cap Value Fund | Russell 2000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

34.52%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

17.64%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.48%

^[2]

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new Sub-Advisory agreement that is effective July 1, 2013. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The new Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base or fulcrum of 45 bps (0.45%) and can range from 0.10% to 0.80%, depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

Investment Objective:

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income,

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	4.50%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	[1]	0.85%	0.85%	0.85%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	0.75%	none
Other Expenses		0.26%	0.26%	0.26%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.36%	1.86%	1.11%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	582	861	1,161	2,011
Class C	189	585	1,006	2,180
Class N	113	353	612	1,352

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in lower-rated (generally rated BB and B), and unrated, higher-risk corporate bonds of any maturity.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in debt securities and convertible securities rated below investment grade (rated BB+ or lower) by S&P or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, and in unrated debt securities determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser selects investments and attempts to reduce risk through portfolio diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments in economic conditions.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys high-yield securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics.  The Sub-Adviser measures a security's risk/reward ratio by its yield and expected probability of default when compared to a peer group of securities with similar credit risk.  It sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria and when an issuer's credit fundamentals deteriorate.

Principal Investment Risks:

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

 Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates.  Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

 

Performance:

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 12.10% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -17.55% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund		1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N		5.10%	14.03%	6.12%	[1]	Jul. 01, 2005
Class N return after taxes on distributions		2.90%	11.35%	3.73%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares		2.85%	10.05%	3.77%	[1]
Class C		4.44%	13.21%	5.34%	[1]	Jul. 01, 2005
Class A		4.91%	13.72%	5.67%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
BofA ML BB-B U.S. Non-Distressed High-Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	[2]	6.19%	13.73%	7.04%	[1]
BofA ML High-Yield Bond Cash Pay Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)		7.38%	18.46%	8.46%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual Fulcrum Fee and new performance benchmark.

[1] The Fund's Class C and Class N shares commenced operations on July 1, 2005. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

[2] Through June 2013, the Fund used the BofA ML High-Yield Bond Cash Pay Index as its benchmark index. Effective July 2013, the Fund changed its benchmark to the BofA ML BB-B U.S. Non-Distressed High-Yield Index, reflecting changes in the Fund's strategy. As a result, the Fund's performance is compared to both indexes in the table above.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham International Stock Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.56%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.56%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.37%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 801

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,272

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,768

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,126

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

20.98%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.33%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.42%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham International Stock Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.56%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.56%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

3.12%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

315

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

963

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,635

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

3,430

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

20.13%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.47%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.26%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham International Stock Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.56%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.56%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.12%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

215

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

664

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,139

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,452

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

11.08%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

24.66%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

1.59%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(42.72%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

48.23%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

13.67%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

(14.81%)

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

18.68%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

21.27%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

32.82%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 01, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(22.89%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

21.27%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.62%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.31%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham International Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

20.37%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.15%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.39%

^[1]

Dunham International Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

12.03%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.47%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.88%

^[1]

Dunham International Stock Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham International Stock Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 131% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

131.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:  

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing in equities (common and preferred stock and depositary receipts for common and preferred stock) of international corporations traded on stock exchanges around the world, including those in emerging markets, alternative trading venues or in the over-the-counter market.  To the extent the Fund's currency exposure differs from the MSCI All Country World ex US Index Net, the Sub-Adviser typically seeks to hedge this foreign currency exposure using forward currency exchange contracts.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in stock of non-U.S. companies in at least three foreign countries, which may include companies located or operating in established or emergingmarket countries.  The Fund defines a non-U.S. company as one that is domiciled, has its principal place of business, derives at least 50% of its revenue or profits, or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S.  The primary regions of investment are Western Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada,

Australia and Asia.  The Sub-Adviser generally constructs its portfolios by using proprietary econometric models and a proprietary optimization process that balances the trade-off between a stock's expected return, its contribution to portfolio level risk, portfolio specific restrictions, and its opportunity costs relative to trading costs.  Buys and sells occur when opportunities arise that improve the portfolio's risk adjusted benchmark relative expected returns, net of amortized transaction costs. The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives, such as forward contracts, may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses.  Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Emerging Markets Risks – Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems which do not protect securities holders.  Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default.  Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk - Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 32.82% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -22.89% (quarter ended September 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham International Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.  After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

Dunham International Stock Fund | MSCI All Country World ex U.S. Index Net (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

15.29%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.82%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.79%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.84%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.56%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 725

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,039

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,376

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,325

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.64%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.424%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

1.01%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.84%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.31%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

234

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

721

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,235

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,646

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.89%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.54%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.28%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.84%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.47%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.31%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

133

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

415

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

718

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,579

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

9.93%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

29.94%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

(20.24%)

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(36.91%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

32.70%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

25.72%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

6.27%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

18.72%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

2.93%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Sep. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

38.78%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(37.49%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.93%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.72%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.33%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

1.77%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

15.97%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.78%

^[1]

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.16%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.40%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

4.14%

^[1]

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

A secondary investment objective of the Fund is to exceed, over the long-term, the total return available from direct ownership of real estate with less risk than direct ownership.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 163% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

163.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities (including real estate investment trusts ("REITs")) of U.S. real estate companies.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the U.S. real estate industry.  The Fund defines a company as principally engaged in the U.S. real estate industry if at least 50% of the company's revenues or 50% of the market value of the company's assets are related to the ownership, construction, management or sale of U.S. real estate.  The Sub-Adviser believes that by investing in equity securities of real estate companies, rather than investing in individual commercial or residential properties, the Fund's returns may be higher because of the benefits of diversification that include the avoidance of excess exposure to property-specific risks such as tenant default, illiquidity, property damage and vacancy.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities of issuers that generate above-average cash flow from operations and are trading at an attractive valuation.  The Sub-Adviser sells securities when a company no longer meets its selection criteria or there is a sufficiently more attractive company.  The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives. The Sub-Adviser seeks to outperform other real estate funds using in-house knowledge, research and its understanding of the real estate market.  The Sub-Adviser seeks to find favorable real estate investments in the public markets through disciplined analysis by combining bottom-up fundamental research of companies with a research driven top-down asset allocation.  Through such analysis, the Sub-Adviser seeks to deliver total return by identifying individual company value and by repositioning the Fund's portfolio to be invested in companies with the best property types and geographic regions based on current real estate market conditions. Additionally, the Sub-Adviser focuses the Fund's securities portfolio on investments that generally provide income and also have the potential for long-term capital appreciation.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Real Estate Industry Concentration Risk – By concentrating in a single sector, the Fund carries much greater risk of adverse developments in that sector than a fund that invests in a wide variety of industries.  Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]

rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 38.78% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -37.49% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).  

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund | FTSE NAREIT All REIT Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

3.21%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

16.68%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.63%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

Investment Objective:  

The Fund seeks to maximize total return from capital appreciation and dividends.

A secondary investment objective of the Fund is to exceed, over the long-term, the total return available from direct ownership of real estate with less risk than direct ownership.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)	5.75%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)	0.75%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions	none	none	none
Redemption Fee	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund	Class A	Class C	Class N
Management Fees	0.84%	0.84%	0.84%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses	0.47%	0.47%	0.47%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	1.56%	2.31%	1.31%

Example:

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	725	1,039	1,376	2,325
Class C	234	721	1,235	2,646
Class N	133	415	718	1,579

Portfolio Turnover:

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 163% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies:  

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities (including real estate investment trusts ("REITs")) of U.S. real estate companies.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies principally engaged in the U.S. real estate industry.  The Fund defines a company as principally engaged in the U.S. real estate industry if at least 50% of the company's revenues or 50% of the market value of the company's assets are related to the ownership, construction, management or sale of U.S. real estate.  The Sub-Adviser believes that by investing in equity securities of real estate companies, rather than investing in individual commercial or residential properties, the Fund's returns may be higher because of the benefits of diversification that include the avoidance of excess exposure to property-specific risks such as tenant default, illiquidity, property damage and vacancy.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities of issuers that generate above-average cash flow from operations and are trading at an attractive valuation.  The Sub-Adviser sells securities when a company no longer meets its selection criteria or there is a sufficiently more attractive company.  The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in any one issuer than a diversified fund.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives. The Sub-Adviser seeks to outperform other real estate funds using in-house knowledge, research and its understanding of the real estate market.  The Sub-Adviser seeks to find favorable real estate investments in the public markets through disciplined analysis by combining bottom-up fundamental research of companies with a research driven top-down asset allocation.  Through such analysis, the Sub-Adviser seeks to deliver total return by identifying individual company value and by repositioning the Fund's portfolio to be invested in companies with the best property types and geographic regions based on current real estate market conditions. Additionally, the Sub-Adviser focuses the Fund's securities portfolio on investments that generally provide income and also have the potential for long-term capital appreciation.

Principal Investment Risks:  

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.  Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for a Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Non-Diversification Risk – As a non-diversified fund, the Fund has a greater potential to realize losses upon the occurrence of adverse events affecting a particular issuer.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Real Estate Industry Concentration Risk – By concentrating in a single sector, the Fund carries much greater risk of adverse developments in that sector than a fund that invests in a wide variety of industries.  Real estate values rise and fall in response to a variety of factors, including local, regional and national economic conditions, interest rates and tax considerations.

Real Estate Investment Trust Risk – A REIT's performance depends on the types and locations of the rental properties it owns and on how well it manages those properties.  A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management.

Small and Medium Capitalization Risk – The Fund's investments in smaller and medium-sized companies carry more risks than investments in larger companies.  Companies with small and medium size market capitalization often have narrower markets, fewer products or services to offer and more limited managerial and financial resources than do larger, more established companies.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Performance:  

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.  The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 38.78% (quarter ended September 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -37.49% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).  

Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund

 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Average Annual Total Returns - Dunham Real Estate Stock Fund	1 Year	5 Year	Life of Fund		Inception Date
Class N	2.93%	16.72%	5.33%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class N return after taxes on distributions	1.77%	15.97%	3.78%	[1]
Class N return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares	2.16%	13.40%	4.14%	[1]
Class C	1.89%	15.54%	4.28%	[1]	Dec. 10, 2004
Class A	2.64%	16.424%	1.01%	[1]	Jan. 03, 2007
FTSE NAREIT All REIT Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	3.21%	16.68%	5.63%	[1]

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.  

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

4.50%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.85%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.26%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.36%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 582

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

861

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,161

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,011

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

4.91%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.72%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.67%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.85%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.75%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.26%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.86%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

189

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

585

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,006

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,180

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

4.44%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.21%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

5.34%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jul. 01, 2005

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

0.85%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.26%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.11%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

113

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

353

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

612

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,352

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

7.58%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

1.74%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(22.38%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

36.91%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

14.56%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

3.81%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

12.64%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

5.10%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Jun. 30, 2009

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

12.10%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(17.55%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

5.10%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

14.03%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

6.12%

^[2]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jul. 01, 2005

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.90%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

11.35%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.73%

^[2]

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

2.85%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

10.05%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.77%

^[2]

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income,

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

94.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]

rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent

Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual Fulcrum Fee and new performance benchmark.

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing primarily in lower-rated (generally rated BB and B), and unrated, higher-risk corporate bonds of any maturity.  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus any borrowing for investment purposes) in debt securities and convertible securities rated below investment grade (rated BB+ or lower) by S&P or comparably rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), also known as "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, and in unrated debt securities determined by the Sub-Adviser to be of comparable quality.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser selects investments and attempts to reduce risk through portfolio diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments in economic conditions.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys high-yield securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics.  The Sub-Adviser measures a security's risk/reward ratio by its yield and expected probability of default when compared to a peer group of securities with similar credit risk.  It sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria and when an issuer's credit fundamentals deteriorate.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

 Call or Redemption Risk – If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates.  Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.  

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.  

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities.  Companies issuing high yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

 

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future. Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. 

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 12.10% (quarter ended June 30, 2009) and the lowest return for a quarter was -17.55% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | BofA ML BB-B U.S. Non-Distressed High-Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

6.19%

^[3]

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.73%

^[3]

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

7.04%

^[2],[3]

Dunham High-Yield Bond Fund | BofA ML High-Yield Bond Cash Pay Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

7.38%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

18.46%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.46%

^[2]

[1] Management Fees have been restated to reflect a new contractual Fulcrum Fee and new performance benchmark.

[2] The Fund's Class C and Class N shares commenced operations on July 1, 2005. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

[3] Through June 2013, the Fund used the BofA ML High-Yield Bond Cash Pay Index as its benchmark index. Effective July 2013, the Fund changed its benchmark to the BofA ML BB-B U.S. Non-Distressed High-Yield Index, reflecting changes in the Fund's strategy. As a result, the Fund's performance is compared to both indexes in the table above.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Feb. 28, 2014

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

5.75%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.10%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.42%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.77%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 745

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

1,100

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,479

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,539

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

30.57%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.52%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.01%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Jan. 03, 2007

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.10%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

1.00%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.42%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.52%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

255

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

785

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

1,340

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

2,856

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

29.56%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

12.64%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.92%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.10%

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.42%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.52%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

155

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

480

5 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear05

829

10 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear10

1,813

Annual Return 2005

rr_AnnualReturn2005

8.24%

Annual Return 2006

rr_AnnualReturn2006

2.03%

Annual Return 2007

rr_AnnualReturn2007

18.25%

Annual Return 2008

rr_AnnualReturn2008

(44.45%)

Annual Return 2009

rr_AnnualReturn2009

15.98%

Annual Return 2010

rr_AnnualReturn2010

9.28%

Annual Return 2011

rr_AnnualReturn2011

0.87%

Annual Return 2012

rr_AnnualReturn2012

14.06%

Annual Return 2013

rr_AnnualReturn2013

30.87%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the highest return

Highest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate

Mar. 31, 2012

Highest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn

12.47%

Lowest Quarterly Return, Label

rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel

the lowest return

Lowest Quarterly Return, Date

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate

Dec. 31, 2008

Lowest Quarterly Return

rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn

(25.45%)

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

30.87%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.80%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.95%

^[1]

Inception Date

rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate

Dec. 10, 2004

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

30.60%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

13.72%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

3.39%

^[1]

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Class N | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

17.47%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

11.06%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

2.97%

^[1]

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:  

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to maximize capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:  

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.  You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.  More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 38% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate

rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate

38.00%

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.   The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:  

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Fund's Sub-Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing primarily in domestic and foreign growth-oriented, large capitalization or "large cap" equity securities (common stock and securities convertible into common stocks) of companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges or in the over-the-counter market that it believes are undervalued.   The Fund defines large capitalization companies as those that have market capitalizations greater than $7 billion at the time of investment  Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% if its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in large cap companies.  The Sub-Adviser's investment philosophy is to focus on attractive growth stocks while maintaining an emphasis on risk control.  In accordance with this philosophy, the Sub-Adviser's investment strategy centers around (i) analyzing stocks for their potential growth in revenue or profits when compared to their peers and determining if they are reasonably priced and (ii) addressing risk by implementing strict and systematic risk controls.  In general, the Sub-Adviser buys stocks where the underlying company is demonstrating above average growth characteristics and it believes the stock is reasonably priced.  The Sub-Adviser may choose to sell a security when it believes the security no longer offers attractive growth prospects or when the Sub-Adviser wishes to take advantage of what it believes to be a better investment opportunity.  The Fund's Sub-Adviser may engage in active and frequent trading of the Fund's portfolio securities to achieve the Fund's investment objectives.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:  

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so.  Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign investments may experience greater volatility than U.S. investments.

Large Cap Stock Risk – Because the investment focus of the Fund is on large cap stocks, the value of the Fund may be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. 

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, "growth" potential of a company and the potential appreciation of securities may prove to be inaccurate and may not produce the desired results.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Portfolio Turnover Risk – A higher portfolio turnover will result in higher transactional and brokerage costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.

Stock Market Risk – Stock markets can be volatile. In other words, the prices of stocks can fall rapidly in response to developments affecting a specific company or industry, or to changing economic, political or market conditions.  The Fund's investments may decline in value if the stock markets perform poorly.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:  

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.  Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.  Performance prior to March 3, 2008 is the performance of a Predecessor Fund.  Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.dunham.com or by calling toll free (888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426).

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]

rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns

The following bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of Class N Shares of the Fund from year to year and by showing how the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class N average annual returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.

Performance Availability Phone [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone

(888) 3DUNHAM (338-6426)

Performance Availability Website Address [Text]

rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress

www.dunham.com

Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]

rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture

Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how a Fund will perform in the future.

Bar Chart [Heading]

rr_BarChartHeading

Class N Shares Annual Total Return for Years Ended December 31

Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]

rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

During the periods shown in the bar chart, the highest return for a quarter was 12.47% (quarter ended March 31, 2012) and the lowest return for a quarter was -25.45% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Performance Table Heading

rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund  AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads

rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads

The Class A sales charge is reflected in the average annual total return table.

Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate

rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes;

Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred

rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred

If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution.

Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]

rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown

After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Performance Table Closing [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

After-tax returns are estimated, and are based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor's tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown. If you own shares of the Fund in a tax-deferred account, such as an individual retirement account or a 401(k) plan, this information is not applicable to your investment, because such accounts are only subject to taxes upon distribution. In certain cases, after-tax returns may be higher than the other return figures for the same period. After tax returns for Class C and Class A shares, which are not shown, will vary from those of Class N shares.

Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund | Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

1 Year

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01

33.48%

5 Years

rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05

20.39%

Life of Fund

rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception

8.18%

^[1]

[1] The Fund's Class N and Class C shares commenced operations on December 10, 2004. The Fund's Class A shares commenced operations on January 3, 2007.

XML

Label

Element

Value

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Registrant Name

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Dunham Funds

Prospectus Date

rr_ProspectusDate

Feb. 28, 2014

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund | Class A

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

4.50%

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

0.75%

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.00%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.25%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.51%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.76%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

$ 621

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

979

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund | Class C

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.00%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

0.75%

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.51%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

2.26%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

229

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

706

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund | Class N

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a % of offering price)

rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a % of the original purchase price for purchases of $1 million or more)

rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice

none

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends and other Distributions

rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther

none

Redemption Fee

rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption

none

Exchange Fee

rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption

none

Management Fees

rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets

1.00%

^[1]

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets

none

Other Expenses

rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets

0.51%

^[2]

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

rr_ExpensesOverAssets

1.51%

1 Year

rr_ExpenseExampleYear01

154

3 Years

rr_ExpenseExampleYear03

477

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund

Risk/Return:

rr_RiskReturnAbstract

Risk/Return [Heading]

rr_RiskReturnHeading

Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund

Objective [Heading]

rr_ObjectiveHeading

Investment Objective:

Objective, Primary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income

Objective, Secondary [Text Block]

rr_ObjectiveSecondaryTextBlock

with capital appreciation as a secondary goal.

Expense [Heading]

rr_ExpenseHeading

Fees and Expenses of the Fund:

Expense Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 92 of the Fund's Prospectus and in How to Buy and Sell Shares on page 95 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]

rr_ShareholderFeesCaption

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Operating Expenses Caption [Text]

rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading

Portfolio Turnover:

Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]

rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund is newly organized, no portfolio turnover figures are available.  

Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts

You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund.

Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]

rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount

$ 50,000

Expense Example [Heading]

rr_ExpenseExampleHeading

Example:

Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]

rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading]

rr_StrategyHeading

Principal Investment Strategies:

Strategy Narrative [Text Block]

rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

 

The Fund's Sub-Adviser, Newfleet Asset Management LLC (the "Sub-Adviser"), seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objectives by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund's assets (defined as net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds.  The Fund defines "bonds" as floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities. Floating rate loans generally represent amounts borrowed by companies or other entities from banks and other lenders. The loans in which the Fund will primarily invest are non-investment grade (or "junk") bank loans. Floating rate loans have interest rates that reset periodically (typically quarterly or monthly). The interest rates on floating rate loans are generally based on a percentage above LIBOR (the London Interbank Offered Rate), a U.S. bank's prime or base rate, the overnight federal funds rate, or another rate.

The loans held by the fund may be senior or subordinate obligations of the borrower. In the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior floating rate loans are typically paid (to the extent assets are available) before certain other creditors of the borrower (e.g., bondholders and stockholders). Holders of subordinate loans may be paid after more senior bondholders. Loans may or may not be secured by collateral. There is no limit on the fund's investments in unsecured loans or in companies involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations, or financial restructurings. There are no maturity restrictions, so the fund can purchase longer-term loans and bonds, which tend to have higher yields (but are more volatile) than shorter-term loans and bonds. The Fund generally invests in loans that are rated below investment-grade (BB and lower, or an equivalent rating) or are not rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO).

The Fund may invest up to 25% of total assets in U.S. and non-U.S. dollar denominated foreign securities and foreign floating rate loans, including Yankee bonds. The Fund may purchase derivative instruments, including, but not limited to, options, futures contracts, credit-linked notes, and swaps (including interest rate swaps, inflation swaps and credit default swaps) for investment purposes and to manage risks identified by the Sub-Adviser.  The Fund may borrow an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed).  The Fund may borrow for investment purposes, to meet repurchase requests and for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes.

In general, the Sub-Adviser buys securities that provide high current income that it believes possess attractive risk/reward characteristics. The Sub-Adviser generally measures a security's risk/reward by comparing the security's yield to the risks associated with the borrower, such as its financial condition and industry position, and compared to the yield available from other opportunities. It generally sells securities when they no longer meet the buy criteria or when a more attractive opportunity is identified.

Risk [Heading]

rr_RiskHeading

Principal Investment Risks:

Risk Narrative [Text Block]

rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Although the Fund will strive to meet its investment objective, there is no assurance that it will do so. Many factors affect the Fund's net asset value and performance.

Call or Redemption Risk –If interest rates decline, issuers of debt securities may exercise redemption or call provisions.  This may force the Fund to reinvest redemption or call proceeds in securities with lower yields, which may reduce Fund performance.

Credit Risk – Issuers of debt securities may suffer from a reduced ability to repay their interest and principal obligations.  They may even default on interest and/or principal payments due to the Fund.  An increase in credit risk or a default will cause the value of Fund debt securities to decline.  Issuers with lower credit quality are more susceptible to economic or industry downturns and are more likely to default.

Currency Risk – Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from the Fund's investments denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses.  Exchange rate movements are volatile and it may not be possible to effectively hedge the currency risks of many countries.

Derivatives Risk – Financial derivatives may not produce the desired investment results because they are not perfect substitutes for the underlying securities, indices or currencies from which they are derived.  Derivatives may also create leverage which will amplify the effect on the Fund, which may produce significant losses. Over the counter derivatives, such as swaps, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligation.

Foreign Investing Risk – Investments in foreign countries are subject to currency risk and country-specific risks such as political, diplomatic, regional conflicts, terrorism, war, social and economic instability and policies that have the effect of decreasing the value of foreign securities.  Foreign countries may be subject to different trading settlement practices, less government supervision, less publicly available information, limited trading markets and greater volatility than U.S. investments.  

Interest Rate Risk – In general, the price of a debt security falls when interest rates rise.  Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Securities with longer maturities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Leveraging Risk – Using  derivatives can create leverage, which can magnify the Fund's potential for gain or loss and, therefore, amplify the effects of market volatility on the Fund's share price.

Liquidity Risk – Some securities may have few market-makers and low trading volume, which tend to increase transaction costs and may make it impossible for the Fund to dispose of a security position at all or at a price which represents current or fair market value.

Lower-Rated Securities Risk – Securities rated below investment-grade, sometimes called "high-yield" or "junk" bonds, are speculative investments that generally have more credit risk than higher-rated securities. Companies issuing high-yield fixed-income securities are not as strong financially as those issuing securities with higher credit ratings and are more likely to encounter financial difficulties.  Lower rated issuers are more likely to default and their securities could become worthless.

Management Risk – The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio.  The Sub-Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there is no guarantee that its decisions will produce the intended result.  The successful use of hedging and risk management techniques may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the hedging vehicles and the securities being hedged.

Senior Bank Loans Risk – Senior loans are subject to the risk that a court could subordinate a senior loan, which typically holds the most senior position in the issuer's capital structure, to presently existing or future indebtedness or take other action detrimental to the holders of senior loans.

Risk Lose Money [Text]

rr_RiskLoseMoney

As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]

rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading

Performance:

Performance Narrative [Text Block]

rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

Performance One Year or Less [Text]

rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess

Because the Fund has less than a full calendar year of investment operations, no performance information is presented for the Fund at this time.

[1] The management fees above assume the Sub-Adviser's base fee. Actual Sub-Advisory fees may be higher or lower depending on Fund performance. The Sub-Advisory fee is a fulcrum fee with a base (or fulcrum) of 0.40% and can range from 0.20% to 0.60% depending on the effect of performance fees.

[2] Estimated for the Fund's first fiscal year.