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The Ray And Tye Noorda Foundation

Annual Giving
$20.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $1.0M
Decision Time
7mo
Success Rate
12%

The Ray And Tye Noorda Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20.1 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: 10-15%
  • Decision Time: 6-7 months per cycle
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Utah, with occasional national and international grants
  • Assets: $101.6 million (2024)

Contact Details

Address: 333 S 520 W Suite 101, Lindon, UT 84042

Phone: 801-225-6731

Email: info@rtnf.org

Website: www.rtnf.org

Application Portal: Online portal available at rtnf.org (applications accepted exclusively through portal)

Overview

The Ray And Tye Noorda Foundation was established in 2000 by Ray Noorda, former CEO of Novell Technology and known as the "Father of Network Computing," and his wife Tye Noorda. Following Ray's passing in 2006, the foundation continues to honor the couple's legacy of generous philanthropy in Utah. With over $101 million in assets, the foundation envisions "a world where all people enjoy equal opportunities to achieve health, purpose and happiness." The foundation supports evidence-based programs that alleviate suffering and provide educational support for disadvantaged people, both globally and locally. In recent years, RTNF has strengthened its institutional capacity by hiring its first programmatic staff, including Executive Director Brittany Erikson, who developed the foundation's grantmaking process, mission, values, and online application system from the ground up. The foundation made 39 awards in 2023, distributing $20.2 million in grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a semi-annual grant cycle with two application periods:

  • Cycle 1: January to July (grants distributed by August 15)
  • Cycle 2: July to January (grants distributed by February 15)

Organizations may apply once per calendar year in either Cycle 1 or Cycle 2.

Grant amounts range from approximately $5,000 to $1 million, with an average grant size of $516,939.

Priority Areas

Core Focus Areas:

  • Higher Education: Scholarships, university programs, and educational access initiatives
  • Health: Programs addressing disease prevention and healthcare access
  • Human Services: Support for disadvantaged populations, including homeless youth
  • Environment and Climate: Efforts to eliminate fossil fuel use and explore alternative energy sources
  • Children and Youth: Programs supporting vulnerable young people

Evidence-Based Approach: The foundation strongly emphasizes data-driven, evidence-based interventions with rigorous impact evaluations. RTNF asks the critical question: "Is the intervention at least as effective as giving participants cash?" This reflects their high bar for demonstrating measurable impact.

Recent Funding Examples:

  • Giving Green Fund: $1 million (2024) for climate initiatives including heavy industry decarbonization, geothermal energy, alternative proteins, and advanced nuclear
  • IDinsight/CARE: $1.5 million for identifying and optimizing interventions with sustainable scale potential
  • GiveDirectly: Multi-year support for cash transfer programs
  • Volunteers of America Utah's Homeless Youth Resource Center
  • Bicycle Collective of Salt Lake City
  • ScenicView Academy

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly detailed, the foundation's focus on evidence-based programs suggests they do not fund:

  • Programs lacking rigorous impact evaluation
  • Organizations without clear strategic planning
  • Projects that cannot demonstrate scalability or sustainability

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Trustees:

  • Raye Marie Kriedel
  • Taylor M Kriedel
  • Brent Noorda

Executive Leadership:

  • Brittany Erikson, Executive Director: As RTNF's first programmatic staff member, Erikson led development of the foundation's strategy and grantmaking process from the ground up. She has nearly a decade of experience in philanthropy with expertise in trust-based philanthropy, process development, and evidence-based giving. A Vanderbilt University graduate, she has positioned RTNF as a data-driven foundation focused on maximizing impact.

Leadership Philosophy

Brittany Erikson's approach to grantmaking emphasizes strategic partnerships: "The idea of giving to the Giving Green Fund that is operated by specialists in climate feels like we're expanding our philanthropic staff. Suddenly we have the Giving Green team and all the expertise they bring. It's like an extension of RTNF's own team members." This quote reveals the foundation's philosophy of leveraging external expertise to maximize impact beyond their internal capacity.

The foundation values self-determination and empowerment, preferring interventions that respect participants' ability to make their own decisions rather than prescribing predetermined solutions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Pre-Application Assessment Before applying, organizations should:

  • Review eligibility and grantmaking criteria at rtnf.org
  • Verify alignment with RTNF's evidence-based approach
  • Confirm ability to provide rigorous evidence of program impact
  • Ensure strategic planning demonstrates where the organization will be in 3-5 years

Step 2: Create Account Create an account on RTNF's online grantmaking portal, providing:

  • Contact information
  • Organization address
  • EIN (must be 501(c)(3))
  • Basic organizational details

Step 3: Submit Application Complete the full application through the online portal, including:

  • Evidence of program impact (specific, clear, rigorous data required)
  • Strategic plan showing organizational direction and milestones
  • Evidence of scalable solutions and broad impact potential
  • Leadership qualifications and team expertise
  • Financial sustainability plan demonstrating independence from RTNF funding

Step 4: Due Diligence (If Selected) Organizations advancing to this stage will participate in:

  • Submission of additional internal strategy documents
  • Proposed milestone discussions
  • Conversations with key staff and board members
  • Possible site visits

Decision Timeline

Cycle 1:

  • Application Period: January - early February
  • Review Period: February - July
  • Notification & Grant Distribution: By August 15

Cycle 2:

  • Application Period: July - early August
  • Review Period: August - January
  • Notification & Grant Distribution: By February 15

Total Time: Approximately 6-7 months from application deadline to decision

Success Rates

RTNF's grantmaking process is highly competitive, with an average success rate of 10-15% of applicants receiving funding. In 2023, 39 organizations received grants from what would have been approximately 260-390 applications.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations can reapply after one year. A declined application should be viewed as "not yet" rather than a permanent "no."

Feedback Mechanism: RTNF strongly encourages declined applicants to request feedback. The foundation has offered detailed feedback to declined applicants in recent grant cycles to help organizations understand whether they should reapply and how to strengthen future applications.

Timing: Organizations must wait for the next calendar year before resubmitting. For example, if declined in Cycle 1 2025, the earliest reapplication would be Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 2026.

Application Success Factors

What RTNF Looks For

1. Evidence-Based Impact RTNF sets a high bar for demonstrating measurable outcomes. Applications should include:

  • Rigorous impact evaluations with specific data
  • Clear evidence that the intervention works
  • Comparison to alternative interventions (including cash transfers as a benchmark)
  • Research-backed approaches

2. Strategic Planning & Scalability Successful applications demonstrate:

  • Clear 3-5 year organizational vision with specific milestones
  • Pathways to scale and broad impact potential
  • Well-developed strategies, not aspirational goals
  • Potential for "game-changing" impact in beneficiaries' lives

3. Strong Leadership & Team RTNF evaluates:

  • Leaders who are passionate, capable, and motivated
  • Expertise in respective fields
  • Talented, qualified staff surrounding leadership
  • Organizational capacity to execute ambitious plans

4. Financial Sustainability Organizations must show:

  • Environmental and financial sustainability plans
  • Diversified funding sources
  • Clear path to independence from RTNF support
  • No expectation of becoming reliant on RTNF funding long-term

5. Alignment with Self-Determination Values The foundation prefers interventions that:

  • Empower participants to make their own decisions
  • Respect individual agency and choice
  • Avoid paternalistic, prescriptive approaches
  • Support human dignity and self-determination

Application Tips

  • Be Data-Driven: Include specific metrics, evaluation results, and rigorous evidence throughout your application
  • Show Your Strategy: Don't just describe programs—demonstrate strategic thinking about organizational growth and impact expansion
  • Prove Sustainability: Address how you'll maintain impact beyond RTNF funding
  • Emphasize Expertise: Highlight leadership credentials and team qualifications in your field
  • Use the Portal: Applications are accepted exclusively through the online portal—no email or mail applications
  • Request Feedback: If declined, don't hesitate to ask for detailed feedback to improve future applications

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Highly competitive process (10-15% success rate) requires exceptional applications with rigorous evidence of impact—treat this as a reach funder requiring your strongest case
  • Evidence is non-negotiable: Include specific data and impact evaluations; vague claims will not succeed in this data-driven environment
  • One application per year: Choose your cycle carefully (Cycle 1 or Cycle 2) as you cannot apply to both in the same calendar year
  • Long timeline: Plan for 6-7 months from application to decision; don't apply if you need immediate funding
  • Utah connection helpful but not required: While primarily focused on Utah, RTNF makes national and international grants for exceptionally strong proposals
  • Leverage the feedback opportunity: If declined, requesting feedback can significantly strengthen a reapplication the following year
  • Demonstrate independence: Show clear plans for financial sustainability without ongoing RTNF dependence—they want to catalyze, not perpetually support

References

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