Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The fund describes its interest broadly as not-for-profit initiatives in academic and research institutions and other social impact sectors, and every grant purpose in the filing is general operating support, so a request for general operating funds fits its record if your work sits in a similar field.
- The filing states no geographic focus and no eligibility criteria or exclusions, so it does not rule out any region or type of organisation, though its grants have mostly gone to hospitals, university and medical-school foundations, research institutes and nonprofits.
- Half of its 25 grants to organisations were $500,000 or less and the median was $500,000, so a request around that level is reasonable, while its largest grant was $2,000,000.
- Submit the simple letter the filing asks for, describing your organisation and the purpose of the funds, and note that no deadlines are given.
- All of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so it appears relationship-led, and a new applicant should expect that pattern and may want to seek an introduction first.
Overview
Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund is a US private foundation based in San Francisco, CA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (dolbyventures.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The fund supports a variety of not-for-profit initiatives in academic and research institutions and other social impact sectors. Its grants have gone to hospitals, university and medical-school foundations, research institutes, and nonprofit organisations, including Alzheimer’s-focused organisations; the filings describe every grant purpose as general operating support. Its description is broad and does not set out narrower eligibility criteria or particular funding priorities. It asks prospective applicants to submit a simple letter describing their organisation and the purpose of the requested funds, and the filing reports no deadlines.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts.
How to apply
Submit a simple letter describing the organisation and the purpose of the requested funds.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 100% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 25 grants to organisations were $500,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 100% of grant dollars went to organisations Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- UCSF Foundation · General operating support$1,291,7002024 tax year
- Zuckerberg SF General Hospital · General operating support$1,175,0452024 tax year
- Barack Obama Foundation · General operating support$1,000,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Natasha Dolby — Vice President
- Jen Lynch — Assistant Secretary
- David Dolby — Chief Financial Officer
- Thomas Dolby — Secretary
- Dagmar Dolby — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $11,647,355 | $6,101,575 | $86,767,121 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,638,225 | $9,514,312 | $82,825,769 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $873,885 | $3,448,080 | $83,766,045 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 563-3646
- San Francisco, CA
Applying to Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (415) 563-3646
- San Francisco, CA