The Norcliffe Foundation

• The Norcliffe Foundation is based in Seattle, WA and funds work in Puget Sound counties of Washington State: Island, Jefferson, King and 8 more counties in Washington, across arts and culture, environment and community, education, healthcare and research, and social services and basic needs, so it only suits applicants whose work falls in that region and those themes.
• Most requests should be modest: about 8 in 10 of its 1,447 grants to organisations fall between $5,000 and $50,000, and the median grant was $15,000, though the largest was about $7,100,000, so size your ask to the scope of your project rather than assuming a large award.
• It funds capital and infrastructure, general operating, programme and capacity-building work without favouring one type, and trustees look for requests that meet critical needs, use innovative and effective approaches, fill a unique community niche and show a diverse funding base; the Foundation sees itself as joining a community of funders and is rarely the largest donor to a project, so pair this application with other funding sources.
• Applications are rolling, made by creating an account in the E-Grant System, and site visits are sometimes arranged; there are no formal reporting requirements, though updates are welcomed.
• A majority (58%) of its grant dollars went to organisations also funded in the prior two filings, suggesting relationships built over time matter, but this should not deter a first-time applicant from applying; the one stated exclusion is that it does not fund organisations for deficit financing or debt reduction.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• One Roof Stadium Partnership · Memorial stadium redevelopment
  $7,112,0252024 tax year
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center · South lake union campus expansion: exceptional space enables extraordinary science
  $4,820,9202024 tax year
• Valley Medical Center · Cancer care center
  $3,000,0002024 tax year
• Mary's Place · Burien family shelter and affordable housing project
  $2,367,1202024 tax year
• Bishop Blanchet High School · Ignite be the light campaign
  $2,130,8432024 tax year
• Seattle Children's Hospital and Research Foundation · It starts with yes: neurosciences autism and mental health
  $2,000,0002024 tax year
• 5th Avenue Theatre Association · The next 100 years campaign
  $1,944,2202024 tax year
• Seattle Symphony · Benaroya hall public spaces enhancements
  $1,901,1302024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.