OVERVIEW: Norcliffe focuses on the Puget Sound area of Washington and awards grants for arts and culture, civic and community causes, education, healthcare and research, and human and social services.
IP TAKE: This Norcliffe Foundation gives broadly in the Puget Sound region has made over 200 grants a year to organizations of every size. It maintains a simple website, but accepts applications throughout the year. Reach out with questions via the contact page.
PROFILE: The Norcliffe Foundation, a private family funder, is a prominent grantmaker in Washington State. The foundation was established in 1952 by Paul Pigott, and the later generations of his family have continued his traditions of support. Paul Pigott was president of the Pacific Car and Foundry Company from 1934 until 1961. He grew up on Seattle’s Capitol Hill and worked at the Pacific Car plant in Renton. He was on the boards of directors for Standard Oil of California (Chevron), Washington Mutual Savings, General Insurance Company (Safeco), Seattle First National Bank, Boeing, Metropolitan Building Company (Unico), and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. In philanthropy, he contributed substantially to Seattle University, Stanford University, the Seattle Blood Bank, and United Good Neighbors.
Based in Seattle, the Norcliffe Foundation’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for all people in our community.” funds a wide range of causes in the Puget Sound region, including arts and culture, civic and community causes, education, healthcare and research, and human and social services. The foundation’s grants offer capacity building, capital and infrastructure, matching, general operating or program support to organizations in 11 counties in the Puget Sound region.
Grants for K-12 and Higher Education
Some of Norcliffe’s largest grants support education in the state of Washington. The foundation does not name specific priorities for its education grantmaking, but the foundation appears to favor private and charter schools in giving.
K-12 funding has supported Seattle’s University Preparatory Academy, the Bush School, Communities in Schools of Washington, the Washington State Charter Schools Association and the Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program.
Higher education funding has gone to the Independent Colleges of Washington, College Possible Washington and the College Success Foundation.
Grants for Arts, Culture
Arts and culture programs and organizations with broad appeal receive a significant portion of Norcliffe’s giving. Giving mainly stays in Seattle and environs.
Grantees include the Henry Gallery Association, the Seattle Children’s Theatre, the 5th Avenue Theatre Association, the Seattle Art Musem and Totem Star, “a diverse community of young recording artists learning music and life skills through mentorship and meaningful relationships.”
Grants for Community Development and Environmental Causes
Norcliffe’s giving for community development appears to prioritize community recreation, parks and social services for the elderly.
Grantees involved in public recreation and outdoor spaces include the Seattle Aquarium Society, Friends of Seattle Waterfront, the Washington State Boys and Girls Club Association and the Seattle Chapter of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Grantees providing services to elderly residents include the Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation, the Sno-Valley Senior Center in Carnation and the Edmonds Senior Center.
Grants for Homelessness and Mental Health
Initiatives for homeless and vulnerable people, including mental health services, are a main giving area for this funder.
In Seattle, the foundation has awarded grants to the Bread of Life Mission, Northwest Family Life Learning and Counseling Center, Roots Young Adult Shelter, NAMI Seattle and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, among others.
Elsewhere in Washington, grants have supported Redmond’s HopeLink, Porchlight of Bellevue, Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County
Grants for Public Health and Access
The foundation does not name specific priorities for its health giving, but grants regularly support health care organizations in Seattle and elsewhere in Washington.
Grantees include the Evergreen Health Foundation, the Overlake Hospital Foundation and the Pediatric Interim Care Center at the Newborn Nursery in Kent.
Grants for Religious Causes
Religious causes appear to be a smaller area of giving for this funder, but Christian organizations, especially those that provide human services, number among its grantees.
Recipients include Sacred Heart Church in Clyde Hill, CRISTA Ministries in Shoreline and the Archdiocese of Seattle.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $1,000 to $2.5 million, and this funder makes as many as 200 grants a year.
Giving supports a broad range of causes focusing on the greater Seattle area.
This funder supports organizations of all sizes, but its larger grants go to well-established and larger organizations.
According to Norcliffe’s website “[n]early 60% of the grants we make are $15,000 or less.”
Begin the application process by completing the online eligibility quiz.
For grantseekers who pass the quiz, applications are accepted at any time via the foundation’s grant application portal. Guidelines and FAQs are provided.
For information about past giving, see the foundation’s tax filings.
Submit general inquiries to the Norcliffe Foundation via the contact page.
Grant seekers can submit one request per year (from the date of funding or denial). But grantees must wait two years to reapply if they received a $50,000 grant. The funder uses a common grant application form and reviews submissions year-round. Grant seekers can expect an acknowledgment of a proposal within two to three weeks; funding decisions are made within three to six months after receipt of a request. Requests should be addressed to the foundation president and ask for support for a capital campaign, operating budget funds, or a special project.
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