Friends and family of Seattle entrepreneur Richard Tait announced a plan in July 2023 to raise $250,000 for an award in his memory. The proposed fund was intended to provide a $10,000 award each year for about 25 years. At the time, the award’s eligibility rules were still under discussion; available reporting does not establish whether it has since launched or accepted recipients.
What the organizers announced
The proposed Richard Tait Spirit of Innovation Award was a memorial and entrepreneurship initiative organized through the Team Tait Foundation. Its stated fundraising goal was $250,000, to support annual awards of $10,000 for approximately 25 years, according to GeekWire’s July 27, 2023 report.
GeekWire reported that about $130,000 had been raised for the effort when its story was published. That is a historical amount, not a current balance. The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business had separately raised more than $30,000 in Tait’s name at that time; the report did not describe that sum as part of the Team Tait effort.
Who might have been eligible
The award’s criteria had not been finalized in the July 2023 report. Organizers discussed a possible recipient connected to the UW Foster School of Business and a possible Scottish entrepreneur living in the United States, but neither was presented as a settled requirement.
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Daniel Katz, Tait’s longtime friend and one of the organizers, described the idea broadly: “Either way, we’re looking for someone who we can support, who needs the funds and who’s hopefully brilliant and and creative,” and, “We’ll either give it to a person with a project or a person in need.” These were comments about possibilities under discussion, not published eligibility rules or an application guide.
What is known about donations and the award’s status
A letter from Tait’s family reproduced in the 2023 GeekWire article said that 100% of funds raised would be earmarked for the award and described gifts as tax-deductible. Those statements describe the letter at that time; they are not current donation instructions or tax advice.
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The available reporting does not establish whether the fund reached its goal, whether the award launched, whether anyone received it, or whether donations are currently being accepted. It also does not provide a current application process. Anyone considering a gift or applying should verify the status and terms directly with the Team Tait Foundation or UW Foster rather than relying on the 2023 announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the award was created in Tait’s memory
Tait was a Seattle entrepreneur and Microsoft veteran who co-created the Cranium board game with fellow Microsoft executive Whit Alexander. Katz told GeekWire: “And I wanted to have something that will allow his memory to live on for a long period of time.” The planned award was one way friends and family hoped to carry that memory forward while supporting entrepreneurs.
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