Edward John Noble Foundation Inc

GREENWICH, CT EIN: 06-1055586

The Edward John Noble Foundation Inc is an independent private foundation established as a trust in 1940 in Connecticut and incorporated in 1982. Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the foundation was founded by Edward John Noble, co-founder of the Life Savers Corporation in 1913 and founder of the American Broadcasting Company, which he established by purchasing the NBC Blue Network in 1943 following a Federal Communications Commission directive requiring RCA to divest one of its two radio networks.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$121.0M

+29.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$5.0M

+36.2% YoY

Grant Count

+78.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$121K

-23.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edward John Noble Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is to support the Arts, Education, Conservation, and Health. Specific funding interests include:

Cultural Organizations: Grants to major cultural organizations in New York City, with emphasis on educational programs and management training internships
Education: Programs to improve educational opportunities for gifted and talented disadvantaged children in New York
Conservation and Ecology: Selected projects primarily related to activities on an island off the coast of Georgia
Health Education: Programs related to family planning and population education

Grantmaking

No confirmed application deadlines are provided by the foundation. The foundation appears to be possibly open to applications and likely has dedicated paid staff.

Grant Range

s and Activity:**

Review Cycle

are provided by the foundation. The foundation appears to be possibly open to applications and likely has dedicated paid staff.

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's geographic scope includes:

New York (primary focus for cultural and education programs)
Connecticut
South Carolina
National giving in selected areas

Grant Distribution by State

Georgia $12.7M (66%)

New York $3.4M (18%)

Massachusetts $1.2M (6%)

New Mexico $850K (4%)

Connecticut $810K (4%)

South Carolina $90K (0%)

District of Columbia $20K (0%)

Vermont $10K (0%)

+1 more states

States

Connecticut District of Columbia Georgia Massachusetts New Hampshire New Mexico New York South Carolina Vermont

Cities

Alexandria BayBostonBrooklynCantonCharlestonClaytonCos CobDeerfieldDorsetDublinFairfieldGreenwichIthacaLitchfieldMidwayMysticNantucketNew HavenNew YorkSanta Fe

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets and Income (Most Recent Data):

Total assets: $120,968,918 (2024 data)
Total assets: $93,714,554 (ledger value, 2023)
Income: $16,106,855 (2023)
Revenue: $123,000 (2023)
Total liabilities: $0 (2023)

Foundation Ranking:

Ranked #1,655 of 159,550 U.S. foundations by assets (top 10%)
Ranked #88 among Connecticut foundations by assets

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$120,968,918	$93,714,554	$99,786,170
Revenue	$9,293,982	$122,597	$2,438,559
Expenses	$8,282,205	$6,194,213	$6,080,780
Qualifying Distributions	$6,121,473	$4,749,007	$4,590,637
Net Investment Income	$7,937,516	—	$1,084,183
Distributable Amount	$5,697,790	$5,228,390	$5,376,844

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

106 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include St Catherine's Island Foundation Inc ($3,000,000), St Lawrence University ($1,000,000), American Museum of Natural History ($386,730).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY NEW YORK, NY	ST CATHERINES ISLAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT	$386,730
BRUCE MUSEUM INC GREENWICH, CT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
CAMP MOHAWK INC LITCHFIELD, CT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
CARNEGIE HALL CORPORATION NEW YORK, NY	ENSEMBLE CONNECT PROGRAMMING	$1,500
CARTIE CORP SHELTON, CT	GENERAL SUPPORT	$2,500
CLIMATE ADOVOCATES VOCES UNIDAS SANTA FE, NM	GENERAL SUPPORT	$150,000
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS NEW YORK, NY	NEW PLAYS NOW FESTIVAL AT THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS IN MEMORY OF HOWARD STEIN	$10,000
DEE NORTON LOWCOUNTRY CHILDREN'S CENTER INC CHARLESTON, SC	COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO CHILD ABUSE (CCRCA) PROGRAM	$10,000
DUBLIN SCHOOL INC DUBLIN, NH	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY FAIRFIELD, CT	2024-2025 GRANT - HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER	$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key Personnel (as of most recent filing):

EJ Noble Smith - Chairman and President (30 hours/week, $298,000 compensation)
Christine Breite - Chief Financial Officer (30 hours/week, $223,000 compensation)
Sarah N Smith - Secretary and Director (1 hour/week, $2,300 compensation)
Daniel L Mosley Esq - Director (1 hour/week, no compensation)
Edward N Smith - Director (1 hour/week, no compensation)
Maribeth S Smith - Director (1 hour/week, no compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
EJ NOBLE SMITH	CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT	30	$298,483
CHRISTINE BREITE	CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER	30	$222,516
SARAH N SMITH	SECRETARY AND DIRECTOR	1	$2,308
DANIEL L MOSLEY ESQ	DIRECTOR	1	—
EDWARD N SMITH	DIRECTOR	1	—
MARIBETH S SMITH	DIRECTOR	1	—
E MARY HEFFERNAN	FORMER CFO	—	$256,696

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Edward John Noble Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's primary purpose is to support the Arts, Education, Conservation, and Health. Specific funding interests include: • **Cultural Organizations**: Grants to major cultural organizations in New York City, with emphasis on educational programs and management training internships • **Education**: Programs to improve educational opportunities for gifted and talented disadvantaged children in New York • **Conservation and Ecology**: Selected projects primarily related to activities on a…

How do I apply for a grant from Edward John Noble Foundation Inc?

**Grant Sizes and Activity:** • Typical awards range from $1,000 to $3,000,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000 • Recent grant activity reported in filings • 41 grants reported on most recent IRS Form 990-PF **Financial Giving:** • Total giving: $4,964,230 (based on 2024 data) • Expenses: $6.19 million (2023) **Application Process:** No confirmed application deadlines are provided by the foundation. The foundation appears to be possibly open to applications and likely has dedicated paid staff.

Where does Edward John Noble Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation's geographic scope includes: • New York (primary focus for cultural and education programs) • Connecticut • South Carolina • National giving in selected areas

What size grants does Edward John Noble Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, Edward John Noble Foundation Inc awarded 41 grants totaling $5.0M — an average of about $121K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Edward John Noble Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Edward John Noble Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Edward John Noble Foundation Inc's EIN?

Edward John Noble Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-1055586. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.