The Noble Foundation
The Noble Foundation is a private foundation based in West Des Moines, Iowa. In 2025, it reported making 31 grants totaling $1,234,000 to charitable organizations.
The Noble Foundation at a glance
In short: The Noble Foundation gave $1.2M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), mostly in Iowa. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,234,000
- +4.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $39,806
- +0.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $23,000
- Total assets
- $27,676,898
- -1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (12 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Noble Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3330 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: (515) 222-2398
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Noble Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ellipsis ($250K). Together the top 10 received $930K.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 162 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 51% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa and 40% went to recipients in Alabama. Recipients in Washington, DC, Tennessee, and North Carolina received 3%, 2%, and 2%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Noble Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 31 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $64K (2020) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ellipsis Johnston, IA | General Purpose | $250,000 |
| Greater Birmingham Humane Society Birmingham, AL | General Purpose | $250,000 |
| Variety the Children's Charity of Iowa Des Moines, IA | General Purpose | $175,000 |
| Lakeside Hospice Pell City, AL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| On with Life Ankeny, IA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Birmingham, AL | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Humane World for Animals Washington, DC | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| St Clair Community Health Clinic Pell City, AL | General Purpose | $30,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Family Promise of Baldwin County Summerdale, AL | General Purpose | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Noble Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,676,898 | $1,154,952 | $1,624,020 | $1,234,000 | 31 | $1,316,527 | $1,069,903 | $1,516,429 |
| 2024 | $28,145,966 | $10,666,683 | $1,375,457 | $1,185,633 | 30 | $1,262,252 | $10,590,062 | $1,308,106 |
| 2023 | $18,858,963 | $449,863 | $1,343,693 | $1,112,890 | 29 | $1,185,575 | $377,178 | $1,267,787 |
| 2022 | $19,759,305 | $4,885,336 | $1,338,260 | $1,105,500 | 39 | $1,171,882 | $4,818,953 | $1,169,296 |
| 2021 | $16,211,695 | $8,438,487 | $860,402 | $737,700 | 33 | $752,425 | $3,668,721 | $1,129,763 |
| 2020 | $8,241,595 | $232,336 | $102,900 | $63,500 | 18 | — | $213,985 | $749,445 |
| 2019 | $8,113,784 | $12,784,189 | $516,641 | $89,000 | 18 | — | $54,272 | $340,245 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Noble Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose work included animal welfare, services for children and families, brain-injury rehabilitation, hospice care, food assistance, and healthcare for uninsured and low-income residents.
For example, Ellipsis describes its mission as helping children and families build healthy relationships. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society says it promotes the humane treatment of animals and people through education, advocacy, and services. Variety – The Children’s Charity of Iowa says it works to improve the lives of children who are at risk, underprivileged, critically ill, or living with special needs. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $1,234,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $23,000.
The largest reported grants included $250,000 each to Ellipsis in Johnston, Iowa, and the Greater Birmingham Humane Society in Birmingham, Alabama; $175,000 to Variety – The Children’s Charity of Iowa in Des Moines; and $50,000 each to Lakeside Hospice in Pell City, Alabama, and On With Life in Ankeny, Iowa. The listed grant purposes were general purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cynthia L Noble, Jeffery D Noble, and Jonine L Noble as directors.
The Noble Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cynthia L. Noble
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Jeffery D. Noble
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Jonine L. Noble
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
$5K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Debra J. Richardson (2019–2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $5K, to Cynthia L Noble (Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Noble Foundation
How much does The Noble Foundation give each year?
The Noble Foundation gave $1.2M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 30 grants.
What is The Noble Foundation's typical grant size?
The Noble Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $23,000, and its average grant was $39,806, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Noble Foundation that year got $39K on average.
Where does The Noble Foundation give grants?
The Noble Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Alabama (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (9 grants), Pell City, AL (6 grants), Birmingham, AL (3 grants) and Ankeny, IA (2 grants).
Does The Noble Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of The Noble Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Noble Foundation's largest grantees?
The Noble Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ellipsis ($250,000), Greater Birmingham Humane Society ($250,000) and Variety the Children's Charity of Iowa ($175,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Noble Foundation?
The Noble Foundation reported $27.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Noble Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose work included animal welfare, services for children and families, brain-injury rehabilitation, hospice care, food assistance, and healthcare for uninsured and low-income residents. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Noble Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Noble Foundation's EIN?
The Noble Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1427324. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Noble Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Noble Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Noble Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-noble-foundation-morg_2c7e0e2cca084d18b083a493b3bda756
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421427324_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Noble Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-noble-foundation-morg_2c7e0e2cca084d18b083a493b3bda756},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Noble Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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