The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation is an independent, nonprofit institute headquartered in Ardmore, Okla. Founded in 1945, the Noble Foundation conducts direct operations, including assisting farmers and ranchers, and conducting plant science research and agricultural programs, to enhance agricultural productivity regionally, nationally and internationally.

Employing more than 360 persons, the Noble Foundation conducts its operations through the activities of three operating divisions:

Agricultural Division: Serving a 47-county area within a 100-mile radius of the Noble Foundation's headquarters in Ardmore, Okla., the Agricultural Division assists more than 1,700 regional farmers and ranchers in achieving their individual financial, production, stewardship and quality-of life goals.

Plant Biology Division: The Plant Biology Division conducts basic biochemical, genetic and genomic plant research for the purpose of improving crop productivity and value, and enhancing animal and human health.

Forage Improvement Division: The Forage Improvement Division translates basic plant science research into tangible plant varieties. Within the institution, the Forage Improvement Division serves as a link between the discoveries in the laboratory and the field, where such discoveries are intended to enhance agricultural outcomes in Oklahoma and around the world.

The coordinated efforts of these operating divisions enable the Noble Foundation agricultural specialists and scientists to move science and innovation from the laboratory to the field, giving life to discovery and improving agriculture in Oklahoma, in the United States and around the world.

 

Institutional Philanthropy

Through its grantmaking program, the Noble Foundation supports community projects and the activities of nonprofit charitable, educational and healthcare organizations. The Noble Foundation has expended almost $1 billion for charitable purposes, including more than $300 million for grants to charitable organizations and scholarship programs.