Noble Research Institute LLC is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Ardmore, Oklahoma, registered in 2023, with $45,787,934 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 89% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$45.8M
▲ 20.7% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$45.6M
Net assets
$129.0M
Employees
237
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Noble Research Institute LLC: 89% to programs · $4 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Noble Research Institute LLC: 34 mo reserves · +0% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Noble Research Institute LLC: 5 of 6 checks met earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Noble Research Institute LLC: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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The institute's exempt purpose is to research, demonstrate, and teach principles (see schedule o)and practices of regenerative land stewardship to save our nation's grazing lands by promoting land stewardship through management, building soil health and keeping farmers and ranchers on the land.
Education, mentorship, and learner supportthe institute designs, develops, and delivers tools, products, and services to owners, managers, and stewards of u.s. grazing lands to build knowledge, skills, and confidence in application of regenerative principles. the institute seeks to impact u.s. grazing lands on a nationwide scale.large-scale adoption and regeneration of u.s. grazing lands through the work of intentional farmers and ranchers yields important ecological benefits to the national landscape. the institute emphasizes and offers data that illustrates the impacts of regenerative land management, including: (see schedule o) -improved soil health and ecological function, -improved air quality, -improved water availability and quality, -increased biodiversity (soil, plant and animal), -enhanced wildlife and their habitats, and -sequestration and storage of atmospheric carbon. beyond these important ecological transformations, a strong domestic ranching community contributes directly to availability of nutrient-dense animal protein for human nutrition and domestic food security, viable rural economies, and continues the rich western heritage of this nation.the institute's producer-centric educational portfolio addresses ranch operatons and management holistically, including land, livestock, business and finance, people and management, and community. this educational portfolio is in continuous development and will continue to grow to offer programming for differing skill levels and differing practice/skill development.this educational portfolio guides learners through every step of their ranch management journey from an introduction to soil health to improving economic viability to herd development and grazing management to advanced land and operational stewardship.the institute delivers learning, consultation and support through differing modalities, incuding in-person interaction, online (live and asynchronous), peer networking and decision tools and resources. criticially, the institute's educational portfolio is founded upon instructional design principles, which focuses on adult learning uptake and retention. moreover, educational content is based on practial skills and useful knowledge supported by science and the institute's land-based research, which ensures that the educational portfolio remains dynamic, pioneering and scientifically sound. lastly, the institute's educational portfolio emphasizes change management to better serve the producer and proactively address the change in mindset required to adopt and practice a new approach to land management. the institute's educational framework facilitates long-term transformation through peer-to-peer networking, virtual support, and complementary tools for knowledge application and learning reinforcement. existing programs include courses such as land essentials and grazing essentials. a three-year curriculm development plan offers a forward-looking roadmap of programming development for farmer, rancher and landowner engagement. executing this roadmap, in 2024 the institute introduced in-person courses profitability essentials and business of grazing and two online learning programs, land stewardship and land essentials online. from 2023-2024, 38 courses were offered to 633 attendees overall. the institute facilitates a learning peer network to inspire and motivate producers through building a sustained learning community. the peer network includes a monthly online gathering and a discussion board. rancher to rancher launched in 2024 and had an overall attendance of 231. the discussion board had 144 total discussion posts.in 2025, the institute will develop and introduce market smart ranching, a tailored three-part grazing series for ranchers in the flint hills, and an update to land essentials. the online course portfolio will be expanded in 2025 to include profitability essentials.in-person course delivery locations included multiple sites in oklahoma, texas, kansas,
Revenue declined from $59.8M (FY2013) to $45.8M (FY2024) across 10 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
0.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$138.2M
Total liabilities
$9.2M
Net assets
$129.0M
Salaries & benefits
$23.7M
52% of expenses
Board members
1
1 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $45,787,934▲20.7% | $45,578,802▲3.7% | $128,964,099▲1.6% | $138,173,347▼2.5% | 990 |
| 2023 | $37,950,542▼14.8% | $43,942,836▼11.4% | $126,965,744▼0.2% | $141,744,664▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $44,525,560▼6.9% | $49,597,265▼6.5% | $127,264,182▼8.2% | $139,800,789▼6.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $47,833,341▼15.3% | $53,046,212▼5.8% | $138,579,191▼4.0% | $149,630,598▼2.7% | 990PF |
| 2020 | $56,451,741▼45.5% | $56,326,605▼9.9% | $144,393,918▼13.7% | $153,810,089▼22.6% | 990PF |
| 2017 | $103,600,523▲366% | $62,489,900▼6.6% | $167,286,366▼83.6% | $198,826,861▼81.2% | 990PF |
| 2016 | $22,211,070▼55.7% | $66,883,100▲26.2% | $1,022,485,312▲0.3% | $1,057,066,654▲0.3% | 990PF |
| 2015 | $50,105,953▼30.9% | $52,998,505▼31.0% | $1,019,529,754▼8.4% | $1,053,595,484▼8.8% | 990PF |
| 2014 | $72,471,557▲21.2% | $76,820,775▲185% | $1,113,136,164▼8.1% | $1,155,393,163▼6.6% | 990PF |
| 2013 | $59,814,261 | $26,947,269▼59.4% | $1,211,760,338▲17.0% | $1,237,362,533▲12.7% | 990PF |
| 2012 | — | $66,426,214▼28.3% | $1,035,375,968▲6.1% | $1,097,606,667▲6.6% | 990PF |
| 2011 | — | $92,598,551▲60.2% | $976,002,774▼8.7% | $1,029,546,235▼7.8% | 990PF |
| 2010 | — | $57,789,545 | $1,068,896,296 | $1,116,939,608 | 990PF |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Steven P Rhines — $713,306 (1.56% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven P Rhines | President / Chief Executive Officer | 40 | $713,306 |
| A Jill Wallace | Vice President & Cfo | 40 | $393,122 |
| Jeffrey S Moen | Gen. Counsel & Director Govt. Affairs | 40 | $306,547 |
| M Gayle Donica | Director of Human Resources | 40 | $259,372 |
| Lori M Cain | Director of Producer Guidance | 40 | $253,558 |
| Charles P Canny | Director of Facilities | 40 | $248,239 |
| Hugh D Aljoe | Director of Ranches, Outreach | 40 | $236,468 |
| Casey B Smith | Aviation & Maintenance Manager | 40 | $230,948 |
| Joseph Beard | Dir. of Inform. Technology | 40 | $221,231 |
| Patrick Newman | Director of Bi and Analytics | 40 | $184,785 |
| Kenneth D Cockrell | Captain Pilot | 40 | $179,906 |
| Andrew A Segna | Associate General Counsel | 40 | $176,065 |
| William Mcgehee | Captain Pilot | 40 | $164,674 |
| Rachael Davis | Dir of Mktg Comm. (as of 03/24) | 40 | $152,700 |
| Pryce Holley | Controller | 40 | $151,524 |
| Elizabeth A Aldridge | Corporate Secretary | 40 | $122,161 |
| The Samuel Roberts Noble Founda | Sole Member/manager | 0 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt Short Bruza | Architecture | $972,221 |
| Armanino Advisory LLC | Technology Consulting | $762,252 |
| Rubinbrown LLP | Consulting | $265,685 |
| West Monroe Holdings LLC | Consulting | $197,000 |
| Irie Ventures | Consulting | $170,000 |
5 grants to Noble Research Institute LLC totaling $11.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | Regenerative management in southern great plains | 2023 | $348,677 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | Grassland restoration | 2022 | $147,170 |
| Foundation For Food and Agriculture Research | Research | 2021 | $9,000,000 |
| Foundation For Food and Agriculture Research | Research | 2019 | $186,644 |
| Foundation For Food and Agriculture Research | Research | 2017 | $2,200,000 |
1 grant totaling $11K in FY2024. All grants made by Noble Research Institute LLC →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University | General support | $11,100 |
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Data for Noble Research Institute LLC (EIN 73-0606209) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.