ORIGIN OF THE WEALTH: Charles F. Noyes incorporated the foundation as a memorial to his wife. He was born in 1878 in Norwich, Connecticut where his father, Charles D. Noyes, was co-publisher of the Norwich Daily Bulletin, the sixth oldest newspaper in the nation. At age 9 he began delivering his father's paper to local subscribers. At 12, he used his savings from the route to buy newsstand concessions on steamers running between Block Island and New London, Connecticut. He became a junior partner in a small New York real estate firm at the age of 20. When the firm was dissolved in 1908, Noyes went into business for himself. He built the Charles F. Noyes Company into one of the leading real estate brokerage firms in the United States. In 1948 he received the Real Estate Board of New York award for the "most ingenious real estate transaction of the year." In 1951, his company was the broker in the sale of the white-elephant Empire State Building, sold for the highest price in history at the time. Still working 12-hour days in his 80s, Noyes was known as "the Dean of Real Estate Brokers." He died in 1969 at the age of 91. In his will he left the Foundation additional funds, bringing its total assets to approximately 30 million dollars.

The foundation was substantially overhauled by Noyes' heirs in the 1980s. Its current stated goal is "to protect and restore Earth's natural systems through grants in the following areas: 1) sustainable agriculture in the United States; 2) toxins in the United States, particularly the southern tier states; 3) reproductive rights in the United States; 4) sustainable communities in the United States; and 5) New York, NY, metropolitan area environment. Grants, which are to institutions only, emphasize the strengthening of individuals and institutions committed to sustaining natural systems and a sustainable society, and to the promotion of environmental justice."

Financial Data as of 01/12/31
Assets $70,225,000 AM
Total Giving: $4,391,000
Number of Grants: 225
Highest Grant: $100,000  Lowest Grant: $500

Officers and Directors: Linda Singer, Chair.; Steven Carbo, Vice-Chair.; Victor De Luca, Pres.; Nicholas Jacangelo, Treas.; Dorothy Anderson; Miriam Ballert; Peter Bedell, Jr.; Stephen Falei; Heather Findlay; Jeffrey Golliher; Michael Hamm; Laurel Kearns; Fred Kirschenmann; Dorothy E. Muma; Edith N. Muma; Dorceta Taylor; Ann Wiener
Staff: 7

Projects, as stated in foundationese:

• Metro-New York Program: This program strives to promote an environmentally sound New York metropolitan area through an active, informed, and empowered local resident population by: 1) strengthening the capacity of organizations working on environmental issues, particularly community-based and grassroots groups; 2) improving public policies and the responsiveness of public agencies charged with protecting the area's environment; and 3) developing effective coalitions and networks among different organizations, both within the environmental movement and between environmental activists and others.
• Reproductive Rights Program: This program strives to ensure quality reproductive health care as a human right in the United States. Priorities are to: 1) support legal and policy initiatives at the state and national level to safeguard reproductive freedom; 2) broaden the base of the reproductive rights movement to new constituencies; and 3) to ensure that reproductive health is included in health care policies and reform initiatives.
• Sustainable Agriculture Program: The aim of the program is to help build a system of food and fiber production that sustains the environment and benefits people. Priorities are: 1) To strengthen the capacity of organizations promoting sustainable agriculture. 2)To demonstrate the agricultural and economic feasibility of sustainable agriculture; its social benefits; and its ability to strengthen rural communities and reduce the distance between producers and consumers. 3) To promote policies and practices that advance sustainable agriculture. 4) To broaden the movement for sustainable agriculture through the involvement of new constituencies in urban and suburban communities. 5) To counter the actions of public and private sector institutions that support the concentration of ownership in, and the industrialization of, agriculture.
• Sustainable Communities Program: This program strives to promote communities that are environmentally sound, economically vital and socially just by: 1) supporting individuals and organizations in implementing initiatives, technologies or systems that respect the inter-connectedness of human and natural communities; and 2) strengthening local economies built upon inclusive and democratic decisionmaking.
• Toxics Program: The objective of the program is to reduce threats posed by toxics to the environment and human health. Priorities are: 1) To strengthen the organizing, advocacy, and technical capabilities of groups that fight toxic pollution, especially at the state and regional levels. 2) To support efforts to change governmental and corporate policies in order to reduce toxic threats to the environment and public health. 3) To strengthen the movement for environmental justice by developing leadership and participation by low-income people and people of color.

Links to grant data on Noyes website: