Noble, Inc.

Noble is committed to helping our community recognize and embrace the many contributions people with disabilities can make each day when barriers to them doing so are lifted. However, our work goes well beyond advocating for change by helping equip the people we serve with the advocacy tools, skills and confidence to realize that change themselves. At Noble, we see our role as helping each person we serve live the life they choose to live: one filled with friends, a rewarding career in a field they enjoy, opportunities to gain new skills, and the achievement of personal growth. We are here to provide whatever individualized supports are needed for each person to pursue what they personally find meaningful.

"Dream it. Live it" is not just our tagline. It is the promise we make to each person we serve that we will work with them and their loved ones as a team to help them live the life they choose.

Our person-centered approach means we start by getting to know the person: their hopes, dreams, goals and aspirations. This meeting often includes family members and others who are important in their lives. Together, we map out some strategies for how we can support the individual on their journey toward living their best life. That kind of teamwork approach characterizes everything we do, and allows us to harness the talents and resources of each member of the team while keeping things flexible so we can meet the ever-changing nature of living a full life.

Of course, we can't pursue our mission alone. That's why we partner with hundreds of businesses, schools, organizations and public entities, stretching our resources further and maximizing the strengths that each of us bring to the table. In turn, we help our partners enrich their own services and unique culture by supporting their efforts to diversify their culture and commitment to our community.

Guided by a 20-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders, parents and people we serve, Noble is led by CEO Julia Huffman. She holds a Master’s in Healthcare Administration, and has served Noble for 30+ years. She’s supported by a seasoned Leadership Team and 230+ employees, 70% of whom work directly with those we serve.

Rooted in a culture of celebrating diversity and ensuring the inclusion of all individuals, Noble’s core values form the foundation for how we incorporate the needs and goals of each person into our services. These core values are:

People First: All people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are defined by their own strengths, abilities and inherent value, not by their disability.

Equity: People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are entitled to the respect, dignity, equity, safety, and security accorded to other members of our society, and are equal before the law.

Community: People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities belong in the community and have fundamental moral, civil, and constitutional rights to be fully included and actively participate in all aspects of society.

Self-Determination: Noble believes in self-determination and self-advocacy. People with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, with appropriate resources and supports, can make decisions about their own lives and must be heard on issues that affect their well-being.

Diversity: Society benefits from the contributions of people with diverse personal characteristics, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, disability, marital status or veteran status.

By incorporating diversity and inclusion into everything we do and capitalizing on opportunities to solicit feedback from those we serve and our community, we will effectively meet the needs of those we serve and fulfill our mission as a safety net for our community.

Throughout our 68-year history, Noble has been building its foundation on the experience, expertise and passion of the Board Members who guide us, our staff members who work with the people we serve, and the individuals and families who rely on us. That combined level of expertise and commitment drives us to learn from each other, implement the best practices of our industry, and challenge ourselves to discover new ways to meet the ever-changing needs of the children, adults and families who ask for our help.

By mentoring new staff and employing ongoing training for our more experienced team members, we ensure a high quality of service and customer satisfaction. We are proud to hold the highest level of CARF accreditation, be recognized as a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity and earn the affirmation of community organizations like United Way. We never rest on our accomplishments. With new challenges to overcome, fresh ideas to explore and more people who may benefit from what we have to offer, we wholeheartedly embrace the future.

As a long-time United Way community partner, Noble is an active member of key organizations like INARF (Indiana Association of Rehab Facilities), ICHS (Indiana Coalition of Human Services), IABC (Indiana Association of Behavioral Consultants), APSE (Association of Persons in Supported Employment), TASH (an international leader in disability advocacy), NADD (National Association for the Dually Diagnosed), and SIPN (Strategic Indiana Provider Network). Serving as The Arc of Greater Indianapolis, we work closely with The Arc of Indiana and The Arc U.S. as their local chapter, and capitalize on the strength of our collective voice to advocate for the needs and rights of all people with disabilities. We work with our Planning and Policy Board Committee and our community partners to develop a legislative agenda grounded in shared policy priorities. That collective voice allows us to work with our legislators and other elected officials to bring about change.

More broadly, we incorporate best practices and demonstrate the quality of services by consistently achieving re-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Operational transparency is demonstrated by our GuideStar Platinum Level Seal of Transparency and prominent links to our 990 and Annual Report on the homepage, donor page and resources page of our website. Our Board Finance Committee works with Noble staff to prepare the annual budget, ensuring that it aligns with our strategic initiatives. We strive to maximize the impact of each dollar, and maintain exemplary fiscal practices as shown by our status as a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity. We are also members of the Indy Chamber, the Indy Black Chamber, the Diversity Roundtable of Central Indiana, OneZone and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.

Over the past year, we are proud to report that we served approximately 3,000 children and adults in 23 counties across Central and Eastern Indiana. Having been founded as a school and then grown as an organization providing site-based services, we are proud to report that 93% of our services are now provided in homes, schools, businesses and other community organizations.

We continue to provide a variety of employment services that meet the needs of our local workforce and the adults we serve, including entrepreneurial options and giving back through volunteerism. In recent years, the people we serve have volunteered 11,000+ hours annually at dozens of community organizations. While COVID has understandably significantly impacted their ability to serve others, we look forward to resuming this once it is safe again.

Noble has a well-established and robust fundraising program, securing approximately 10% of Noble’s budgeted revenue each year. Philanthropic support is achieved through individual and corporate giving, grants, special events, in-kind donations and volunteer service. In non-COVID years, Noble has over 600 active volunteers assisting us by enriching our programs and staffing our fundraising events. This philanthropic support is critical to building capacity and sustainability in new services and initiatives. A key component of Noble’s ongoing program evaluation is the financial viability of both new and established services. Resources are targeted toward those with the greatest capacity to further our mission. When there is not enough funding for a new or ongoing service, Noble partners with other community-based organizations to share resources and build capacity. Through this ongoing review and evaluation process, limited resources can be targeted toward the areas of greatest mission impact.

In 2021, Noble engaged a strategic planning consultant to help us develop a new strategic plan to guide and focus our efforts over the next several years. This plan coincided with the start of FY '22, which began July 1, 2021. Armed with key initiatives have emerge as strategic priorities, we know that the key to successful implementation of our plan will be to build on Noble’s fundraising capacity utilizing digital and virtual technologies. We also anticipate growth in our Community Employment services as the economy rebounds from the COVID pandemic, and will work to re-energize our service model by engaging the support of community partners.

In short, we are pursuing our vision of a world in which children and adults of all abilities live our their dreams in a community that embraces their contributions and recognizes them as full participating members of our society--and will not rest until we have realized this vision.