Corporate Giving

Direct Grants

Charles Schwab Foundation provides direct grants to selected nonprofit organizations that support Schwab's commitment to financial literacy and respond to local cultural and social needs. These grants provide Schwab employees with a voice and an active role in supporting the community groups they care about most.

 
Selection Criteria

Grantseekers must meet at least one of the following three criteria:

 

  1. Be recommended by an employee who is an active volunteer in the organization, or
  2. Be performing community work that corresponds to the Foundation’s initiatives, or
  3. Promote financial literacy

 

Priority will be given to organizations that already have Schwab employee volunteers – and the more employees involved with the organization, the greater the opportunity to be considered for a direct grant.

 

Eligible Organizations

To qualify for a direct grant, organizations must be based in the United States or one of its territories and must be recognized as a tax-exempt public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (per section 170). Educational institutions must be accredited by a regional accrediting association or by a recognized independent accrediting group.


Submission Process
  1. Grant requests must be submitted using our online direct grant application form.
  2. Once submitted, requests are acknowledged via email with a confirmation number.
  3. Proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis according to the following schedule:

 

 

Submit by:

Notification by:

Award by:

Feb. 3, 2010

Feb. 26, 2010

Mar. 12, 2010

May 5, 2010

May 28, 2010

Jun. 11, 2010

Aug. 4, 2010

Aug. 27, 2010

Sep. 10, 2010

Nov. 3, 2010

Nov. 26, 2010

Dec. 10, 2010

 

                       


FAQs

What if I miss the submission deadline?

Any request received after the deadline date will be reviewed during the next cycle. The acknowledgement email will indicate the notification date of your request. Sorry, but no exceptions can be granted.

 

What happens on the notification and award dates?

On the notification date applicants will be advised in writing if their submitted request has been approved or declined. An applicant should expect to receive their grant award no later than the official award date.

 

How much do you normally award and what is the term of the grant?

Awards range from $2,500 to $25,000 and last for 12 months.

 

May I check on the status of my request?

You will receive a written notification within 60 to 90 days of your submission and we will contact you directly if we have questions regarding your request. No phones calls or emails, please.                                      


Areas of Exclusion

The foundation does not provide capital, challenge or seed funding or grants to hospitals or institutions of higher education, except in limited circumstances. As the foundation does not have the technical expertise to analyze medical research methodology and results, grants are generally not made to single-disease-oriented organizations or for medical research. Support for higher education, hospitals and single-disease-oriented organizations may be provided through the Employee Matching Gifts Program.

 

In addition, the following types of organizations are not eligible for direct grants from Charles Schwab Foundation:

  • Organizations that do not serve an educational, community service or charitable purpose for the community at large
  • Organizations or projects that are religious or political in nature
  • Organizations that are member-based (veteran and labor organizations, fraternal, athletic or social clubs)
  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of age, disability, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation
  • Groups with litigious or divisive public agendas
  • Advertising or cause-related marketing projects
  • Business development activities
  • Individuals
  • Sponsorships or promotional events
  • Private foundations
  • Travel by groups
  • Video productions