We make it easy for donors to support charities like yours

FAQs

Can I obtain contact information for Schwab Charitable donors who support my charity?

Schwab Charitable donors choose how they want to be acknowledged for each grant they recommend to a charity. Donors may choose to share their name, an account name, and an address. Donors may also choose to remain anonymous.
 

Historically, more than 97% of our grants have included donor names, enabling them to be publicly acknowledged in charity recognition materials. Those who have chosen not to share their addresses often do so because they do not want charity resources spent on solicitation efforts. For the few that choose to give completely anonymously, we honor this request.

How can charities get more exposure to Schwab Charitable donors?

As charities develop solicitation materials, they can encourage giving by Schwab Charitable and other donor-advised fund sponsors by:

• Asking donors if they would like to recommend a grant from their donor-advised fund account. Recognizing that donors utilize a donor-advised fund to set aside resources for charity and more thoughtfully plan and consolidate their giving may inspire support.
• Providing an additional funding option that says "I intend to recommend this amount from my donor-advised fund," which makes it easy for them to provide a potentially greater level of support.
• Letting your donors know when only a portion of their donation would be tax-deductible (for example, for memberships or events that provide a "return benefit"), so donors know when to use other funds for these contributions. Grants involving a return benefit to the donor are not allowed from donor-advised funds. Encourage donors to make supplemental grants from their donor-advised funds to further support your organization if they so desire.
• Acknowledging donors by name or by the account name provided in the letter from the sponsoring charity that accompanies the grant check.
• Adding the DAF Direct widget to your website to enable donors to recommend grants from their donor-advised fund accounts directly from a charity's website.

In addition, since Schwab Charitable donors actively use the internet to research charities online, charities should keep websites updated and make sure information is current on commonly used nonprofit organization research sites.

What are the granting guidelines for events, memberships, and pledges?

By law, grants from donor-advised funds may only be made for events or memberships if the donors receive no "personal benefit" and the donation is considered 100% tax-deductible by the recipient charity.
 

The IRS prohibits donor-advised fund account holders, additional account users, and any of their family members from receiving non-deductible benefits from grant recommendations. Please refer to our Granting Guidelines for more detailed information.

What benefits does Schwab Charitable provide to the charities supported by its donors?

Schwab Charitable makes it easier for donors to support charities and for charities to receive donations. Our donors are actively philanthropic and educated about the tax benefits of charitable giving, and we give them an easy way to develop a lifetime of strategic and tax-smart philanthropy.
 

Schwab Charitable helps charities by:

• Helping donors integrate charitable planning with their wealth management so they can give more generously.
• Facilitating donations of appreciated assets, which often can be cumbersome and time-consuming for charities to receive directly.
• Enabling ongoing support of charities through our flexible Charitable Legacy Program.
• Potentially increasing total giving over time due to account investment growth.