Account fees and minimums
We offer a comprehensive range of investment alternatives to meet a wide variety of goals. You can choose from either a core account or a professionally managed account.
A core account can be established with an irrevocable minimum contribution of $5,000 and invested in any of the index or actively managed pre-approved investment pools.
A professionally managed account allows investors with $250,000 or more to select an investment advisor to manage the investments. The investment advisor is subject to Schwab Charitable’s approval and must enter into an Investment Advisor Agreement with Schwab Charitable™.
Account minimums
| Core Account | Professionally Managed Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Account minimum | $5,000 | $250,000 |
| Minimum additional contribution | $500 | $500 |
| Minimum grant | $50 | $50 |
Administrative fees
Schwab Charitable offers competitive administrative fees that cover the expenses of operating a donor-advised fund account, such as online donor services, phone support, grant due diligence and administration, tax filings, annual account summaries, and communications.
| Average Daily Value | Annualized Administrative Fees |
|---|---|
| First $500,000 | 0.60% of assets or $100¹
(whichever is greater) |
| Next $500,000 | 0.30% of assets |
| Next $1,500,000 | 0.20% of assets |
| Next $2,500,000 | 0.15% of assets |
| Next $5,000,000 | 0.13% of assets |
| Next $5,000,000 | 0.12% of assets |
| Assets of $15,000,000 and beyond | 0.10% of assets |
1. The minimum individual account administrative fee will be the greater of $100 or 0.60%.
Download our Account Fees and Minimums Fact Sheet.
Administrative Fee Calculator
Use this calculator to determine the annual administrative fees for a Schwab Charitable donor-advised fund account. Just enter the account balance you expect to maintain and select calculate.
How administrative fees are charged
| Core accounts |
We assess an annualized administrative fee of 0.60%, which is collected as part of the operating expenses of the investment pools.
|
|---|---|
| Professionally managed accounts² |
We assess an administrative account fee quarterly, based on the account's average value for the preceding quarter. |
2. Professionally managed accounts are available only through independent investment advisors with Schwab Advisor Services™, a business segment of the Charles Schwab Corporation serving independent investment advisors and includes the custody, trading, and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. While donors may recommend an advisor, the Fund must approve the recommendation. Advisors must meet certain eligibility requirements and adhere to Fund fee and investment guidelines. You may request a copy of the investment guidelines by calling us at 800-746-6216.
Investment fees
Investment fees vary depending on how an account is invested. For stocks and bonds, the fees are typically in the form of commissions when they are traded. For mutual funds, the fees are in the form of operating expenses charged by the fund provider.
Standard donor-advised fund accounts are invested in investment pools whose operating expenses vary with the underlying mutual funds. Fees are reflected in the value of each investment pool.
Professionally managed donor-advised fund accounts can include a variety of investments whose fee structures and operating expenses will vary. Negotiated investment fees are paid directly to the investment advisor.