Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation is a leading supporter of charter schools. In the Bay Area, the foundation also supports housing and homelessness with a strong focus on underserved communities.
IP TAKE: The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation has maintained a strong focus on K-12 education since its founding in 1987. It is worth noting that Schwab has been ramping up giving in recent years. It funds national organizations and organizations operating in other areas of the country, although these remain a small proportion of the foundation’s overall giving.
This funder is not accessible, but the names of the foundation’s board and staff members are available at its website. Grantseekers may direct general inquiries to the foundation via email or telephone.
PROFILE: Investment giant Charles Schwab and his wife, Helen, established the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation in 1987. The foundation is headquartered in San Francisco and is separate from the Charles Schwab Corporation and its philanthropic foundation. Since its inception, the foundation has been a strong supporter of education. In its early years, it developed and operated SchwabLearning.org, a resource for parents of children with learning and attentional difficulties, and Sparktop.org, a website designed to help students with learning difficulties “understand and manage” learning differences. In 2008, the management of these projects was transitioned to other nonprofits. The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation currently supports the national charter school movement and Bay Area human services organizations.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation’s largest area of grantmaking is K-12 education reform, which accounts for more than half of all giving. Education grantmaking focuses on “high-quality public charter schools, programs to ensure that every child has access to effective and diverse teachers and school leaders, and organizations that provide parents with the information, tools and know-how to ensure that their children receive a quality education.” The foundation is a leading supporter of charter schools and networks across the U.S. One recent grantee, Pacific Charter School Development, received a $4 million grant for the development of economically sustainable, high quality charter schools for underserved communities. Other recent charter school grantees include Success Academy Charter Schools, the KIPP Foundation, Innovate Public Schools, InspireNOLA Charter Schools and Freedom Preparatory Academy Charter Schools. Other education grantees include the Family Engagement Lab, the Child Mind Institute, Teach for America and the Relay Graduate School of Education.
Grants for Housing and Homelessness, and the San Francisco Bay Area
The Schwab Foundation supports a broad range of human services organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Recent grantmaking appears to prioritize groups and organizations focused on Housing and Homelessness. Grantees include JobTrain, Larkin Street Youth Services, REDF, Episcopal Community Services, First Place for Youth, Funders Together to End Homelessness, Homeless Prenatal Program, Rubicon Programs, and Tipping Point Community.
Important Grant Details:
The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation’s grantmaking has increased steadily over the past several years. In a recent year, the foundation made about $30 million in grants, with grants ranging from $25,000 to over $1 million. The foundation’s average grant size is about $200,000. Charter schools and networks account for over half of this funder’s giving. While the San Francisco Bay Area is a clear geographic priority, it is worth noting that the foundation’s support for national organizations and organizations operating in other parts of the U.S. has accompanied its overall increase in grantmaking. For additional information about past grantees, see the foundation’s grantees page.
The Schwab Foundation does not run an open application program. The names of the foundation’s board and staff members are available at the foundation’s website. General inquiries may be directed to the foundation via email or telephone at 415-795-4920.
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