The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation is a private family foundation based in San Francisco, California, and independent from the Charles Schwab Corporation and the Charles Schwab Corporate Foundation. It funds solutions in education, housing, and employment to increase economic power and wellbeing in historically marginalized communities.
Key facts about Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
In short: Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation gave $34.8M across 96 grants in 2024 (avg $362K), mostly in California. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 94-3374170
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $34,755,389
- Grants made (2024)
- 96
- Average grant
- $362,035
- Median grant
- $250,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (40 of 96, 2024)
- Total assets
- $542,266,970
- Primary geography
- California (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$542.3M
+1.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$34.8M
+5.1% YoY
Grant Count
96
+6.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$362K
-1.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation reported a distributable amount of $26.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 40 of 96 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $221K; repeat grants $463K. How we count
Medians: $125K first-time, $300K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 38% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 143% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation envisions a world in which all people lead fulfilling and choice-filled lives. It prioritizes innovative approaches that advance racial equity and remove systemic barriers that perpetuate generational poverty.
Its 2024 grants include education organizations and housing and homelessness organizations. Cambiar Education describes its mission as scaling bold ideas to help students succeed and thrive. Tipping Point Community says it builds community to advance poverty-fighting solutions. Other education grantees include Teach For America, whose stated mission is to find, develop, and support leaders to teach underserved students; Innovate Public Schools, which works to build parent and community demand for public schools; and The Oakland REACH, a parent-led group focused on empowering families to demand high-quality schools.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 96 grants totaling $34,755,389. Grants ranged from $100 to $3,000,000, with a median of $250,000. Notable awards included $3,000,000 to Cambiar Education for education; $2,600,000 to Tipping Point Community for housing and homelessness; and $1,500,000 to Charter School Growth Fund for education. Other large grants included $1,300,000 to 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic for housing and homelessness, and $1,005,000 to Teach for America for an Executive Director Discretionary Grant.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation prioritizes public education nationally and housing and homelessness in the Bay Area. In 2024, California recipients received 67% of grant dollars, followed by New York at 12%, Colorado at 4%, Illinois at 3%, and Oregon at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 96 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $27.0M (2020) to $56.0M (2021). In 2024 it made 96 grants totaling $34.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cambiar Education ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $13.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
448 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 163 grants of 448 (36%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cambiar Education Encino, CA | Education | $3,000,000 |
| Tipping Point Community San Francisco, CA | Housing & Homelessness | $2,600,000 |
| Charter School Growth Fund Broomfield, CO | Education | $1,500,000 |
| 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic San Francisco, CA | Housing & Homelessness | $1,300,000 |
| Teach for America New York, NY | Executive Director Discretionary Grant | $1,005,000 |
| PlayLab Education Union City, CA | Education | $1,000,000 |
| City Fund Beaverton, OR | Education | $800,000 |
| Innovate Public Schools Menlo Park, CA | Education | $800,000 |
| Oakland REACH Oakland, CA | Education | $800,000 |
| KIPP Foundation San Francisco, CA | Education | $750,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $542,266,970 | $14,126,433 | $34,685,401 | $34,755,389 |
| 2023 | $531,977,043 | $20,486,799 | $43,510,541 | $33,065,074 |
| 2022 | $647,981,236 | $42,556,908 | $26,402,819 | $29,637,500 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $542,266,970 | $531,977,043 | $647,981,236 |
| Revenue | $14,126,433 | $20,486,799 | $42,556,908 |
| Expenses | $34,685,401 | $43,510,541 | $26,402,819 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $37,734,090 | $35,369,357 | $32,449,710 |
| Net Investment Income | $14,126,987 | $8,475,421 | $29,840,559 |
| Distributable Amount | $26,297,631 | $24,547,316 | $30,047,872 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Katie Schwab Paige as board chair, president, and trustee; Charles R. Schwab as CFO and treasurer; Matt Wilsey as secretary and trustee; Catherine Molnar as assistant treasurer; and April Chou, Tomiquia Moss, and Haley Schwab as trustees. Christopher Nelson is listed as executive director.
The foundation’s website also lists education program officers Yasmin Abdulhadi, Amanda Aiken, and Joe Shook; housing and homelessness program director Erin Gilbert; program officer Demaree Miller; and grants and operations manager Nathalie Lowenthal-Savy.
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation is led by Christopher Nelson, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher Nelson
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$512K (2022) → $657K (2024)
Katie Schwab Paige
Board Chair, President & Trustee
Grants Chair → Board Chair, President & Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Wilsey
Secretary & Trustee
Board Member → Secretary & Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
April Chou
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tomiquia Moss
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Haley Schwab
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Molnar
Assistant Treasurer
Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles R. Schwab
CFO & Treasurer
Chairman → CFO & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Kristi Kimball (2020–2022) — Former Executive Director
- Former: Helen O. Schwab (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Nancy Bechtle (2020–2021) — Secretary & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $657K, to Christopher Nelson (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: 201 Mission Street Suite 1950, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 795-4920
Website: https://schwabfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
How much does Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation give each year?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation gave $34.8M across 96 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $33.1M across 90 grants.
What is Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's typical grant size?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $250,000, and its average grant was $362,035, across 96 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation that year got $221K on average.
Where does Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation give grants?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation gives mostly in California: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (28 grants), Oakland, CA (10 grants), New York, NY (6 grants) and Menlo Park, CA (3 grants).
Does Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 96 grants with a stated purpose on Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (45 grants), "Housing & Homelessness" (20 grants) and "Employee Matching" (14 grants).
Who are Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's largest grantees?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cambiar Education ($3,000,000), Tipping Point Community ($2,600,000) and Charter School Growth Fund ($1,500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation reported $542.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $37.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation fund?
The foundation envisions a world in which all people lead fulfilling and choice-filled lives. It prioritizes innovative approaches that advance racial equity and remove systemic barriers that perpetuate generational poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's EIN?
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3374170. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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