The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 94-3374170 · since 2001schwabfoundation.org·Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, Napa County, San Francisco County, San Mateo Coun…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$34.8M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,000 to $750k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$250k

Typical grant (median)

96 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation funds solutions in education, housing and employment that increase economic power and wellbeing in historically marginalised communities, prioritising innovative approaches that advance racial equity and remove systemic barriers that perpetuate generational cycles of poverty; its stated strategic focus is public education nationally and housing and homelessness in the Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and six more in California.
It does not accept unsolicited requests and makes grants by invitation only, so there is no open channel through which to submit a cold application.
If invited, a realistic request might sit around the median grant of $250,000, as about 8 in 10 of its 271 grants fall between $1,000 and $750,000, though grants have run as high as $4,000,000.
With 73% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had also funded in the two prior filings, this looks like a relationship-led funder that favours continuing partners, so building or having an existing connection matters more than a speculative approach.
Because it states that it does not accept unsolicited requests, small nonprofits without an invitation or existing relationship should not apply directly.

Overview

The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation is a US private foundation based in San Francisco, CA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation funds solutions in education, housing and employment that increase economic power and wellbeing in historically marginalised communities. It prioritises innovative approaches that advance racial equity and remove systemic barriers that perpetuate generational cycles of poverty. Its stated strategic focus is public education nationally and housing and homelessness in the Bay Area. It also describes a long history of supporting K–12 and higher education, human services, civic and cultural life, and programmes serving students with learning differences. The Foundation presents its work as being in service of and in partnership with grantees and the individuals, families and communities they serve.

Themes

Education
Housing and homelessness
Employment

Geographic Focus

Priority: Nationally; Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and 6 more counties in California.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 73% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 271 grants to organisations were $250,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It prioritises innovative approaches that advance racial equity and remove systemic barriers that perpetuate generational cycles of poverty.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

California65%

New York14%

Colorado5%

Illinois3%

District of Columbia2%

Texas2%

6 other states: 6%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 2%

The largest single recipient received 11% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to organisations The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
23% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

96 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $250k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 96 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k11%

$1k–$2.5k3%

$2.5k–$5k0%

$5k–$10k1%

$10k–$25k0%

$25k–$50k3%

$50k–$100k3%

$100k–$250k18%

$250k–$500k35%

$500k–$1M19%

$1M and over6%

Median $250k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Cambiar Education · Education
$3,000,0002024 tax year
Tipping Point Community · Housing & Homelessness
$2,600,0002024 tax year
Charter School Growth Fund · Education
$1,500,0002024 tax year
3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic · Housing & Homelessness
$1,300,0002024 tax year
Teach for America · Executive Director Discretionary Grant
$1,005,0002024 tax year
PlayLab Education · Education
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Oakland REACH · Education
$800,0002024 tax year
City Fund · Education
$800,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Katie Schwab Paige — Board Chair, President, Trustee
Charles R Schwab — CFO & Treasurer
Christopher Nelson — Executive Director
Haley Schwab — Trustee
Tomiquia Moss — Trustee
April Chou — Trustee
Catherine Molnar — Assistant Treasurer
Matt Wilsey — Secretary & Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$26,402,819	$29,637,500	$647,981,236	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$43,510,541	$33,065,074	$531,977,043	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$34,685,401	$34,755,389	$542,266,970	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.