Schwab CharitableTM, one of the largest national providers of donor-advised funds and other philanthropic services, facilitated over $1.5 billion in grants to charities in 2016, a 41% increase from the previous year 2015. Schwab Charitable donors supported 61,000 charities and recommended approximately 273,000 grants, up from 233,000 grants in 2015.

Individuals mobilized support around a range of domestic and international causes in 2016, including relief efforts for Hurricane Matthew, flooding in Louisiana, and the global refugee crisis. Schwab Charitable donors were particularly active during the last three months of the year when they recommended 128,000 charitable grants totaling nearly $672 million. The amount granted in the fourth quarter is an increase of 75% from Q4 2015 and represents almost half (45%) of the total value of grants in 2016.

“The generosity our donors showed last year was truly remarkable,” notes Kim Laughton, president of Schwab Charitable. “We are so proud to have helped them distribute more than $1 billion in grants for the second year in a row. Many investors turned to charitable giving to offset higher capital gains and income taxes associated with earnings from a strong economy and high-performing stock market. Uncertainty over the new administration’s tax policy also encouraged donors to maximize the significant benefits of charitable giving under the existing tax code.”

Over two thirds (68%) of contributions into Schwab Charitable donor-advised fund accounts were non-cash assets last year. Contributing appreciated non-cash assets to a public charity, including to a donor-advised fund account, generally allows donors to eliminate capital gains tax on the sale of those assets and correspondingly increase their giving by as much as 20%. Non-cash assets should generally be held for more than one year and may include publicly traded stock as well as more complex assets, such as restricted stock, privately held shares (C-Corp, S-Corp, and limited partnership interests), initial public offerings, real estate, private equity and hedge fund interests. Learn more about donating non-cash assets at www.schwabcharitable.org.

By increasing the convenience and tax efficiency of charitable giving, Schwab Charitable helps individuals maximize the impact of their philanthropy. 67% of Schwab Charitable donors say they give more than they otherwise would because they have a donor-advised fund account1, and more than 90% of contributions into Schwab Charitable accounts are fully distributed to charity within 10 years.

Schwab Charitable also helps donors achieve greater impact by enabling them to invest their account balances with the goal of increasing the amount available for grants to charity over time. Core Schwab Charitable accounts offer 14 diversified investment pool options, and larger accounts may recommend registered investment advisors to manage their portfolios2. Since Schwab Charitable’s inception, investment growth has generated close to $1 billion in additional funds to support our clients’ philanthropy.

About Schwab Charitable

Schwab Charitable is a donor-advised fund established as a service for individual investors to help increase their charitable giving. Since its inception in 1999, Schwab Charitable has facilitated over $6 billion in grants to approximately 104,000 charities on behalf of its donors. Schwab Charitable serves a wide range of investors and has been a pioneer in enabling registered investment advisors to manage the investments of donor-advised fund accounts2. Schwab Charitable also offers a private foundation conversion service for private foundations considering a donor-advised fund as a complementary or alternative charitable vehicle. For more information, including a short video describing the benefits of donor-advised funds, visit schwabcharitable.org.

A donor’s ability to claim itemized deductions is subject to a variety of limitations depending on the donor’s specific tax situation. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

Schwab Charitable is the name used for the combined programs and services of Schwab Charitable Fund, an independent nonprofit organization, which has entered into service agreements with certain affiliates of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Schwab Charitable Fund is recognized as a tax-exempt public charity as described in Sections 501(c)(3), 509(a)(1), and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions made to Schwab Charitable Fund are considered an irrevocable gift and are not refundable. Please be aware that Schwab Charitable has exclusive legal control over the assets you have contributed. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is correct, Schwab Charitable cannot guarantee its accuracy. This information is not provided to the IRS.

1. 2016 year-end survey of Schwab Charitable donors

2. Professionally-managed accounts are available only through independent investment advisors working with Schwab Advisor Services™, a business segment of The Charles Schwab Corporation serving independent investment advisors and including the custody, trading and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Although donors may recommend an advisor, Schwab Charitable must approve the recommendation. Advisors must meet certain eligibility requirements and adhere to Schwab Charitable fee and investment guidelines. You may request a copy of the investment guidelines by calling (800) 746-6216.

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