[January 22, 2015]

Schwab Charitable Reports 25% Rise in Grants in 2014

Schwab Charitable^TM, one of the largest national donor-advised funds, reported $928 million in grants to charities on behalf of its donors in 2014, a 25% increase over 2013. Gifts went to more than 48,000 charitable organizations. Support increased substantially across all categories with the highest number of individual grants going to health and human services, religious causes and education. Among the most widely supported charities in 2014 were Doctors Without Borders, Wounded Warrior Project, The Salvation Army, and local public radio and television stations.

"I am so grateful to our donors for their extraordinary generosity in 2014," says Kim Laughton, President of Schwab Charitable. "We continue to look for ways to encourage them to set aside more money for charity by making giving simple, tax-smart and flexible. Again this year, we helped donors and their financial advisors contribute long-term, appreciated investments and assets, which maximize tax benefits and increase the amount available for giving."

In 2014, 71% of contributions into Schwab Charitable donor-advised fund accounts were appreciated investments or assets, such as public company stock, real estate or private business interests. Donors who contribute appreciated assets that have been held for more than one year directly to public charities (including donor-advised funds) can generally claim the full fair market value as a charitable contribution and will not owe capital gains tax on the sale of the assets. This can result in donors having up to 20% more to give than if they sold the asset first and then gave the cash proceeds to charity. Schwab Charitable handles the liquidation of the assets, relieving the receiving charities of this administrative burden.

In 2014, Schwab Charitable launched convenient online tools and the ability to grant from an iPad, iPhone (News - Alert) or Android device using the Schwab Mobile App1 to make it easier than ever for donors to support their favorite charities. Non-profit organizations may also now accommodate gifts from Schwab Charitable directly from their websites by downloading the DAF Direct widget.²

Donor-advised funds are generally appropriate for individuals who regularly give to charity. They allow investors to contribute cash and other assets to a charitable account to realize the greatest possible tax benefits and strategically support charities of their choice over time.

About Schwab Charitable

Schwab Charitable is a donor-advised fund established as a service for individual investors to help increase their charitable giving. Since inception, Schwab Charitable has facilitated approximately $5 billion in grants to over 91,000 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 accounts. 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, visit schwabcharitable.org.

1. A wireless signal or mobile connection is required. Apple (News - Alert)®, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google (News - Alert) Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions.

2. DAF Direct is a web application that allows donors to make a grant from their donor-advised fund account while on a nonprofit's website. For more information, visit www.dafdirect.org.

A donor's ability to claim itemized deductions may be subject to further limitations depending upon the donor's specific tax situation and donors should consult their tax advisors. Schwab Charitable does not provide specific individualized legal or tax advice. Please consult a qualified legal or tax advisor where such advice is necessary or appropriate.

Contributions of some non-publicly traded assets are sometimes accepted via a charitable intermediary, with proceeds of the donation transferred to the donor-advised account upon liquidation.

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.

©2015 Schwab Charitable. All Rights Reserved. (0115-0781)

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