Foundation History

The Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation was established by Charles and Helen Schwab in 1987. In 2001, the Schwab Family Foundation and the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation (also known at that time as the Schwab Foundation for Learning) merged into the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has invested more than $300 million in K-12 education and higher education, human services, health, civic and cultural life, and programs serving students with learning and attention difficulties. While the Foundation’s primary focus has been the Bay Area in California, its investments have also supported nonprofit organizations working across the country.  

From 1987–2007, the Foundation operated Schwab Learning, a direct service program to help kids with learning and attention difficulties lead satisfying and productive lives in an environment that recognizes, values and supports the unique attributes of every child. During that time, the Foundation invested more than $90 million in resources to serve this community, beginning with the original Parent’s Education Resource Center through the creation and management of its two award-winning Web sites, SchwabLearning.org and SparkTop.org™. These programs provided free information, resources, publications, and support to millions of parents and children. In January of 2008, the Foundation transitioned these programs to nonprofit organizations that share its commitment to providing the best possible information and resources to the millions of families impacted by learning difficulties.

In March 2023, the Foundation’s board of trustees approved a new strategic plan that focuses on public education nationally and housing and homelessness in the Bay Area, following a comprehensive process leveraging the knowledge of leaders in the field, the experience of funder peers, and the lived expertise of those navigating our education and housing systems.