About the Schwab Foundation: The Schwab Foundation aims to identify and support programs that help middle and high school students connect their education to their future career choices by providing the resources and opportunities they need to investigate, explore, and experience the array of career options in a 21st-century global economy.
The Schwab Foundation funds programs with clearly defined goals, objectives/outcomes, and sound evaluation plans. In some cases, the Schwab Foundation is also willing to consider funding for planning grants and/or carefully controlled innovative pilot programs.
Other key elements we consider:
- A clear connection to the funding priorities of the Schwab Foundation
- A focus on a diverse student population
- Reasonable expenditure per student served (Programs that serve a smaller number of students if the impact for those students is high)
- Goals must be measurable
We do not fund:
- Educational scholarships
- General operations
- Capital improvements
- Equipment that is unrelated to the grant proposal
- Salaries (unless the position is fully associated with the program we fund)
- And no more than 10% of any award may be used for food
Grant Proposals:
Eligibility: The Schwab Foundation’s primary focus is organizations and programs serving middle and high school students in Allen County and the five contiguous counties of Noble, DeKalb, Adams, Wells, Huntington, and Whitley. Applicants must be non-profit organizations or agencies, schools, and/or school districts. Grants are currently by invitation only.
Funding Priorities: The Foundation aims to support organizations in growing existing programs or new ideas. We believe that a vital part of a healthy community is an underpinning of the entrepreneurial spirit— therefore, we prioritize cultivating this spirit in today’s students. Experiential learning is one of the best ways to do this and increase career readiness opportunities. We prefer to fund grant requests that include opportunities for students to have experiences and interactions as they learn. These include but are not limited to internships, job shadows, after-school clubs/camps, or other opportunities.
Our goal is to identify, support, and fund programs that provide students from 6th to 12th grade (or dual-credit education students) with the 21st-century skill sets and competencies they need to be career-ready.
The Schwab Foundation funds programs that:
- Assess, increase awareness, or prepare students to be career-ready—and connect them to the world of work.
- Include career-readiness education and building soft skills such as oral/written communication, punctuality, working in a team environment, and critical thinking.
- Are well defined and will have an impact on the problems they address.
- Use technology and learning techniques that connect with today’s students.
- (For schools and school districts), are currently embedded or intend to be embedded in the current curriculum.
- Engage not only the student but also their guardians. There should be a connection between education, students, and guardians.
Examples of allowable usage of funds include, but are not limited to:
- Systematic use of career education and exploration materials (including software)
- Career fairs, career shadowing, internships, post-secondary institution visits
- Mentoring and guest speakers
- Portfolio development, field trips, and hands-on career exploration
- Consultant fees, stipends for necessary program personnel, travel/transportation, and training
Grant Application Information:
Letters of Intent (LOIs) are being accepted through July 1.
Non-profit organizations and youth service programs are invited to submit LOIs for grant requests up to $50,000. This initial step aims to assess the eligibility and alignment of applicants with the foundation’s mission. Organizations whose LOIs are selected will be notified by the end of July and invited to submit a full grant application from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1. Grants will be awarded by Oct. 31, 2024.
For questions related to the Schwab Grants and proposals we are likely to fund, please email Kelli Packnett at [email protected].
To learn more, please contact:
Estela Gutierrez
Impact Assistant
260-969-3302
[email protected]
You can also contact another member of our Grants team.