A charitable gift account is set up through a national charitable fund (often called a donor-advised fund), such as Schwab Charitable, and the Calvert Foundation. It is a way anyone who can contribute $5,000 or more to help support worthy charities in a safe, easy manner. Contributions are tax-deductible and can be in the form of cash or securities. The assets of the account are invested to fund future contributions, or grants, to specific organizations specified by the donor.
Schwab Charitable recommends two ways to contribute to international causes. One is to use charities that are based in the U.S. but that perform their work overseas. Currently recommended charities include:
- Doctors Without Borders, which delivers emergency medical aid around the world.
- Grameen Foundation USA, which supports micro-credit projects internationally.
- American India Foundation, which is a leading international development organization working to accelerate social and economic change in India.
The other way to give internationally, using your charitable gift account, is to use an intermediary organization such as:
- Give to Asia, a flexible, local organization that supports a variety of causes throughout Asia.
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which manges philanthropic issues in remote areas of the world.
Intermediary organizations do charge a fee, but provide many benefits such as identifying local charities that are legitimate and effective.
