A note from our president:
Jane Greenfield
President
As Vanguard Charitable enters our 24th year, we reflect on the past year and the incredible need that occurred across our country and the world as the pandemic took hold. We also reflect on how our donors rushed in to be part of the solution, causing 2020 at Vanguard Charitable to be a year filled with milestones, records, and many stories highlighting our donors' incredible generosity.
We began the calendar year by hitting a fantastic milestone—$10 billion in grants to charity since inception. Shortly after, the COVID-19 pandemic caused us to move our staff to work remotely in a matter of days, as the volume of grants began to skyrocket. The pandemic highlighted the importance of the investments we have made in our technology infrastructure and secure online portal over the years. These investments have allowed us to deliver—both to our donors and the nonprofits they support—the same high level of service they have come to expect from us. I give our talented, mission-driven staff at Vanguard Charitable tremendous credit for all they have done to deliver—from their homes—on the incredible surge in granting volumes that we experienced all year.
In addition to sending grants out the door, we stayed in touch with our donors to learn what else they might need from us. When we heard that they wanted to ensure they were making the most significant impact during the pandemic, we delivered a series of resources to better serve our donors.
- Within a few weeks of the pandemic's emergence, we created a digital resource guide of pre-vetted nonprofits to allow donors to quickly and easily find charities providing immediate relief.
- We helped donors who wanted to give locally easily find and support Community Foundations and their COVID-19 funds.
- We launched The Value in GivingTM podcast, recognizing our donors' interest in hearing directly from nonprofits they support and seeking an opportunity to highlight both the work and needs of nonprofit partners on the ground.
- We created a groundbreaking new tool in response to our donors' interest in ensuring they were giving to those nonprofits in their region, hardest hit by the pandemic. The Nonprofit Aid Visualizer™ — NAVi — enables donors to search for a charity on an interactive platform, leveraging COVID incidence and vulnerability data, making it easier to find charities in the most need of COVID support.
We've done all this while adhering to the high-quality, low-cost principles that our donors have come to expect.
Every year we see our donors' capacity to give grow to meet the needs of charities locally, nationally, and globally. Between February 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020, our donors recommended nearly $1.3 billion in grants and supported nonprofits directly involved in COVID-19-related relief efforts in addition to a host of other 501(c)3 organizations, many of whom faced financial setbacks since the pandemic outbreak. Our donor's thoughtfulness and engagement had a significant impact on the great need that arose, and for that we are grateful.
We look forward to reaching new granting milestones in partnership with our donors in the years to come!
A note from our chairman:
Jack Brennan
Board Chair
Dear Fellow Donors,
It’s my pleasure to write to you on behalf of your Board of Trustees with two specific purposes—to thank you and to thank our Vanguard Charitable team for making the unprecedented year of 2020 so impactful for our organization.
First, I want to thank you for the trust you place in Vanguard Charitable to be your philanthropic partner and for setting such a tremendous example for others in your commitment to helping non-profit organizations during this unique period. The year 2020 was record-setting for our donors with respect to both grants made to organizations and donations to Vanguard Charitable to continue your philanthropic journeys in the future. Your generosity is inspirational, as is your willingness and ability to react to immediate needs that none of us foresaw. Your commitment to a variety of organizations addressing the pressing needs caused by the pandemic has been impressive and is so important to the people who benefit from your generosity.
My second purpose is to thank our team. I have never been more proud to be associated with the Vanguard Charitable team than in the past year. My list of superlatives and accolades could fill a book but suffice it to say that what the team accomplished for our donors and, even more important, for the causes you support is incredible.
Merely “keeping the lights on” would be a success during a raging pandemic, but they achieved so much more. From moving to a virtual environment literally over a weekend (but with years of planning) to keep our colleagues safe and provide you with continuity of excellent service, to continuing to innovate to help all of us become even more strategic in our giving, the team didn’t miss a beat. In my year-end comments to them, the only way I could describe their efforts during 2020 was “remarkable.” That’s an understatement.
One last point. In prior letters to you, I have emphasized our collective commitment to continuing to improve everything we do to help you, individually and collectively, make an even bigger difference through your philanthropy. As we begin 2021, that commitment is stronger than ever. We have never had a stronger team or more resources available to enhance our service, improve our technology, expand our investment options, and so much more. Vanguard Charitable’s future is bright, and we look forward to continuing to serve as your philanthropic partner for years and decades to come.
I’ll close where I started—by thanking you for your trust in our organization and for the example, you set for so many others with your remarkable commitment to sharing your resources with people and organizations that need them. We are grateful to be part of that effort.
Stay well and healthy.
A surge in granting and impact amid crisis
2020 began with devastating wildfires across Australia, closely followed by a pandemic of proportions not seen in more than 100 years, a civil rights crisis, and most recently, a pattern of hurricanes in the Atlantic and wildfires scorching the entire West Coast of the United States. As we saw this year, our world is delicate and great need exists, but so does the great generosity of the philanthropists who support relief efforts to on-the-ground heroes.
The challenges, sadness, and loss 2020 has brought have only served to redouble Vanguard Charitable’s commitment to providing the most efficient giving vehicle. We’ve learned from our donors and nonprofit partners this year, and we are prepared to continue to evolve and meet the ever-changing needs of our society moving forward.
Here’s a glimpse into some of the things we accomplished with our donors in 2020*:
$1.7B
50,000
25%
37%
Giving Locally
Given the global reach of the pandemic and its widespread impact across most nonprofit categories, donors undoubtedly felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of organizations seeking support.
Soon after the pandemic emerged, we asked our donors where they intended to give, and three-quarters of donors reported they intended to give to their local community and state organizations.
 | 62% of grants issued during this period were donated to organizations located in the same state as the donor to support relief efforts. |
Donors also reported that they wanted access to expertise about both charities local to them, and those providing relief in the areas most impacted by the virus.
Free digital mapping tool
In October 2020, we launched the Nonprofit Aid VisualizerTM, NAVi, an interactive mapping tool that allows users to directly search for charities providing COVID-19 relief and apply filters that highlight organizations in areas with high incidence rates or that are especially vulnerable to the virus. NAVi serves to inform, educate, and unite philanthropists with organizations that are actively supporting COVID-19 relief efforts.
With NAVi, our donors can be confident about the impact their charitable giving is having, whether it’s supporting nonprofits in their own backyard or across the country.
The Value in Giving podcast
Recognizing the importance of connecting donors to the nonprofits they support, and in seeking an opportunity to highlight both the work and needs of nonprofit partners on the ground, we launched The Value in Giving podcast. Featuring Vanguard Charitable President Jane Greenfield and industry-leading executives, episodes in the first season of the podcast focus on the impact of COVID-19, ongoing needs and progress toward relieving suffering and ensuring the longevity of invaluable nonprofit organizations.
Our fiscal year-in-review
At Vanguard Charitable, our 21,000 accounts use their donor-advised funds to support high-impact charitable giving. In the most recent fiscal year, the average grant size was $10,300 and on average each account supported 6 different organizations spanning interest areas.
Grants went to charities in every state, with organizations like Feeding America, Doctors without Borders, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the American National Red Cross among some receiving the most grants from donors.
Organizations with most grant units (7/1/2019 - 6/30/2020)
Financial Statements
Review our financial statements as audited and approved by an independent third party for the most recent fiscal year.
Meet our Board of Trustees
Tasked with governing our overall strategy and effectiveness, our Board of Trustees oversees policies and promotes integrity and accountability throughout the organization.
John J. Brennan
Vanguard, chairman emeritus and senior advisor
John J. Brennan
- Vanguard, chairman emeritus and senior advisor
- American Express, board member
- Rockefeller Capital Management, board member
- University of Notre Dame, chairman of the board
Dr. Renee Bellamy Booth
Leadership Solutions Inc., President
Dr. Renee Bellamy Booth
- Leadership Solutions Inc., President
- Thomas Skelton Harrison Foundation, trustee
- Franklin Institute, trustee
Pamela Dippel Choney
Wellington Management Company, LLP, retired partner and senior vice president
Pamela Dippel Choney
- Wellington Management Company, LLP, retired partner and senior vice president
- Wellesley (MA) Scholarship Foundation, advisory board member
- Social Finance US, director
Larry Dubinski
The Franklin Institute, president and CEO
Larry Dubinski
- The Franklin Institute, president and CEO
- Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), executive committee
- The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, board member
- Satell Institute, vice chair
- Deutsches Museum, board member
Michael F. Holland
Holland & Company, LLC investment firm, chairman
Michael F. Holland
- Holland & Company, LLC investment firm, chairman
- State Street Master Funds, co-chairman
- The China Fund, Inc., director
- The Taiwan Fund, Inc., director
- The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States, trustee emeritus
Michael S. Miller
The Vanguard Group, retired Managing Director
Michael S. Miller
- The Vanguard Group, retired Managing Director
- UVA Health Foundation, Board Chair
- University of Virginia Law School Foundation, trustee
- Hamilton Beach, director
Meet our leadership
Fueled by the mission of increasing philanthropy in the U.S., our leadership team is dedicated to helping you make a charitable impact through strategic and thoughtful philanthropy. Learn more about our leadership team:
Rebecca Moffett
Rebecca is the president of Vanguard Charitable, a national donor-advised fund provider and one of the nation's top grantmakers. As a long-time donor-advised fund leader and advocate, Rebecca focuses on furthering the benefits of giving for donors, nonprofit partners, and communities around the globe. She has earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Saint Joseph’s University.
Carol Dow
With decades of IT leadership, Carol oversees the technology strategy and portfolio for Vanguard Charitable. Prior to joining Vanguard Charitable, Carol served as a Vanguard principal in Global Investment Financial Systems and served as Vanguard’s Chief Technology Officer.
Ann Gill
Ann joined Vanguard Charitable in September 2013 following a multi-decade career in banking with Wells Fargo and its predecessor banks. Ann's experience is in leading various sales, service, and credit teams focused on the financial institutions, healthcare, and most recently higher education and nonprofit banking sectors.
Mark Froehlich
Prior to Vanguard Charitable, Mark was the CFO of The Philadelphia Foundation. Mark is a CPA and holds an MBA from Temple University's Fox School of Business. Mark’s strong connection with the not-for-profit sector stems from his training as a classical violinist and his affinity for Philadelphia's arts organizations.
Jodi Rosen
Jodi brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and the donor advised fund industry, and serves as an advocate for both philanthropists and the nonprofit community. She has responsibilities including business and strategic product development. Jodi is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®).
Elaine Kenig
In her role leading communications, analytics, and strategic planning, Elaine focuses on building awareness of the benefits of strategic philanthropy and improving donors' giving experiences. Elaine earned her bachelor's degree from Lehigh University and master’s in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation.
D. Deone Powell
Deone serves as inaugural general counsel and chief legal officer, bringing his law expertise to further Vanguard Charitable’s mission and increase donor impact. Deone previously built and led the legal department at Philadelphia FIGHT, a nonprofit community health system focused on culturally competent care. He is a UNC-Chapel Hill and Temple Law alumnus.
Footnotes
All calendar year numbers reported as of December 31, 2020, unless otherwise stated.
All fiscal year numbers reported as of June 30, 2020, the end of fiscal year 2020, unless otherwise stated.
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