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Security Center
Introduction
We at Vanguard Charitable share your concerns about the security of your philanthropic account and about maintaining the privacy of your personal information when you interact with our website and pursue your charitable giving goals.
Since our founding in 1997, Vanguard Charitable has been committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and security of our donors' personal information. When you provide personal information to Vanguard Charitable, we believe that you should be aware of our policies designed to protect the confidentiality of this information and how we use it to service your philanthropic account. Please read our Privacy Policy and User Agreement to learn more.
We have measures in place to help protect our systems and your philanthropic account when you engage in charitable giving with us online. We also implement reasonable security practices to protect your personal information within Vanguard Charitable's physical properties.
Read on for information and best practices on keeping your personal and financial information safe online and see what we’re doing to help.
Current fraud and scam efforts:
Numerous scams and fraudulent efforts are currently circulating on the internet, deliberately targeting both donors and grantees. These scams include emails, direct messages on social media, and fraudulent websites, to name a few. These efforts may try to look legitimate by including our logo, photos, links, or other information taken directly from our official website, vanguardcharitable.org, and other public sources.
Vanguard Charitable makes every effort to stop these fraudulent and scam efforts, but unfortunately, because they originate from outside of Vanguard Charitable, we cannot prevent them all. If you receive communication appearing to come from Vanguard Charitable that you feel is suspicious, please disregard the communication or reach out to us at donorservice@vanguardcharitable.org or 888-383-4483.
Known scams and fraudulent activities to be cautious of:
- Grants given to individuals on behalf of Vanguard Charitable.
- Requests to deposit a check, purchase a gift card, or virtual currency, and send some portion of the money elsewhere.
- Lotteries, prizes, or sweepstakes of any kind where you are asked to pay for insurance, handling, deposits, or delivery.
- Requests for grantees to pay insurance, handling, deposits, or delivery fees for grant funds.
- Investment opportunities.
- Requests for conference or meeting fees.
- Requests to donate through a gift card or virtual currency.
- Fraudulent requests for donations through direct social media messaging.
Everyone has a role to play in philanthropic account security
Here's how to do your part
As a Vanguard Charitable donor, you have an essential role to play in philanthropic account security.
Do not share your philanthropic account information with unauthorized individuals. Only authorized persons with authorized usernames and passwords may access an online account at vanguardcharitable.org and your philanthropic account information. Please see the User Agreement for additional information.
When you use your Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account to recommend a grant, our team goes to work for you to ensure that your philanthropy is directed to a qualified nonprofit organization and not to a fraudulent one.
In addition to taking advantage of Vanguard Charitable's security features, you should also consider following these general tips and best practices for keeping your personal and financial information safe online.
Safeguard your personal computer and mobile devices
- Keep your operating systems updated.
- Install and maintain security software.
- Utilize screen lock features on your personal devices so that unauthorized individuals cannot attain access.
- Always log off vanguardcharitable.org when you are done accessing your philanthropic account. Then close the internet browser or mobile app you used to navigate to our site.
- Refrain from using public computers when possible. If you must use a public computer, verify that it has active security software and log off completely when done.
- Be careful opening attachments or clicking links in emails that ask you for personal or financial information. Check to make sure the sender’s email address is valid.
- Don’t respond to emails asking for your Social Security number, philanthropic account numbers, passwords, or security questions and answers; Vanguard Charitable will not request this information through email.
Create strong passwords
Your Vanguard charitable philanthropic account password should be reasonably complex and at least eight characters long. Please update your password periodically and make sure it's not the same password you use to access other websites.
Secure your password and answers to security questions. Don’t leave these credentials where others might find them, including on your personal computer or mobile device.
Watch for fraudulent activity
Review the philanthropic account-related information we send or make available to you as soon as you receive it. This material includes philanthropic account statements, confirmations, changes to your mail preferences (such as an address change), and other services.
Vanguard Charitable sends confirmation letters or emails when changes occur on your philanthropic account. If you see a change or transaction you didn't authorize, or you suspect fraud for any reason, call us immediately at 888-383-4483.
Don’t respond to "phishing" emails
Beware of fraudulent ("phishing") emails. These may appear to come from a known sender and may include an urgent request for you to click a link or update personal information. Always scrutinize a message carefully before you open any links.
Keep your contact information up to date
We will attempt to contact you quickly in the event we see suspicious activity on your philanthropic account. To update your contact information, log in to your secure online philanthropic account, click on My Profile, and click on the pencil icon to edit your information.
Public Wi-Fi networks
When possible, do not use public wi-fi networks or unverified hotspots. These networks are much more vulnerable than secured, private networks. Public and unverified networks may contain malicious software that can attain your security credentials when you go online.
Reporting Fraud
Report any unauthorized activity on your philanthropic account to us immediately. If you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe and contact us. We can examine the suspicious activity and help you determine whether it came from an authorized user.
If you've been a victim of fraud or identity theft within the past year, please let us know so that we can take any necessary steps to protect your philanthropic account. We will walk you through verifying your identity and work with you to resolve any issues. If you expect fraud, we can put a hold on your philanthropic account to give you peace of mind. Due to the nuanced nature of these matters, we handle each on a case-by-case basis.
FBI's common scams
The FBI maintains a valuable resource that will help you stay current when it comes to online security. They provide examples of internet scams so that you are prepared to recognize fraudulent activity that may jeopardize your safety and that of your personal information.
Visit the FBI’s website.
Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website has information about identity theft, helpful tips to protect yourself, and updated information on the latest scams.
Visit the FTC website.
For Nonprofits
In addition to fraudulent efforts affecting donors, we have seen a rise in fraudulent attempts against nonprofits.
If you doubt the authenticity of any correspondence claiming to originate from Vanguard Charitable, please call us at 888-383-4483.
Nonprofits should be aware of instances of fraudulent correspondence, including, but not limited to, email, social media sites, postal mail, fax, and telephone.
Possible fraudulent activity may include:
- Approaching individuals in-person and offering grant opportunities.
- Sending out checks or grant payments to individuals and asking for money back.
- Requesting administrative fees for awarding a grant. Our grant-making procedure can be found here.
- Hosting internet lotteries or offering prizes of any kind through email, postal mail, telephone, fax, or in person.
- Asking individuals or organizations to forward the money to charities for us.
- Sending a grant payment in the form of a gift card.
How does Vanguard Charitable use data?
For a detailed explanation of what personal data Vanguard Charitable collects and how that data is used and shared, please see our Privacy Policy. The policy applies to all individuals and organizations who communicate or otherwise interact with Vanguard Charitable and its employees, including potential donors, current donors, and those individuals authorized to access philanthropic accounts. Read more on our Privacy Policy here.
How does Vanguard Charitable secure data?
Vanguard Charitable information security is powered by a network of trusted industry security leaders, including Vanguard’s rigorous information security program.1 In addition, we utilize Vanguard’s comprehensive fraud prevention efforts and account safeguards, one of the most robust programs in place in the financial industry, to protect our donors and their advisors. The program adheres to industry best practices, leveraging state-of-the-art technology and broad-reaching online security standards.
When communicating with our donors, their advisors, or prospective donors, we utilize our secure email servers to protect your data.
In addition, we use an accredited third-party firm to complete penetration testing and application vulnerability assessments.
Vanguard Charitable also ensures rigorous physical access controls for its information systems. Security within our cloud environment starts with our core infrastructure provider who serves millions of customers globally. Our infrastructure is monitored around the clock according to the strictest security standards in the world.
Vanguard Charitable follows industry standards for software development, deployment, and management practices.
From time to time, we may email you requesting your feedback on our services and features or your perspective on charitable giving. This form of outreach won’t contain requests for sensitive information.
Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account security
Vanguardcharitable.org offers secure online access to philanthropic accounts. Our website employs numerous security features to preserve your safety, including but not limited to:
- State-of-the-art encryption technology.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) processes.
- Inactivity and “time-out” safeguards.
When you call Vanguard Charitable, we’ll confirm and verify your identity before discussing personal and financial information over the phone.
Your Vanguard Charitable account has an additional layer of security that you manage—an individual account PIN.
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method. A user is granted access to a website only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence (or factors) to prove their identity. MFA is now required for all web-registered Vanguard Charitable users.
MFA is another layer of protection to ensure your philanthropic account is secure and that only designated users can access your philanthropic account. At Vanguard Charitable, the evidence or factors we use are your ID/password combination and a code sent directly to you via email/text/voice call. You may also use an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
When you log in to your Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account from a device we don't recognize, we'll send you a unique number via email/text/voice call. When setting up the voice call or text to your phone, you can select if you want to have the code sent every time there is a login attempt to the philanthropic account, or you can opt for the device to be remembered for a period of time.
Philanthropic account access and roles
The people or entities associated with a philanthropic account have varying roles and responsibilities within the account. Your role with a philanthropic account may affect your account privileges and access to account information.
Updating roles and access on your philanthropic account can be an important way to help keep your assets safe and sound. As a philanthropic account advisor, you can nominate individuals to be interested parties and receive account access, information, and advisory privileges. Read more about philanthropic account access and roles.
Using an interested party as a trusted contact
Naming an interested party and providing them full access can be another valuable way to secure your philanthropic account. Vanguard Charitable could reach out to this interested party if we suspect that you may be a victim of financial exploitation or are unable to manage the philanthropic account.
Sharing your information with others
We will only share your philanthropic account information as expressly authorized by you or your authorized representative. Please note that permission granted by one philanthropic account advisor to share information with a designated representative of the Vanguard Group, Inc. will apply to the entire account. For additional context on when we may need to share information, please see our Privacy Policy.
If you suspect someone has gained access to your secure information
Call us immediately at 888-383-4483.
1 Although Vanguard provides certain investment management and administrative services to Vanguard Charitable pursuant to a service agreement, Vanguard Charitable is not a program or activity of Vanguard. While we are separate entities, Vanguard Charitable is strongly aligned with Vanguard’s principled investment philosophy and unwavering values, including its commitment to ethics, transparency, and at-cost investing.
Table of contents
Introduction
We at Vanguard Charitable share your concerns about the security of your philanthropic account and about maintaining the privacy of your personal information when you interact with our website and pursue your charitable giving goals.
Since our founding in 1997, Vanguard Charitable has been committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and security of our donors' personal information. When you provide personal information to Vanguard Charitable, we believe that you should be aware of our policies designed to protect the confidentiality of this information and how we use it to service your philanthropic account. Please read our Privacy Policy and User Agreement to learn more.
We have measures in place to help protect our systems and your philanthropic account when you engage in charitable giving with us online. We also implement reasonable security practices to protect your personal information within Vanguard Charitable's physical properties.
Read on for information and best practices on keeping your personal and financial information safe online and see what we’re doing to help.
Current fraud and scam efforts:
Numerous scams and fraudulent efforts are currently circulating on the internet, deliberately targeting both donors and grantees. These scams include emails, direct messages on social media, and fraudulent websites, to name a few. These efforts may try to look legitimate by including our logo, photos, links, or other information taken directly from our official website, vanguardcharitable.org, and other public sources.
Vanguard Charitable makes every effort to stop these fraudulent and scam efforts, but unfortunately, because they originate from outside of Vanguard Charitable, we cannot prevent them all. If you receive communication appearing to come from Vanguard Charitable that you feel is suspicious, please disregard the communication or reach out to us at donorservice@vanguardcharitable.org or 888-383-4483.
Known scams and fraudulent activities to be cautious of:
- Grants given to individuals on behalf of Vanguard Charitable.
- Requests to deposit a check, purchase a gift card, or virtual currency, and send some portion of the money elsewhere.
- Lotteries, prizes, or sweepstakes of any kind where you are asked to pay for insurance, handling, deposits, or delivery.
- Requests for grantees to pay insurance, handling, deposits, or delivery fees for grant funds.
- Investment opportunities.
- Requests for conference or meeting fees.
- Requests to donate through a gift card or virtual currency.
- Fraudulent requests for donations through direct social media messaging.
Everyone has a role to play in philanthropic account security
Here's how to do your part
As a Vanguard Charitable donor, you have an essential role to play in philanthropic account security.
Do not share your philanthropic account information with unauthorized individuals. Only authorized persons with authorized usernames and passwords may access an online account at vanguardcharitable.org and your philanthropic account information. Please see the User Agreement for additional information.
When you use your Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account to recommend a grant, our team goes to work for you to ensure that your philanthropy is directed to a qualified nonprofit organization and not to a fraudulent one.
In addition to taking advantage of Vanguard Charitable's security features, you should also consider following these general tips and best practices for keeping your personal and financial information safe online.
Safeguard your personal computer and mobile devices
- Keep your operating systems updated.
- Install and maintain security software.
- Utilize screen lock features on your personal devices so that unauthorized individuals cannot attain access.
- Always log off vanguardcharitable.org when you are done accessing your philanthropic account. Then close the internet browser or mobile app you used to navigate to our site.
- Refrain from using public computers when possible. If you must use a public computer, verify that it has active security software and log off completely when done.
- Be careful opening attachments or clicking links in emails that ask you for personal or financial information. Check to make sure the sender’s email address is valid.
- Don’t respond to emails asking for your Social Security number, philanthropic account numbers, passwords, or security questions and answers; Vanguard Charitable will not request this information through email.
Create strong passwords
Your Vanguard charitable philanthropic account password should be reasonably complex and at least eight characters long. Please update your password periodically and make sure it's not the same password you use to access other websites.
Secure your password and answers to security questions. Don’t leave these credentials where others might find them, including on your personal computer or mobile device.
Watch for fraudulent activity
Review the philanthropic account-related information we send or make available to you as soon as you receive it. This material includes philanthropic account statements, confirmations, changes to your mail preferences (such as an address change), and other services.
Vanguard Charitable sends confirmation letters or emails when changes occur on your philanthropic account. If you see a change or transaction you didn't authorize, or you suspect fraud for any reason, call us immediately at 888-383-4483.
Don’t respond to "phishing" emails
Beware of fraudulent ("phishing") emails. These may appear to come from a known sender and may include an urgent request for you to click a link or update personal information. Always scrutinize a message carefully before you open any links.
Keep your contact information up to date
We will attempt to contact you quickly in the event we see suspicious activity on your philanthropic account. To update your contact information, log in to your secure online philanthropic account, click on My Profile, and click on the pencil icon to edit your information.
Public Wi-Fi networks
When possible, do not use public wi-fi networks or unverified hotspots. These networks are much more vulnerable than secured, private networks. Public and unverified networks may contain malicious software that can attain your security credentials when you go online.
Reporting Fraud
Report any unauthorized activity on your philanthropic account to us immediately. If you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe and contact us. We can examine the suspicious activity and help you determine whether it came from an authorized user.
If you've been a victim of fraud or identity theft within the past year, please let us know so that we can take any necessary steps to protect your philanthropic account. We will walk you through verifying your identity and work with you to resolve any issues. If you expect fraud, we can put a hold on your philanthropic account to give you peace of mind. Due to the nuanced nature of these matters, we handle each on a case-by-case basis.
FBI's common scams
The FBI maintains a valuable resource that will help you stay current when it comes to online security. They provide examples of internet scams so that you are prepared to recognize fraudulent activity that may jeopardize your safety and that of your personal information.
Visit the FBI’s website.
Identity Theft
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website has information about identity theft, helpful tips to protect yourself, and updated information on the latest scams.
Visit the FTC website.
For Nonprofits
In addition to fraudulent efforts affecting donors, we have seen a rise in fraudulent attempts against nonprofits.
If you doubt the authenticity of any correspondence claiming to originate from Vanguard Charitable, please call us at 888-383-4483.
Nonprofits should be aware of instances of fraudulent correspondence, including, but not limited to, email, social media sites, postal mail, fax, and telephone.
Possible fraudulent activity may include:
- Approaching individuals in-person and offering grant opportunities.
- Sending out checks or grant payments to individuals and asking for money back.
- Requesting administrative fees for awarding a grant. Our grant-making procedure can be found here.
- Hosting internet lotteries or offering prizes of any kind through email, postal mail, telephone, fax, or in person.
- Asking individuals or organizations to forward the money to charities for us.
- Sending a grant payment in the form of a gift card.
How does Vanguard Charitable use data?
For a detailed explanation of what personal data Vanguard Charitable collects and how that data is used and shared, please see our Privacy Policy. The policy applies to all individuals and organizations who communicate or otherwise interact with Vanguard Charitable and its employees, including potential donors, current donors, and those individuals authorized to access philanthropic accounts. Read more on our Privacy Policy here.
How does Vanguard Charitable secure data?
Vanguard Charitable information security is powered by a network of trusted industry security leaders, including Vanguard’s rigorous information security program.1 In addition, we utilize Vanguard’s comprehensive fraud prevention efforts and account safeguards, one of the most robust programs in place in the financial industry, to protect our donors and their advisors. The program adheres to industry best practices, leveraging state-of-the-art technology and broad-reaching online security standards.
When communicating with our donors, their advisors, or prospective donors, we utilize our secure email servers to protect your data.
In addition, we use an accredited third-party firm to complete penetration testing and application vulnerability assessments.
Vanguard Charitable also ensures rigorous physical access controls for its information systems. Security within our cloud environment starts with our core infrastructure provider who serves millions of customers globally. Our infrastructure is monitored around the clock according to the strictest security standards in the world.
Vanguard Charitable follows industry standards for software development, deployment, and management practices.
From time to time, we may email you requesting your feedback on our services and features or your perspective on charitable giving. This form of outreach won’t contain requests for sensitive information.
Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account security
Vanguardcharitable.org offers secure online access to philanthropic accounts. Our website employs numerous security features to preserve your safety, including but not limited to:
- State-of-the-art encryption technology.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) processes.
- Inactivity and “time-out” safeguards.
When you call Vanguard Charitable, we’ll confirm and verify your identity before discussing personal and financial information over the phone.
Your Vanguard Charitable account has an additional layer of security that you manage—an individual account PIN.
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method. A user is granted access to a website only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence (or factors) to prove their identity. MFA is now required for all web-registered Vanguard Charitable users.
MFA is another layer of protection to ensure your philanthropic account is secure and that only designated users can access your philanthropic account. At Vanguard Charitable, the evidence or factors we use are your ID/password combination and a code sent directly to you via email/text/voice call. You may also use an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.
When you log in to your Vanguard Charitable philanthropic account from a device we don't recognize, we'll send you a unique number via email/text/voice call. When setting up the voice call or text to your phone, you can select if you want to have the code sent every time there is a login attempt to the philanthropic account, or you can opt for the device to be remembered for a period of time.
Philanthropic account access and roles
The people or entities associated with a philanthropic account have varying roles and responsibilities within the account. Your role with a philanthropic account may affect your account privileges and access to account information.
Updating roles and access on your philanthropic account can be an important way to help keep your assets safe and sound. As a philanthropic account advisor, you can nominate individuals to be interested parties and receive account access, information, and advisory privileges. Read more about philanthropic account access and roles.
Using an interested party as a trusted contact
Naming an interested party and providing them full access can be another valuable way to secure your philanthropic account. Vanguard Charitable could reach out to this interested party if we suspect that you may be a victim of financial exploitation or are unable to manage the philanthropic account.
Sharing your information with others
We will only share your philanthropic account information as expressly authorized by you or your authorized representative. Please note that permission granted by one philanthropic account advisor to share information with a designated representative of the Vanguard Group, Inc. will apply to the entire account. For additional context on when we may need to share information, please see our Privacy Policy.
If you suspect someone has gained access to your secure information
Call us immediately at 888-383-4483.