DAFpay by Chariot - US DAF aggregator

DAFpay by Chariot - US DAF aggregator

All US-registered 501c3 nonprofits can use our Chariot integration to give their donors the option to donate to their campaign (and soon to their donate page) from any of over 1,000 donor advised funds (DAFs). These include DAFs common in the Jewish community (eg Donors Fund and OJC, both of which we are also directly integrated with, and the Jewish Communal Fund), but also many general ones, large (eg Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable) and small. Chariot continues to add more DAFs.

What are DAFs?

Donor Advised Funds allow donors to assign their charitable funds to the DAF, and then distribute those funds as they choose to different non-profits, which receive their donations directly from the DAF. For the donor, this simplifies the tax receipt process, and can increase the value of their donations over the longer term. For registered nonprofits, DAFs make it easier for donors to transfer them larger sums that have already been designated for charitable giving. Generally DAF donations are several times the value of credit card donations.

The benefit of Chariot

Since there are many many DAFs that donors works with, that currently hold approximately $230 Billion awaiting distribution, co-ordinating online integration with each one would be an impossible task for most non-profits. Chariot provides a simple single integration for platforms (including CauseMatch) and websites, allowing donors to securely donate to your campaign or donate page without clicking away.

Using Chariot on your CauseMatch campaign

You do not have to pre-register with Chariot to have the integration on your campaign page or advanced donate page. As long as your organisation is registered with the IRS under 501c3, OR you are using a USD fiscal sponsor who agrees to use Chariot on your behalf, your campaign page can be connected to Chariot very simply as an additional US gateway, simply using your organisation's registered EIN, and providing a contact email and name within your organisation. This should be someone from your finance, development or administrative team, who will be able to co-ordinate the receipt of funds from DAFs.

It is recommended to sign up for a Chariot account to receive payouts quicker. After connecting your CauseMatch account to Chariot, you will receive an email from Chariot asking you to claim your account. If you don't claim your account with Chariot, the funds will be mailed to you via check after 60 days, whereas if you do claim your account, you will have accesss to the funds electronically that week.

For organisations which are not already registered with Chariot, they charge 2.9% fee on these donations. Registered organisations will be charged within their existing fee structure.

Setting up DAFpay on your campaign/account

The admin user on your CauseMatch dashboard can set up Chariot on your account, and then this can be attached to your campaigns. (If you should be the admin user, please ask your CSM or the dashboard chat to upgrade you.) 
  1. Navigate to the Account section in the dashboard and click the pencil icon to edit your account



  2. Click on Add Gateway



  3. Choose US DAFs and click on Chariot



  4. Fill in the fields, and click on Connect with Chariot. (Please note: the EIN must be without punctuation or spaces.)



  5. Wait for the confirmation from Chariot, and click Save on the page.

  6. If Chariot does not have the EIN on file, please double-check the details match the IRS details for your 501c3 organization, and make sure that your organization's Guidestar page is fully up to date, then try again after a working day. If it still doesn't go through, please ask your CSM to reach out to Chariot. 

Making a campaign donation via Chariot

On the donate page, the donor sees various options, including one for Donor Advised Fund.

Once they click on this, and fill in the information you need about your donors, they click on the Donor Advised Fund button at the bottom.

This will open up a separate window with a list of DAFs.

Once they choose their DAF, the donor will be asked to log in to the DAF to complete the donation.


Once the transaction is completed within Chariot, they will return to the CauseMatch Thank You Screen, and be able to see their donation on the page as normal. They will receive a Thank You notification email from CauseMatch, confirming their donation. Please note that this is not a tax receipt, since they will have previously received that from their DAF.

Refunds and donation corrections

If the donor needs a change in the display information on the campaign page (the display name, comment, ambassador, etc) you may be able to make this change directly, or our technical support team will be happy to assist via the donation edit form and/or the CauseMatch dashboard chat.

If there is a mistake in the actual donation and the donor wants a refund, they should be in touch with their DAF directly as soon as possible to make the correction. Once the DAF has already sent the donation to the organisation, refunds cannot be made by Chariot or the DAF. Since the funds have been signed over to the DAF by the donor, completed transfers to organisations are generally non-revokeable. In most cases, this should have been made clear to donors when they signed up with their DAF.

Receiving DAF donations

As a new/unregistered Chariot user, you will receive your DAF donations directly from the DAF in the form of checks. Each DAF has its own accounting process, but there's a general timing for each one. If you wish you can sign up to receive these donations as bank deposits via Chariot.

Claiming Your Chariot Account (Onboarding Checklist)

The following information is required for organizations to claim and verify their Chariot account. This checklist is provided by Chariot for onboarding and verification purposes.

For All Organizations (Required Regardless of Type)

Every organization will need to provide the following basic information about the entity:
  1. Legal business name (and DBA name, if applicable)
  2. Registered business address (must be a physical street address, not a PO Box)
  3. Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  4. Legal entity type
  5. Description of the organization's activities
  6. Website (if available)
  7. Phone number
  8. State and year of incorporation (if applicable)

Control Person Requirements

The person completing the onboarding (the “control person”) must be someone with significant authority to manage or direct the organization. This is typically a C-suite executive, President, or similar role, often listed on the organization’s IRS Form 990.

For that individual, the following personal information is required:
  1. Full legal name
  2. Title/position at the organization
  3. Date of birth
  4. Personal permanent street address (not a PO Box)
  5. Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for U.S. citizens/residents
In some cases, depending on how verification goes, the control person may also be asked to submit:
  1. A government-issued photo ID (must be current and valid)
  2. A live selfie

For Organizations Listed in Chariot's Database (Standard Path)

If the organization appears in the IRS database, the process is largely automated.
The main source of friction tends to be around the control person. If the person onboarding is not listed on the organization’s Form 990 or does not match public records, Chariot may request additional documentation to confirm their authority, such as:
  1. Articles of Incorporation or bylaws
  2. Board resolution or authorized signatory list
  3. Employment offer letter or other official document confirming their role
If there are any risk signals during identity verification (address mismatches, SSN issues, etc.), additional documents like a utility bill, SSN card, or recent W-2 may also be requested.

For Organizations NOT Listed in Chariot's Database

Organizations that are not yet in Chariot’s system need to go through an additional verification process. The specific documents depend on the organization type:

Independent Religious Organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques, etc., with their own tax-exempt status)
  1. Bylaws, articles of incorporation, or similar governance documents
  2. IRS EIN issuance or verification letter
  3. Bank statement
  4. Proof of the control person's status
  5. If not registered with the Secretary of State, at least one of: property records, utility bills or lease agreements showing physical presence, or a state tax exemption certificate
Religious Organizations Operating Under a Parent Group Exemption (e.g., a diocese or subordinate church)
  1. IRS EIN issuance or verification letter
  2. Evidence that the organization is listed as a subordinate in the parent organization's official directory (must be dated within the last 12 months)
  3. Proof of the control person's status
Newly Registered Nonprofits (recently received IRS tax-exempt status but not yet in the EOBMF)
  1. IRS EIN issuance or verification letter
  2. IRS Determination Letter (must have been issued within the past 6 months)
  3. Proof of the control person's status
Government Entities and Other Unlisted Organizations
  1. Bylaws, articles of incorporation, or similar governance documents
  2. IRS EIN issuance or verification letter
  3. Bank statement
  4. Proof of the control person's status
  5. For governmental units specifically: documentation verifying governmental unit status, typically in the form of an IRS letter

A Few Things to Flag for Organizations

  1. The physical address requirement is firm. If an organization does not have a business address, the control person’s personal address can be used instead
  2. Any photo ID submitted must be valid and unexpired. An expired ID can delay or block onboarding
  3. The control person’s name entered during onboarding should match exactly what appears on their government-issued ID
  4. Some higher-risk organizations (e.g., those sending more than 10% of funds to high-risk geographies, or those with limited public information) may be asked follow-up questions by the compliance team before approval is granted