Registering for your Chariot account only takes a few minutes and is completely free to do. Even if you don't have DAFpay enabled on your site's donation forms, creating your free account will allow you to see any gifts made with DAFpay through crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, Pledge, Givebutter, etc.
In this article, we'll walk you through:
How to sign up and create a free Chariot account
Managing your fundraising platform integrations
Selecting a subscription plan (optional)
Managing donations in your Chariot dashboard
How to sign up and create a free account
Step 1: Register with your email and create a password. Get started here.
Make sure to register with your organization's work email (i.e., example@redcross.org) to streamline the onboarding process. Registration with a non-work email can result in verification delays.
Step 2: Verify your email address
Check your inbox and click the link in the verification email. If you don't see the email after several minutes, make sure to check your spam folder.
Step 3: Build your nonprofit profile
To build your nonprofit profile, please provide your name, contact details, and search for the nonprofit organization that you would like to register with.
When you click "Next", Chariot will automatically verify that the email address you used to create your account matches the web domain we have on file for the organization.
Note: If you cannot find your nonprofit organization listed on our system, this is likely because your nonprofit record is not listed on the GuideStar database. To proceed, you’ll need an up-to-date GuideStar profile. Read more about claiming your GuideStar profile here.
Step 4: Finish setting up your account
User Verification: If the email address you used to register does not match the web domain we have on file for the organization, you will see the following Notice banner in your dashboard.
Please wait 1-3 days for your profile to be approved by our accounts team or create a new account with a work email associated with listed domain.
Once your account has been verified by our team, you should be all set! Continue reading to learn how to enable DAFpay on your site's donation forms, either via an integration with your fundraising platform or a direct subscription plan.
Managing your Fundraising Platform integrations
If your nonprofit is using one of our integration partners to power your site's donation forms, you can embed DAFpay for no upfront cost. Each platform has a unique process for enabling DAFpay as a payment method, so be sure to check with your fundraising platform directly or our website's FAQ section for specific instructions.
Once DAFpay has been activated on your site, there is a 2.9% processing fee per gift, which can be paid by the nonprofit or covered by the donor, depending on the platform & nonprofit preferences.
To see where your organization has an active DAFpay button, go to the 'Integrations' tab in your Chariot dashboard.
Selecting a subscription plan
If you are not using one of our integrated fundraising platform partners to power your site's donation forms, our subscription plans start at $450/month and include the following:
0% Processing Fees - Get all of your DAFpay gifts up to your plan's volume limit with no additional processing fees. Processing fees would only kick in for any volume processed above your account limit.
DAFpay Components - Access our array of no-code, copy & paste DAFpay tools that enable your DAF donors to give across all touch points. See our guide on how nonprofits use DAFpay components for more information.
Additional Support - Access hands-on support and strategic advisory services that are designed to help nonprofits increase the size and frequency of their DAF gifts while reducing friction for donors and staff.
Managing your donations
When your organization receives a donation via DAFpay - including via crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, Pledge, Givebutter, etc. - you will receive an email notification from Chariot or your fundraising platform provider.
Your organization will receive all DAFpay gifts from each DAF provider directly as they typically arrive.
Grant Status: All DAFpay grants from integrated providers will be marked with the 'Initiated' status, indicating that a grant was successfully submitted, but the DAF provider is still processing the gift.
Tracking ID: Initiated grants will arrive with a Tracking ID that you can use to tie the transaction line item to the funds received from the provider. Once the funds arrives you can mark the grant as complete on your dashboard.
Grant Letter: Grants initiated via DAFpay will arrive via check or EFT directly from the DAF provider. Look for the "Tracking ID" and "Gift through DAFpay" message in the grant note to indicate this is a gift you should mark as completed in your dashboard.
Edit Status: Use the Tracking ID from the grant note to search for the specific grant in your dashboard. Once you find the grant, click "Edit" next to the status category to mark the grant as completed.
Unknown Status: Grants marked with the 'Unknown' status represent a donation intent from a provider that DAFpay is not yet integrated with. See: Understanding gift intent and unknown status
To make a donation intent via DAFpay, a donor simply provides their intended gift amount and contact information. DAFpay then redirects the donor to the selected provider's portal with instructions on how to complete the gift.
Note: Because DAFpay is not yet fully compatible with the selected provider, we cannot confirm the status of the gift. To confirm that a donation intent was actually submitted, wait a few weeks or contact the donor directly or use the provided Tracking ID.
Once you have confirmed the status of an unintegrated gift, you can edit the status directly in the specific transaction details.