This article explains the donation disbursement process to charities on our platform. We disburse donations to U.S. charities using our Disbursement Engine. We are partnered with CanadaHelps and GlobalGiving for international charities to facilitate disbursements outside of the U.S.
How the Disbursement Engine Works (for U.S.-Based Charities):
When you donate to a U.S. charity, your funds follow this timeline:
- The donor makes a donation, the donation is entered into the Disbursement Engine’s processing queue within 24 hours.
- For your protection and to ensure accurate processing, all donations enter a mandatory 7-day cooling period. During this time, adjustments or cancellations can be made if needed (e.g., void or change amount).
- After the cooling period, the donation begins the final disbursement process. The delivery method depends on how the charity has chosen to receive funds:
- For charities enrolled in electronic payments (ACH): Funds are sent through our secure payment processor and typically reach the charity within 7-9 business days.
- For charities receiving paper checks: If the charity has not signed up for E-Pay, a check is processed through our check fulfillment service, typically reaching the charity via USPS delivery to the charity's mailbox within 7-9 business days.
Disbursements via CanadaHelps and GlobalGiving (for International Charities):
The Disbursement Engine is integrated with key global organizations to expand our network of philanthropic partners to offer international giving. CanadaHelps manages disbursements for Canadian charities, while GlobalGiving handles donations to charities in other countries outside the U.S. and Canada.
International donations are processed monthly, and funds are transferred to these partners in the first week of each month for the previous month's donations. Our partners then convert the funds to local currency and manage the final disbursement to charities. These partners are chosen for their vast reach and ability to process tax-eligible donations for U.S. citizens.
Note: GlobalGiving requires a $250 minimum threshold before processing disbursements, and both partners manage their own processing fees and delivery timelines according to regional requirements.
Tracking Your Charitable Impact
You can easily monitor and track your giving activity and impact through your Charitable Investment Account. From the Home page, navigate to Transactions in the left navigation panel. This page provides insights into your giving activity:
- The number of nonprofits supported
- Number of grants made
- The total dollars granted
- A breakdown of supported causes
- Your complete transaction history