Article: How and When Will a Charity Receive my Donation? U.S. & International Donations

Donation Disbursement – Timing and Processing

Groundswell processes all donations through trusted distribution partners to ensure funds are delivered quickly, securely, and with full transparency. For U.S.-based charities, Groundswell partners with Chariot for domestic distribution. For grants to international charities, Groundswell partners with CAF America.

Each donation is delivered with the donor’s name (unless they choose to give anonymously or it was a donation made to an international organization) and includes any donation notes the donor provides.

1. U.S. Donation Disbursement via Chariot

Electronic Deposits to Chariot Account (Primary Method)

Starting on November 26, 2025, donations to U.S.-based charities made through Groundswell are delivered through Chariot. With Chariot, charities can use one central portal across Payers to receive funds and grant details uniformly. Once a charity has created and verified its Chariot account, Groundswell will deposit donations directly into that account. If a charity does not have a Chariot account, a paper check will be sent (see below).

Timing:

Groundswell processes donations within 48 hours of the donation date
Funds are deposited into the charity’s Chariot account
The charity can then withdraw funds to its bank account whenever it prefers

Charities Receive:

Donor name (unless they choose to remain anonymous)
Donation amount
Any donation notes included with the donation
Full visibility to all their donations inside the Chariot Dashboard, including payouts, transaction history, and monthly statements

Please note: If a nonprofit does not already have a Chariot account, Chariot may invite them to create one so the donation can be delivered electronically. Nonprofits are given 4 business days to create an account before a paper check is automatically issued.

Paper Checks (When a Chariot Account Is Not Available)

Groundswell submits donations to Chariot within 24–48 hours of the donation date for distribution. As part of the distribution process, Chariot may invite the nonprofit to create an account, which allows donations to be delivered electronically and more quickly.

If the nonprofit does not create a Chariot account or respond within 4 business days, Groundswell will automatically issue a paper check.

Paper checks may also be issued when:

A charity has not completed Chariot's verification process
A temporary payout or verification issue prevents deposit into a Chariot account

Timing

Donations are submitted to Chariot within 24–48 hours of the donation date
Nonprofits have 4 business days to create an account or respond
If no account is created, a paper check is issued after the waiting period
Checks are mailed to the charity's IRS-listed address or the updated address on record
USPS delivery typically takes 5–20 business days

Checks include donor information (unless the donor has chosen to remain anonymous) and any donation notes provided at the time of giving.

2. International Donation Disbursement via CAF America

Groundswell partners with CAF America to distribute grants to international charities safely, and compliantly.

Here’s how the process works:

Submitting Grants to CAF America

Groundswell sends CAF America a list of all grants to international charities every two weeks, along with a corresponding wire transfer.

CAF America’s Payment Cycle & Review

Once CAF America receives the grant list and funding wire:

Grants are added to their weekly payment cycle, which closes every Thursday.
CAF America’s finance team then performs a compliance and eligibility review.

How International Funds Are Sent

Depending on the charity’s country and eligibility:

Funds may be sent directly to the charity (via direct wire or check); or
Funds are routed through one of CAF’s expedited international partners, such as:
- CAF Ireland
- CAF UK
- Good2Give (Australia)
- Other regional CAF partners
Partners generally disburse funds within 14–20 business days.

If No Regional Partner is Available

CAF America will contact the charity directly to confirm:

The correct mailing address
Preferred banking details
The safest and most compliant transfer method

3. Understanding Match Timing

If your employer offers a donation match, the timing of the match disbursement may differ from the original donation

Some companies process matches instantly
Others process matches on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly schedule

Match timing follows your company’s specific giving program configuration.

Note: Offline match requests must first be reviewed by someone at Groundswell before the match is disbursed. Once the offline match is approved, the match will follow the match timing outlined above.

For questions about your company’s match timing, please contact your Groundswell Program Administrator.