Chariot GTM brain

Chariot helps nonprofits, fundraising platforms and grantmakers receive, process and disburse donor-advised fund gifts.

category

Donor-advised fund payment infrastructure

market profile

  • text: DAF donations span donors, nonprofits, fundraising platforms and grantmakers, creating fragmented payment and gift data workflows.
  • text: Distribution includes fundraising platform integrations alongside direct nonprofit relationships.

personas

  • title: VP of Advancement
    pains:
    • Donors cannot easily initiate a DAF gift from the donation form
    • Fundraisers lack timely donor details for stewardship
  • title: Director of Gift Processing
    pains:
    • Paper checks and grant letters require manual matching and coding
    • Gift data must be exported to CRM and accounting systems
  • title: DAF provider operations leader
    pains:
    • Grant payment workflows are fragmented
    • Nonprofits need secure and timely payments

icp

  • text: US nonprofits accepting DAF grants, from small eligible organizations to large advancement teams.
  • text: Fundraising software platforms and DAF grantmakers that can embed or connect payment infrastructure.

message pillars

  • text: Make DAF giving easier for donors and nonprofits.
  • text: Give gift processors a unified workflow.
  • text: Modernize the movement of grants.

objections

  • objection: How much will DAFpay cost our nonprofit?
    response: Basic account access has no cost, while partner DAFpay donations generally carry a 2.9% fee; check partner-specific terms.
  • objection: Will it work with our existing donation form?
    response: Review the supported fundraising platform list; custom forms can use paid components.
  • objection: Will gift records reach our existing systems?
    response: Assess export templates and workflows against the organization's CRM and accounting requirements.

competitors

  • name: DAF Direct
    website: https://www.dafdirect.org/popups/DAF-Direct-User-Guide.pdf
    why: Alternative DAF grant recommendation widget for charity websites.
  • name: Every.org
    website: https://www.every.org/daf-donations
    why: Alternative donation platform and DAF giving flow, including manual instructions.

influencers

  • name: Mitch Stein
    url: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/payout-problem-holding-philanthropy-back-we-can-solve-mitch-stein-bbmue
    why: Chariot's head of strategy writes about DAF payout infrastructure.

keywords

  • DAF donation button
  • donor advised fund payment processing
  • DAF gift reconciliation
  • nonprofit gift processing software
  • accept DAF donations
  • grant disbursement platform

voice

  • Mission-driven
  • Clear and educational
  • Operationally practical

signals

  • text: Nonprofit is adding a DAF option to its online giving form or planning a DAF campaign.
  • text: Gift operations team is digitizing paper checks or reconciling multiple grant sources.

stack

  • Givebutter
  • FundraiseUp
  • GiveCampus

hiring

  • Backend Engineer

pricing

model: usage
starting price: Free account; generally 2.9% per facilitated donation

motion

hybrid

channels

  • Fundraising platform partnerships
  • Webinars
  • Research reports
  • Website
  • LinkedIn

confidence

high

Founders

  • name: Salomon Serfati
    title: Founder
    role: Founder
    bio: Salo is the CEO of Chariot. Before Chariot, Salo was a backend engineer at BlackRock and a founding engineer at Forage (YCS21). Salo graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in computer science. Salo was a President Innovation Prize finalist and at the age of 18 co-built a roommate app with 5,000+ users in 2 months with 0 CAC, 5 interns & 50+ brand ambassadors. Salo was born in Caracas, Venezuela.
  • name: Aaron Kahane
    title: Founder
    role: Founder
    bio: Aaron is the COO of Chariot. Before Chariot, he was a consultant at Bain & Company. At Bain, he worked for a $100B+ hedge fund looking at public equities in the tech/telecom space. Aaron graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania, receiving the highest distinction in his major. He also worked with Adam Grant on his NYTimes’ best-selling book Think Again and Angela Duckworth on her book Situated.
  • name: Drew Schneider
    title: Founder
    role: Founder
    bio: Drew is the Chief Product Officer of Chariot. Before Chariot, he was a consultant at Bain & Company. At Bain, he ran due diligence on software systems for top healthcare providers. Drew graduated Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College with a degree in Human-Centered Design. He has an extensive background in UI/UX and the design workflow process.

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