> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.givechariot.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.givechariot.com/account-management/chariot-mcp-server.md).
# Chariot MCP Server
The Chariot MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector that enables AI assistants like Claude to help you research nonprofits and charitable organizations. With access to Chariot's database of verified nonprofits, you can look up EINs, financials, DAF eligibility, IRS status, leadership, and more — all through natural conversation.
***
### Intended purpose
This MCP server is designed to help nonprofit teams manage their donation operations directly from Claude by:
1. **Tracking donations** — Look up, create, edit, merge, and analyze donation records
2. **Reconciling deposits** — Review deposits and match them against incoming donations
3. **Processing mail** — Manage checks and other mail items received through your lockbox
4. **Managing policies & properties** — Configure the custom fields and gift-acceptance policies that power your donation pipeline
5. **Reporting & exports** — Pull ledger transactions, invoices, and exportable data for your finance team
The connector is built for nonprofit staff and finance teams who use Chariot's Gift Processing platform.
***
### How to use the connector
To connect Chariot, you'll need a paid Chariot Gift Processing plan. When you first use the connector, Claude will prompt you to sign in with your Chariot credentials via OAuth. Once authorized, Claude can read and manage data scoped to your organization's account.
Learn about finding and connecting tools in Claude.
***
### Basic examples
| Category | Example #1 | Example #2 |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Find & Analyze Donations** | "How much did we raise last month?" | "Show me all donations over $5,000 received this quarter." |
| **Create & Edit Donations** | "Log a $250 check donation from Jane Smith dated yesterday." | "Update the designation on this donation to our Annual Fund." |
| **Reconcile Deposits** | "Which donations are in our latest bank deposit?" | "Reconcile the deposit from June 28." |
| **Process Checks Received By Mail** | "Show me the unread checks in our lockbox mail." | "Resolve the mail item for the check from the Smith Foundation." |
| **Manage Custom Properties & Policies** | "Create a 'Campaign' property on donations with options Spring and Year-End." | "List our donation policies and show me our gift-acceptance policy." |
| **Export Donations For Reporting** | "Export all Q2 donations and give me the download link." | -- |
| **Look Up Your Organization & Billing** | "What features and funding accounts does our org have?" | "Show me our most recent Chariot invoice." |
***
### Typical conversation flow
Here's an example of how you might use the connector:
> **You:** "Show me all unprocessed checks in our lockbox mail."
>
> **Claude:** *(Uses Chariot - list\_mail)* "Here are the unread mail items in your lockbox:
>
> 1. **Check from Smith Foundation** — $10,000, received July 18
> 2. **Check from Anonymous Donor** — $500, received July 19
> 3. **Check from Jane Doe** — $250, received July 20
>
> Would you like to resolve any of these or create donation records from them?"
>
> **You:** "Resolve the check from the Smith Foundation and log it as a donation to our Capital Campaign."
>
> **Claude:** *(Uses Chariot - create\_donation, resolve\_mail\_item)* "Done. I've created a $10,000 donation record designated to your Capital Campaign and marked the Smith Foundation mail item as resolved. Would you like to assign any custom properties to this donation?"
***
### Features & tools
#### Donation Management
Look up, create, edit, merge, restore, and analyze donation records.
Tools: `list_donations`, `get_donation`, `count_donations`, `sum_donations`, `create_donation`, `override_donation`, `delete_donation`, `undelete_donation`, `merge_donations`, `unmerge_donations`, `list_donation_activity_log`
#### Deposit Management
Review bank deposits and reconcile them against incoming donations.
Tools: `list_deposits`, `get_deposit`, `reconcile_deposit`
#### Mail Processing
Manage checks and other items received through your lockbox mail.
Tools: `list_mail`, `get_mail_item`, `mark_mail_item_read`, `report_mail_item_issue`, `resolve_mail_item`, `reject_mail_item`
#### Policies
Read and manage your organization's gift-acceptance policies and their content.
Tools: `list_policies`, `get_policy`, `update_policy_metadata`, `replace_policy_content`, `delete_policy`, `add_policy_section`, `remove_policy_section`, `update_policy_section`, `add_policy_clause`, `remove_policy_clause`, `update_policy_clause`, `list_policy_documents`
#### Custom Properties & Filter Views
Create and manage custom fields on donation records, and configure filter views.
Tools: `list_properties`, `get_property`, `search_property_options`, `create_property`, `update_property`, `delete_property`, `create_enum_option`, `bulk_create_enum_options`, `update_enum_option`, `delete_enum_option`, `assign_property`, `undo_assign_property`, `list_evaluation_field`, `list_filter_fields`, `list_filter_views`, `create_filter_view`, `update_filter_view`, `delete_filter_view`
#### Organization & Billing
Look up your organization details, payment sources, ledger transactions, and invoices.
Tools: `whoami`, `get_organization`, `list_organizations`, `list_payment_sources`, `create_payment_source`, `list_ledger_transactions`, `get_ledger_transaction`, `list_invoices`, `get_invoice`, `get_dafpay_components`
#### Exports
Create and download data exports for reporting.
Tools: `create_export`, `get_export`, `get_export_download_url`
***
### Privacy & security
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
#### **Data collection**
* The connector does not collect or store any personal data about users.
* Search queries are processed to return results but are not stored or associated with individual users.
* We do not collect PII, browsing history outside the current conversation, or saved searches.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### **Data usage**
* All information returned is sourced from Chariot's nonprofit database, which is built on publicly available government filings (including IRS Form 990 data).
* No sensitive user data is transmitted or stored.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### **Security**
* All connections use HTTPS encryption.
* No sensitive data is transmitted or stored.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
***
### Troubleshooting
"I'm being asked to sign in every time"
* This may occur if your OAuth session has expired. Sign in again to re-authorize Claude.
* Check that your browser allows cookies and popups for [Claude.ai](http://Claude.ai), as these are required for OAuth.
"Claude can't find my donations"
* Make sure you're signed in with the correct Chariot account and organization.
* If your organization uses both a sandbox and production environment, confirm which environment Claude is connected to.
"Permission denied" or "Unauthorized" errors"
* Your Chariot account may not have the permissions required for the action you're requesting. Check your role and permissions in the Chariot dashboard.
* Try disconnecting and reconnecting the Chariot connector in Claude.
"Donation was created with incorrect data"
* You can ask Claude to correct it: "Update the donation I just created — change the amount to $500."
* Alternatively, log into your Chariot dashboard to make edits directly.
"Connector not working"
* Verify the connector is properly configured in Claude.
* If using Claude Desktop, restart the application and check for updates.
* Look for error messages in Claude's MCP status indicator.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Still having issues?** If you encounter problems not covered here: \[1] Check Claude's MCP status — look for error indicators in the interface, \[2] Try disconnecting and reconnecting the Chariot connector, \[3] Update Claude Desktop — make sure you're on the latest version, \[4] Contact Support — reach out to Chariot at with the subject line "Chariot MCP Support"
{% endhint %}
***
### Technical details
**MCP Information**
* Model Context Protocol (JSON-RPC)
* Server Type: HTTP-based remote MCP server
* Transport: Streamable HTTP (stateless mode)
* Response Format: JSON
* Authentication: OAuth 2.0 (sign in with your Chariot account)
**Read & Write Capabilities**
This connector supports both read and write operations. Tools that create, edit, delete, or reconcile data are labeled with destructiveHint; read-only tools are labeled with readOnlyHint.
***
### Frequently asked questions
Is this connector free to use?
The connector itself is free to use within Claude, but it requires an active Chariot Gift Processing subscription.
Do I need a Chariot account to use this connector?
Yes. This connector requires an active Chariot account with a paid subscription. Users connect by signing in with their existing Chariot credentials via OAuth.
Can Claude create or delete donations in my Chariot account?
Yes — Claude can create, edit, merge, and delete donations on your behalf. You'll always be in control: Claude acts on your explicit instructions and confirms what it's doing before making changes.
What happens if I make a mistake?
Most donation actions are reversible. You can ask Claude to undo changes, or use the Chariot dashboard to make corrections. Deleted donations can also be restored using the restore function.
Can I use this in the Chariot sandbox environment?
Yes. If you have a Chariot sandbox account, you can connect to the sandbox server at to test without affecting your production data.
Which Chariot products does this connector support?
This connector is built for Chariot's Gift Processing platform. It also surfaces DAFpay components for organizations using Chariot's DAFpay product.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Need help or have feedback?** Email , send suggestions anytime, or report issues with a brief description, steps to reproduce, and any error messages.
{% endhint %}
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://help.givechariot.com/account-management/chariot-mcp-server.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.