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 support informed charitable giving and nonprofit due diligence by:
Discovery — Helping you find and identify nonprofits by name or EIN
Research — Providing comprehensive details about organizations' financials, leadership, and eligibility status
Verification — Confirming EINs, registered addresses, IRS status, and DAF eligibility before sending gifts or grants
The connector is useful for donors deciding where to give, grantmakers vetting recipients before disbursing funds, and anyone who needs accurate nonprofit data fast.
How to use the connector
Once connected, you can interact with Chariot through natural conversation with Claude. The connector works behind the scenes to search for and retrieve nonprofit information from Chariot's database. Learn about finding and connecting tools in Claude.
Basic examples
Nonprofit's EIN Search
"What's the EIN for the American Red Cross?"
"Can you find the tax ID for Feeding America?"
Get Registered Address
"What address does St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have on file with the IRS?"
"I need the registered mailing address for Habitat for Humanity."
Check DAF Eligibility
"Is The Nature Conservancy eligible to receive a DAF gift?"
"I want to donate from my Fidelity Charitable account to [nonprofit] — can I?"
Research Financials
"What were the total revenues and expenses for Doctors Without Borders last year?"
"Show me the revenue and expense breakdown for the ACLU Foundation."
Nonprofit Vetting
"I'm sending a grant check to [nonprofit]. Can you pull their registered address and confirm their IRS status?"
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Research Leadership
"Who are the board members and executive officers of [nonprofit]?"
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Compare Organizations
"Compare the financials of the three largest food bank nonprofits in the US."
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Typical conversation flow
Here's an example of how you might use the connector:
You: "I want to make a gift from my donor-advised fund to Ocean Conservancy. Can you confirm they're DAF eligible and pull their financials?"
Claude: (Uses Chariot - search_nonprofits) "I found Ocean Conservancy in Chariot's database. Here's what I have:
EIN: 23-7245152
DAF Eligible: Yes
IRS Status: In good standing
Would you like to see their financials or registered address as well?"
You: "Yes, show me the financials."
Claude: (Uses Chariot - get_nonprofit_details) "Here's the financial overview for Ocean Conservancy as reported in their most recent Form 990:
Total Revenue: $XX,XXX,XXX
Total Expenses: $XX,XXX,XXX
Revenue Breakdown: Contributions and grants, program services, investment income
Expense Breakdown: Program services, management and general, fundraising
Their registered address on file is [address]. Would you like anything else — their board members or registered address for mailing a check?"
Features & tools
The connector provides two main capabilities:
Tool
Nonprofit Search (search_nonprofits)
What it does
Searches Chariot's database of charitable organizations by name or EIN
How to use it
Ask Claude to find a nonprofit by name (e.g., “Find the American Cancer Society”) or EIN (e.g., “Look up EIN 13-1837418”)
Returns
Organization name and EIN; registered address (Form 990); DAF eligibility status; IRS status; foundation code
Limitations
Search is limited to name or EIN only (no keyword or cause-based search); refine the organization name if results are inaccurate
Tool
Nonprofit Details (get_nonprofit_details)
What it does
Retrieves comprehensive information about a specific organization from Chariot's database
How to use it
Ask Claude to provide details about a nonprofit by name or EIN
Returns
EIN and registered address (Form 990); DAF eligibility and foundation code eligibility; IRS status and OFAC status; board of trustees and executive officers; financials, including total revenue, total expenses, and line-item breakdown where available
Privacy & security
Troubleshooting
"No search results found"
Check the spelling of the organization's name
Try using the organization's full legal name rather than a common name or acronym
Try searching by EIN if you have it
"Cannot find details for that organization"
Make sure you're referencing an organization from your current search results
Ask Claude to search again and select from the new results
Some smaller organizations may have limited data available if they haven't filed a recent Form 990
"Financials are not available"
Not all nonprofits are required to file a Form 990 (e.g., churches and very small organizations may be exempt)
Try asking for the most recent available filing year
"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
"DAF eligibility status is unclear"
DAF eligibility indicates the organization meets IRS criteria to receive grants from donor-advised funds (typically a 501(c)(3) public charity in good standing)
If you're unsure, contact your DAF sponsor directly to confirm before sending a grant
Still having issues? Check Claude’s MCP status for errors, review your configuration, update Claude Desktop to the latest version, or contact Chariot at [email protected]
Technical details
MCP Information Protocol
Model Context Protocol (JSON-RPC)
Server Type: HTTP-based remote MCP server
Transport: Streamable HTTP (stateless mode)
Response Format: JSON
Authentication: None required
search_nonprofits
Type
Read-only, Idempotent
Input
Organization name or EIN
Output
Array of nonprofit objects
Error Codes
INVALID_INPUT, SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
get_nonprofit_details
Type
Read-only, Idempotent
Input
Nonprofit identifier or EIN
Output
Detailed nonprofit object (financials, leadership, status flags)
Error Codes
INVALID_INPUT, NONPROFIT_NOT_FOUND
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Chariot account to use this connector?
No, you don't need a Chariot account or subscription to use this connector.
How often is the nonprofit database updated?
Chariot's database is built on IRS Form 990 data and is updated on a regular basis as new filings become available.
What is DAF eligibility?
DAF eligibility means the nonprofit is recognized by the IRS as a public charity (typically a 501(c)(3)) and is approved to receive grants from donor-advised funds. If a nonprofit is DAF eligible, your DAF sponsor (e.g., Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable) can process a grant to them on your behalf.
Can I look up international nonprofits?
Chariot identifies nonprofits using U.S. EINs, so international organizations are only searchable if they have a registered U.S. entity with an EIN on file with the IRS.
What is a Form 990?
Form 990 is the annual information return that most U.S. tax-exempt organizations are required to file with the IRS. It includes financial data, program descriptions, and leadership information — and is the primary source for the data returned by Chariot.
Need help or have feedback? Email [email protected], send suggestions anytime, or report issues with a brief description, steps to reproduce, and any error messages.
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