FAQ & Troubleshooting
Quick answers to the most common Gift Processing questions — organized by topic.
Find quick answers to common questions about Chariot's Gift Processing platform. Each answer links to the relevant feature article for more detail.
Getting Started
What is the first thing I should do after my Chariot account is set up?
Start by familiarizing yourself with the Deposits & Donations pages — these are the two views you'll use every day. Then set up your Policies to automate gift coding, and build an Export Template so your first CRM export is formatted correctly. The Gift Processing Overview includes a step-by-step getting started checklist.
Do I need to set up every payer connection myself?
No. Some payers (like Daffy and Groundswell) are auto-linked and require no setup. Others (like Fidelity Charitable and Benevity) require a one-time connection step. Click here to more about how to link payers.
Can multiple team members use Chariot at the same time?
Yes. Chariot supports multiple concurrent users. Each team member gets their own login, and you can assign different roles to control what each person can see and do. Custom views let different team members work from their own filtered data without affecting anyone else's setup.
Daily Workflow
How do I know when new donations have arrived?
New donations appear on the Donations page as soon as Chariot receives notice of the donation.
Can I edit donor information on a donation?
You can edit custom properties (columns your team has created) directly from the donation detail panel or from the table view. Standard fields like donor name, amount, and purpose come from the payer's data feed and cannot be modified — they reflect the original grant data as reported by the payer.
What's the difference between the Deposits page and the Donations page?
The Deposits page shows deposits — each row is one payment from one payer. The Donations page shows individual gifts — each row is one donor's gift. A single deposit from Fidelity may contain dozens of individual donations. They're connected by the Deposit ID. See Deposits & Donations for a full explanation.
Payer Connections
Why do I see different account numbers for different payers?
Chariot uses virtual account numbers (VANs) to route each payer's deposits into the correct ledger within your single Chariot Deposit Account. The routing number stays the same across all payers. VANs are used for internal matching only — they don't affect how funds flow to your organization. See Payer Connections for details.
I connected a payer but donations aren't showing up yet. What should I do?
Connection processing times vary by payer. Fidelity Charitable's EFT change, for example, can take several weeks before getting approval.. If you've completed the connection steps and donations haven't appeared after the expected timeframe, contact the payer or reach out to the Chariot team for help.
What if a payer I use isn't listed in the Payer Connections article?
Chariot supports hundreds of DAF sponsors and workplace giving platforms. If you receive grants from a payer not covered in the Payer Connections article, reach out to your Chariot team — they can advise on the best way to connect it.
What is the Digital Mailbox?
The Digital Mailbox lets you receive DAF checks digitally — no P.O. box or physical mail. Checks are scanned, deposited, and visible in your dashboard on the same business day and in the same standardized format.
Policies & Gift Coding
What happens if a policy clause doesn't match a donation?
If no clause in your active policy matches a particular donation, that donation's custom properties simply remain blank (or retain their previous values). You can always code it manually, or update your policy to cover a new scenario. The Activity Log on each donation shows which clauses were evaluated.
Can I have multiple policies active at the same time?
No — only one policy can be active at a time. However, your active policy can contain as many sections and clauses as you need. You can prepare additional policies as drafts and switch which one is live at any time. See Policies for details on managing active and draft policies.
Will enrichment overwrite my manual edits?
Enrichment of donations using your policy only targets field that have not been previously edited manually. The enrichment will not overwrite the manual value.
Can a policy reference data from my CRM?
You can upload a CSV or document for your policy to reference. Learn more about policies and gift coding here.
Exports & CRM
Can I create multiple export templates?
Yes — you can create as many export templates as you need. Each template can be customized to show select fields to match the exact column names and formatting you'd like for the specific destination. See Export Templates for setup instructions.
What file format do exports use?
Exports download as CSV files, formatted according to your template's column mapping, column order, and date format settings.
Can I export donations from a specific deposit?
Yes. You can open a deposit's detail view and export just the donations within that deposit. You can also filter the Donations page by Deposit ID and export from there.
Account & Security
Is my Chariot Deposit Account FDIC insured?
Yes. Your Chariot Deposit Account is held at Column N.A., a nationally chartered bank, and deposits are FDIC insured up to applicable limits. See Your Chariot Deposit Account for details.
How do I add or remove team members?
Admins and Owners can manage team access from the Team section of the dashboard. You can invite new members by email and assign roles with different access level.
How do I transfer funds to my operating bank?
Click 'Move Funds' from the overview page to transfer funds to your externally linked financial account.
Still Have Questions?
If you can't find what you're looking for here, reach out to your Chariot team directly — they're available to help with any setup, workflow, or troubleshooting questions.
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