# Your Chariot Deposit Account

Your Chariot Deposit Account (CDA) is an FDIC-insured bank account held in your organization's legal name at Column N.A. It's the central hub where all connected payer deposits arrive — and the starting point for moving funds to your operating bank.

This article explains how the account works, how to move money out, and how to use the ledger for reconciliation.

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### How the Account Works

Think of your CDA as a **receiving account** — it sits between your payers and your operating bank. Here's the high-level flow:

1. **Payers send funds** (Fidelity Charitable, Benevity, DAFgiving360, etc.) to your Chariot Deposit Account.
2. **Chariot matches each deposit** to donor-level data automatically.
3. **You review and code** the gifts using Policies and the Donations page.
4. **You transfer funds** to your operating bank on your own schedule.

Your organization controls when and how often funds move from the CDA to your operating bank. Chariot never moves money out of your account without your authorization.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Key mental model:** Your CDA works like any other bank account — it has a routing number, account number, and generates statements. The difference is that it also comes with built-in donation data matching, so you don't just see deposits — you see donor names, amounts, purposes, and payer details.
{% endhint %}

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### Account Details

Your CDA includes the following details, visible in the **Account** section of your dashboard:

<table><thead><tr><th width="194.8046875">Detail</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Account Name</strong></td><td>Your organization's legal name.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Routing Number</strong></td><td>The Column N.A. routing number — same for all connected payers.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Account Number</strong></td><td>Your unique account number at Column N.A.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Account Type</strong></td><td>Demand Deposit Account (DDA).</td></tr><tr><td><strong>FDIC Insured</strong></td><td>Yes — deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC through Column N.A.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Each payer may display a different account number.** Chariot uses virtual account numbers (VANs) to route each payer's deposits into the correct ledger. The routing number is always the same. See the Payer Connections article for more on how VANs work.
{% endhint %}

***

### Transfers & Disbursements <a href="#transfers-and-disbursements" id="transfers-and-disbursements"></a>

Once funds are in your CDA, you can transfer them to your operating bank account.

#### Setting Up Your Operating Bank

Before you can transfer funds, you'll need to link your operating bank account:

1. Go to the **Settings** > **General** and find the **External financial accounts** section in your dashboard.
2. Add your operating bank's routing number and account number.

#### Moving Funds

Transfers from your Chariot Deposit Account (CDA) to your operating bank can be initiated by clicking on '**Move Funds'** from the Overview page in your dashboard. This transfer is an **ACH Transfer** and typically settles in 1–2 business days.

You control the timing and amount of each transfer. Many organizations transfer on a set schedule (e.g., weekly or after each deposit settles), while others transfer as needed.

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### The Ledger

Visit the **Ledger** page in your Chariot dashboard to get a complete record of every transaction in your CDA — deposits in and transfers out. It functions like a bank register, showing:

* **Inbound deposits** from each payer (with Deposit IDs for cross-referencing).
* **Outbound transfers** to your operating bank.
* **Available balance** within your CDA.

#### Bank Statements

Visit **Statements** tab from your **Ledgers** page in Chariot to view monthly statements or generate one-off bank statements for your CDA in multiple formats:

<table><thead><tr><th width="106.1484375">Format</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>PDF</strong></td><td>Formatted statement with balance summary — suitable for board reporting or auditors.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>BAI2</strong></td><td>Bank Administration Institute format — for automated import into your ERP or treasury system.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>CSV</strong></td><td>Spreadsheet-friendly format — for manual reconciliation or ad hoc analysis.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Statements can be generated for any date range from the **Ledger** section of your dashboard.

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### Reconciliation

Reconciliation between Chariot and your ERP happens at the **deposit level**. The process works like this:

#### For Your Accounting Team

1. **Open the Deposits page** and review settled deposits.
2. **Post a journal entry** unless you have an integration between your CRM and ERP for each deposit — one entry per deposit, per payer. Use the **Deposit ID** and **Deposit Date** as your reference fields.
3. **At month-end**, download your CDA bank statement (PDF, BAI2, or CSV) from the Ledger.
4. **Match each line item** on the Chariot statement against your ERP entries using Deposit ID and Deposit Date.

{% hint style="success" %}
**The Deposit ID is the reconciliation key.** When both your gift entry team and your accounting team reference the same Deposit ID, month-end reconciliation becomes a straightforward matching exercise rather than a detective project.
{% endhint %}

#### For Your Gift Entry Team

Your gift entry team doesn't need to reconcile the bank account — that's accounting's job. But they play a critical role by ensuring every donation is coded and exported with the correct **Deposit ID** attached. This is what makes reconciliation possible downstream.

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### FDIC Insurance & Banking Security

Your CDA is held at **Column N.A.**, a nationally chartered bank regulated by the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency). Key security features:

* **FDIC insured** — Deposits are insured up to applicable FDIC limits.
* **Held in your name** — The account is in your organization's legal name. Chariot is the technology layer; Column N.A. is the banking partner.
* **No commingling** — Your funds are held in your own dedicated account, not pooled with other organizations.
* **You control disbursements** — Chariot never initiates outbound transfers without your authorization.

For more on Chariot's overall security posture, see Security, Roles & Permissions.

***

### Frequently Asked Questions

<details>

<summary><strong>Is there a minimum balance requirement or transfer limit?</strong></summary>

There is no minimum balance required or transfer limit. You can move any amount of funds out of your Chariot Deposit Account at any time.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>How long does it take for deposits to settle?</strong></summary>

Settlement times depend on the payer and payment method. ACH deposits typically settle in 1–2 business days. Check deposits (via Digital Mailbox) are processed same-day, with funds available shortly after imaging. Your Chariot dashboard shows the status of each deposit in real time.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Can I have multiple external financial accounts linked to my Chariot Deposit Account?</strong></summary>

At this time, you can only have one external financial account linked.&#x20;

</details>


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