Program Overview
Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America) works with philanthropists looking to support charitable organizations around the world by providing the infrastructure necessary for high-quality, regulatory-compliant grantmaking and maintaining a worldwide network of fully vetted charity partners. Our Expedited Grantmaking Program is an efficient, time-effective way for donors to support international philanthropy while minimizing the administrative burden on recipient organizations.
As a part of the program, CAF America leverages our global network and partners in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, and South Africa to distribute qualifying grants within those countries domestically. Our partners work with the local recipient organization to complete due diligence requirements, eliminating potential language barriers and streamlining the grantmaking process.
CAF America can expedite grants to all registered charities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia (with DGR-1 status), and to a large number of charities in Mexico, Argentina, and South Africa that have been validated by Monte de Piedad, RACI, and CAF Southern Africa respectively.
One of the tools the IRS has designated for US foundations to use when substantiating the charitable purpose of grants made to support non-US charities and charitable activities is an Equivalency Determination, which involves CAF America making a good faith determination that the entire grantee organization is governed in a way that would otherwise be considered as equivalent to a US Public Charity under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a) of the Tax Code. IRS Revenue Procedure 92-94 provides a specific procedure for making this determination, including a list detailing information that must be obtained from the foreign charitable organizations.
All of our in-country partners (Global Partners) have undergone this process. Any grants made under an Equivalency Determination can be considered unrestricted, which allows our Global Partners to regrant funds to local organizations recommended by CAF America donors.
CAF America’s Global Partners in the Expedited Grantmaking Program have robust due diligence processes that help determine an organization’s eligibility. Within the program, all registered charities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia (with DGR-1 status) are eligible to receive an expedited grant. In Mexico, Argentina, and South Africa, an organization must undergo the validation process with our in country partner in order to be eligible to receive an expedited grant.
CAF America sends grant recommendations to Global Partners on a weekly basis. The cadence of grant payout is determined during the MOU/agreement process with the Global Partner.
No. Under Equivalency Determination, our Global Partners maintain control over the use of funds and is not required to submit grantee reports to CAF America.
Yes. CAF America includes the donor’s information upon sending the grant recommendation to our Global Partners. Donor details are subsequently shared with the recipient organization when funds are disbursed.
As a US 501(c)(3) public charity, CAF America provides a tax receipt for all fully tax-deductible gifts, including those distributed through the Expedited Grantmaking Program.
Global Partners need to undergo an Equivalency Determination to be able to join the Expedite Grantmaking Program (see above for additional details). To learn more about the program, please reach out to Andrew Kopca, andrew@cafamerica.org.
