Getting to know Groundswell, a Chariot Disbursements Partner

Groundswell is a workplace giving solution with a rapidly growing user base of enrolled employees. They utilize Chariot Disbursements* to send their grant payments, so you may see Groundswell gifts in your Chariot Account - here’s what you need to know. 

Background on Groundswell

Groundswell was founded in 2021 to modernize employee giving. The company’s co-founder & CEO, Jake Wood, was previously the founder & CEO of Team Rubicon where he saw firsthand the barriers to giving and impact with legacy solutions for engaging employees. That’s why the team has always prioritized speed of payout and seamless user experience. Now Groundswell powers workplace giving for major companies around the country, including BNY, Under Armor and Publicis Groupe.

Groundswell utilizes Chariot Disbursements for faster, more secure and easier grant payments. Funds are available in a nonprofit’s Chariot Account instantly, once approved, and gift details are visible to all team members. The increased transparency offered by Chariot Disbursements means your team may have questions about the different types of payments Groundswell sends nonprofits, and how to most effectively process them.

How Groundswell Works 

Groundswell primarily serves large enterprises, offering significant customization in the platform to manage employee giving, volunteering, grantmaking, and engagement. So while each implementation might vary slightly, each Groundswell user has their own giving account (donor-advised fund, or DAF), and each company also maintains a corporate DAF. Both the individual and corporate DAFs are managed under the Groundswell Charitable Foundation (GCF), a 501c3 public charity.  

Employees can contribute money or securities into their DAF account, or make direct donations to nonprofits through their account. Companies can “match” gifts made by employees within Groundswell’s platform, gifts made off-platform or for logged volunteering hours. Companies can also make direct grants to nonprofits through Groundswell. 

Understanding Groundswell Gifts on Chariot 

If you have a Groundswell gift in your Chariot account, it likely fits into one of three general categories:

1. Employee Donation
2. Company Match 
3. Corporate Grant 

However, it’s important to note that not all Employee Donations necessarily will have a Company Match through Groundswell (they could be direct gifts out of the employee’s Giving Account), and not all Company Matches will necessarily correspond to an Employee Donation through Groundswell (it could be matching an off-platform donation or something else entirely, like volunteering hours). 

To clarify which Employee Donations do have a Company Match to look for, and vice versa, refer to the “Description” field in your Chariot dashboard: 

Please note: this framework was adopted on January 13, 2025 to introduce further clarity. Gifts sent before this date will contain different details in their description.

Gift Processing for Groundswell Gifts 

For gift processing purposes, nonprofits should look for corresponding Employee Donations & Company Matches through Groundswell (as noted in the “Description” field), but understand that some will just be standalone gifts.

While you should categorize & code these gifts as makes sense with your CRM structure, here is a suggested approach:

• Employee Donation without Company Match: an individual DAF gift
• • Hard Credit: Groundswell Charitable Foundation 
  • Soft Credit: Donor Name
  • Association / Affiliation: Company Name
• Employee Donation with Company Match: Workplace giving
• Company Match without an Employee Donation: Workplace giving (often a “match” for volunteer hours) 
• Company donation: Corporate Grant 

Other FAQs from Nonprofits about Groundswell

Do gifts come with donor contact information? 

No, gifts do not automatically include donor contact information as per the policy of the Groundswell Charitable Foundation. Many individuals do put their email or other contact information in the “Note” field, which you’ll see in your Chariot Account dashboard. 

Is Groundswell a DAF?

Yes, the Groundswell Charitable Foundation, the nonprofit partner to Groundswell Giving Inc., is a 501c3 public charity that manages donor-advised funds for individuals and companies. When someone contributes to their DAF, the donation is legally made to the Groundswell Charitable Foundation, which then holds and manages those charitable assets on behalf of the donor. However, much of the giving through the platform happens in a process more similar to workplace giving and likely makes the most sense to be treated as such by nonprofit database admins. 

Who from a nonprofit should monitor Groundswell gifts?

If you have a team focused on workplace giving, they should certainly be aware of activity through Groundswell. It’s up to your organization whether you prefer having those folks as users in your Chariot dashboard reviewing those gifts, or ensuring that your gift processor(s) using Chariot are well-versed on how to code Groundswell Gifts so that workplace giving colleagues can review them in your CRM once they are synced.