Frequently Asked Questions
CAF America has developed these FAQs to help your organization understand your status as a newly eligible organization with CAF America. For additional questions, please contact our team at the email addresses below:
- For reporting questions: reports@cafamerica.org
- For eligibility questions: eligibility@cafamerica.org
- For other inquiries: info@cafamerica.org
Eligibility & Next Steps
What are eligibility dates?
Eligibility dates define the time frame during which you are eligible to receive a grant through CAF America.
Do I have to spend all of the grant funds before my eligibility expires?
No, you do not need to fully expend the grant funds within your eligibility period. However, you must continue to report on any unspent funds even after your eligibility expires. Annual reports to CAF America are required until all grant funds are expended.
Can our eligibility period be adjusted?
Eligibility dates are fixed according to CAF America’s grantmaking protocols and cannot be changed.
What are the next steps for my organization?
Now that you are eligible with CAF America, potential donors can find your organization in our charity database. Respond to your eligibility email to provide details you’d like displayed on your profile page.
How can I find my organization on CAF America’s charity database?
Follow this link to search for your organization in the database. If you encounter any issues, reply to your eligibility email, and a CAF America team member will assist you.
How can I customize my charity’s profile in CAF America’s database?
Respond to your eligibility email with the following information to be added to your charity profile:
- A summary of your organization
- A brief history of your organization
- Information about your organization’s staff
- How you connect to your community
- Targeted outcomes
- How a grant will make a difference
- One logo or photo of your choice
- Links to external photo albums or documents
- Social media links and/or handles
CAF America will update your profile and send you a link to review.
When will we be receiving our funds?
If a grant has been recommended before your eligibility, we will process it in the next weekly grant cycle, though timelines are not guaranteed. A payment letter will be sent to the primary contact once the funds are disbursed.
I would like to change my grant agreement to reflect new expenditures or charitable purposes. How can I do this?
To submit a Grant Purpose Addendum, email info@cafamerica.orgexplaining the change. A member of our Validation team will guide you through the process.
Grant funds may only be used for approved purposes in your application/agreement with CAF America, and any changes must be documented using this process.
I would like to send a “thank you” note to the donor, can you help me get their contact information?
To request donor contact information, respond to your eligibility email. We will provide this information when available, though some details may remain confidential at the donor’s request.
Can CAF America help us find additional donors?
CAF America is unable to assist our organizations with fundraising inside the U.S. However, we are able to point you in the right direction!
Our quarterly CAF America Global Partnerships Newsletter includes Requests for Proposals from Candid partners.
You can also explore grant proposals from our partners at the Council on Foundations at www.cof.org, which has extensive libraries for grant seekers that can help identify potential funders.
Reporting
When will we need to send in a report?
Refer to our Grantee Reporting How-to Guide for instructions.
In addition to complying with U.S. laws governing international grantmaking, this report helps us understand your work and the impact of our grants. You may also send additional materials like annual reports, brochures, video clips, success stories, or other marketing materials. For questions related to your grant report, contact reports@cafamerica.org.
I received a grant that requires me to submit reporting at different times throughout the year. When and how will I submit my report(s)?
For grants requiring custom reporting, you will receive separate communications with specific guidance. Annual reports to CAF America are still required.
We just received funds at the end of our organization’s fiscal year and we have not had a chance to utilize the funds. Will I still need to submit a grant report?
Yes, U.S. law requires CAF America to collect the requested information for all grants each year. If the full grant amount hasn’t been expended, select “No” in the appropriate section of the report. We will inquire about unexpended funds in the next annual report.
Regardless of grant size or payment timing, all questions must be answered, and we cannot accept a report that answers a question by referring to supplementary material.
I was unable to submit my report on time. Will this affect my CAF America eligibility?
Late reports prevent CAF America from distributing additional funding until a compliant report is received. If your report is overdue by 6 months and you remain unresponsive, your eligibility may be revoked.
This means no pending or future grants will be sent until the overdue report is submitted.
I would like to provide a budget breakdown with my report, when will I be able to do so and where can I find it?
For grants exceeding USD $50,000, a budget breakdown is required. For smaller grants, it’s optional. You can find our budget template here.
You are not required to use this specific template, as this is simply an example.
Sharing your partnership with CAF America
Who can I share this information with?
Being approved as eligible to receive grants from CAF America can enhance your appeal to new U.S. donors. They may not be aware that they can make tax-advantaged donations to CAF America and recommend your organization as the grant recipient.
Include your organization’s donation page in email marketing materials, social media, and direct mailing to make donors aware of this. Please refer to our Partnership Resources Toolkit for more information.
Can I use the CAF America logo on my charity’s website and social media?
As a valued partner, CAF America encourages vetted and eligible foreign charitable organizations to display their association with CAF America on their website and other promotional materials. If your organization is interested in using the CAF America logo please review the guidance on our Logo and Photography page.
When your team has added CAF America’s logo to the your site, please share the final website version for CAF America’s review and approval by emailing the page to stories@cafamerica.org.
We received an Accredible Badge, what do I do with this?
The CAF International Validated Organization Badge is awarded to nonprofits confirmed through a rigorous validation process. Should your organization meet the criteria to receive this badge, you can promote your status by adding the badge to your email signature, LinkedIn profile, or preferred social networks. This way donors and partners can instantly verify your status. Learn more about badge usage here.
Why hasn’t my organization received an Accredible Badge?
The badge is awarded to nonprofits granted an eligibility period of at least one year. If your organization meets this criterion and you haven’t received a badge, respond to your eligibility email, and a team member will assist you.
Technincal Help
I need help accessing my CAF America portal.
Log in to the portal here using your registered email. If you’ve forgotten your password, use the “Forgot your password?” link. For further assistance, reply to your eligibility email.
If you want to register with a different email, respond to your eligibility email with this request.
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