Electronic Grant Payments: Faster, Cheaper, Cleaner

On August 25, 2022, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), PayPal and Vanguard Charitable announced the launch of electronic Grant Payments, an innovative solution that gets funds to charities faster, and in a clean, environmentally friendly way. I have been working on this project for the past two years and am extremely proud and honored to have been involved from concept to completion.  By fundamentally changing the way grants are disbursed, electronic Grant Payments is good for charities, donors, grantmakers, and the planet, and will advance NPT’s mission to increase philanthropy in society.

Hear from Ellen McGuinn, NPT's Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, on how this new solution will allow donor-advised fund (DAF) sponsors, as well as community foundations and other grantmakers, to deliver funds quickly and securely through PayPal.
Reprinted with permission from National Philanthropic Trust.

AUGUST 25, 2022

Grant Payments with PayPal Gets Grants to Nonprofits Faster Than Ever

Author: ELLEN MCGUINN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER

For nonprofit organizations, time is always of the essence. Today, they continue their vital work after a long pressure test due to the pandemic. Nonprofits provide relief from disasters and crises, support refugees, supply critical services like healthcare, education, housing and food—and improve our lives through scientific research, artistic enrichment and climate change action.

For National Philanthropic Trust’s donors, it’s critical to get those organizations the funding they need, when they need it. Donors want their recommended grants not only put to good use, but also the reassurance that funds are arriving as swiftly and securely as possible.

As the philanthropic landscape continues to evolve, so does the sector’s operations and technology, making grantmaking faster and easier. That is why we are thrilled to announce that, alongside Vanguard Charitable, NPT has partnered with PayPal to create Grant Payments, an exciting new solution allowing donor-advised funds (DAF) sponsors, as well as community foundations and other grantmakers, to deliver funds quickly and securely through PayPal.

Grant Payments will save granting organizations and nonprofits days’ worth of processing and transit time, working faster than traditional paper checks.

For Donors

Grant Payments allows NPT’s donors to send funds electronically to the hundreds of thousands of eligible charities that already have accounts with PayPal.

Sending grants through Grant Payments shortens overall processing times by eliminating the reliance on US mail which typically experiences delays at times critical to nonprofits. Additionally, all personally identifiable information selected by the donor to be shared with the nonprofit is securely transmitted, so donors can feel confident their information is safe.

Donors don’t need to do anything new. Their grants will now automatically transfer electronically via PayPal for nonprofits that have accounts with confirmed charitable status with PayPal and arrive faster at their favorite organizations and causes. If an organization is not yet signed up with PayPal, they will receive payment in the form of a paper check.

For Nonprofits

A full third of NPT’s current grantees have accounts with PayPal and are eligible for receiving electronic grant payments. However, if your organization hasn’t yet created an account and confirmed it is a charity, you can get started easily here. Once logged in to your PayPal account, you will have access to a dashboard that will allow you to accept, track and transfer grant payments from NPT, Vanguard Charitable, and other participating grantmakers, directly to your bank accounts.

Grant Payments is simple to navigate and has all the necessary grant payment information that charities need through one login. Development and accounting staff can export details for their fundraising records and access payment information through PayPal, as well. It is our hope that this “one-stop” portal will eliminate the need for complex deposits and manual entry for every nonprofit that is registered.

NPT is beginning to send out grants via Grant Payments today, and Vanguard Charitable plans to make them available in 2023.

We’re excited to see PayPal’s Grant Payments become the standard for grantmakers and nonprofits alike. NPT is grateful to Vanguard Charitable for their collaboration on this vital industry initiative and to Riess Consulting, LLC for their leadership and dedication to this solution.

If you have any questions about this new offering or anything else about your donor-advised fund, please reach out to [email protected].

About the Author

Ellen McGuinn is NPT’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Ms. McGuinn joined NPT in November 2016. She has more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting, including 15 years in the nonprofit sector.