Charity On Top Foundation

What Charity On Top Foundation does

Charity On Top Foundation, Inc. is a California-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN#81-1198370) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Pasadena. It operates a charity gift card platform that channels tax-deductible donations from consumers and enterprises to over 2 million IRS-verified charities, supported by a 24/7 charity payment portal, digital and physical card issuance, and integration with major payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover). Core products include charity gift cards (priced at $0.90–$1.95 per card depending on volume), the fundforall donor-advised-style giving account, and a B2B services suite covering Corporate Foundations (fiscal sponsorship at $2,500 setup + $499/year), Impact Launchpad (501(c)(3) incubation at $1,500 setup + $250/year), WE GIVE Campaigns (1.5% or $500 max per campaign), Quick Care Cards (employee relief), white-label fulfillment, and B2B Charity Payments.

The platform is licensed and registered as a fundraising solicitor in all 50 states, and reaches customers through the company Shoppe, major retail distribution (Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Kroger), telecom integration (Boost Mobile CARES, converting 5% of eligible quarterly bills into gift cards), and a dense B2B partner layer (Blackhawk Network, Achievers, Fetch Rewards, NeoCurrency, WeGift, eGifter, Prezzee, Green Dot, Incomm Payments). Approximately 96.25% of gift card face value flows to charities (100% when buyers elect to cover the optional 3.75% transaction fee, which 98% of direct buyers do), with the company describing itself as operating with 0% of revenue paid for salaries and 12% of expenses paid to for-profit parties for technology, management, and advertising.

In May 2026, Charity On Top announced a strategic union with Alternative Gifts International (AGI), the originator of the charity gift market concept founded in the 1980s, integrating AGI's curated catalog model into Charity On Top's Impact Marketplace. The combined entity represents over 50 years of category experience and more than $50 million in cumulative giving. Revenue derives primarily from per-card fulfillment fees, optional buyer-covered transaction fees, recurring subscription fees on Corporate Foundation and Impact Launchpad programs, transaction-based fees on WE GIVE Campaigns and white-label fulfillment, and B2B charity payment processing.

Name

Charity On Top Foundation

Legal name

Charity On Top Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://charityontop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Charity On Top Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a charity gift card platform that channels tax-deductible donations from consumers, enterprises, and B2B partners to over 2 million IRS-verified charities, supplemented by fiscal sponsorship and white-label fulfillment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Giving Platform

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Charity gift cards
• Corporate giving programs
• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Donor-advised giving
• Nonprofit payment platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Gift Card Fulfillment Fees: Per-card fees for custom physical and digital gift cards. Fees range from $0.90-$1.95 per card depending on volume. Additional fees for carriers, greeting cards, and fulfillment services. No fees charged on the card value itself - 96.25% goes directly to charities.
2. Transaction Fee Recovery: Optional 3.75% transaction fee that buyers can elect to cover, allowing charities to receive 100% of gift card face value. Approximately 98% of direct-purchase buyers opt to cover this fee.
3. Corporate Foundation Management: $2,500 one-time setup fee plus $499 annual maintenance for branded corporate foundation programs. COT acts as fiscal sponsor handling all tax reporting, compliance, and administration.
4. Impact Launchpad: $1,500 one-time setup and $250 annual maintenance for fiscal sponsorship program enabling new charitable projects to fundraise under COT's 501(c)(3) status.
5. WE GIVE Campaign Platform: Low-cost branded giving campaign platform charging just 1.5% or $500 max per campaign compared to 6%+ competitors. Includes custom URL, tax-deductible donations, and back-end portal access.
6. White-Label Fulfillment: Per-card fulfillment fee plus per-check fee for white-label charitable gift card programs. COT handles design, secure processing, delivery, and reporting for partners.
7. B2B Charity Payments: Payment processing for round-up programs, company-selected charities, and charitable giving options. Handles full payment process including check or 24/7 portal disbursements.
8. Quick Care Cards: B2B-only employee relief cards with minimum $100 load value and 6-month expiry. Company branding available for additional setup fee. Tax-deductible for purchasing company, tax-free for employee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Charity On Top Foundation sells tax-deductible charity gift cards in physical and digital formats, allowing recipients to direct funds to any of 2+ million verified nonprofits across 90+ countries. The organization also operates a 24/7 charity payment portal, fundforall donor-advised giving accounts, and B2B services including Corporate Foundations, Impact Launchpad fiscal sponsorship, WE GIVE Campaigns, white-label gift card fulfillment, and FFA Quick Care Card employee relief solutions.

Product overview

Charity On Top Foundation operates a unified charitable giving platform anchored by its core charity gift card product, enabling tax-deductible donations where recipients choose from over 2 million vetted charities. The platform spans consumer-facing offerings (physical and digital gift cards, fundforall donor-advised funds) and an extensive B2B services suite including the FFA Quick Care Card, Corporate Foundations, Impact Launchpad, WE GIVE Campaigns, and white-label fulfillment. Supporting infrastructure includes the poweredbycharity.com payment portal for charities to receive 24/7 disbursements and the Charity Visibility Platform/Impact Marketplace for donor discovery. The May 2026 merger with Alternative Gifts International expanded the platform with AGI's curated charitable gift catalog model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charity On Top Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards that allow purchasers to make tax-deductible donations while recipients choose from over 2 million charities to receive the funds. Cards never expire and can be redeemed in under 60 seconds without account creation.
• Custom Corporate Gift Cards Branded gift cards with company logos and custom designs for bulk corporate orders, including physical, digital, all-in-one eco-friendly, and custom greeting cards with volume-based pricing.
• fundforall Free donor-advised-style giving account allowing users to upload tax-deductible funds and distribute to any charity, even anonymously, on their own schedule.
• FFA Quick Care Card B2B employee relief solution providing open-loop digital or physical cards with company branding, $100 minimum load, 6-month expiry, tax-deductible for employer and tax-free for employee.
• Corporate Foundations Branded charitable giving fund program where Charity On Top acts as fiscal sponsor handling legal, administrative, and compliance work with 24/7 back-end portal. Supports employee relief, matching, volunteer reimbursements, and scholarships.
• Impact Launchpad Fiscal sponsorship program enabling new charitable projects to begin fundraising immediately under Charity On Top's 501(c)(3) status while handling legal structure and compliance.
• WE GIVE Campaigns Branded giving campaign platform for disaster relief, employee support, or community giving with custom URLs launched within 24-48 hours at 1.5% or $500 max fee.
• White-Label Charitable Gift Card Fulfillment Full white-label fulfillment of charitable gift cards including custom design, secure processing, delivery, and reporting for partners seeking fully branded experiences.
• B2B Charity Payments Charitable payment solutions powering round-up programs, company-selected charities, and curated giving options. Handles full payment process including check or 24/7 portal disbursements on monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• Charity Payments Portal 24/7 payment portal (poweredbycharity.com) enabling vetted nonprofits to receive donations quickly, securely, and directly via ACH (free) or check (small fee) disbursements.
• Charity Visibility Platform Interactive Impact Marketplace where donors explore vetted causes and support nonprofits worldwide, integrated with Alternative Gifts International's curated catalog model for donor discovery.
• B2B Consulting Services Fee-based professional consulting for nonprofits needing fractional executive, financial, operational, transitional, or crisis-management support, alongside complimentary consulting for industry partners on charitable campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.25% of gift card value goes directly to charities (100% if buyer covers 3.75% fee)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Alternative Gifts International (AGI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Strategic union combining Charity On Top with Alternative Gifts International, the originator of the charity gift market concept founded in the 1980s. AGI invented the curated charitable gift catalog and has raised over $38 million. The merger integrates AGI's curated model into Charity On Top's Impact Marketplace, creating the largest and longest-running charity gift card platform.
• Boost MobilecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoost CARES program allows Boost Mobile customers to opt in and receive Charity On Top gift cards worth 5% of their quarterly bill. Quarterly donation program providing charity gift cards to eligible plan holders.
• Blackhawk NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGift card distribution partner enabling Charity On Top cards to be sold through Blackhawk's retail and digital distribution network.
• Fetch RewardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRewards platform partner distributing Charity On Top gift cards as redemption options for user points.
• NeoCurrencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner providing charitable gift card solutions through their platform.
• WeGiftcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for employee reward and incentive gift card fulfillment.
• eGiftercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital gift card marketplace partner for Charity On Top distribution.
• PrezzeecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital gift card platform partner for charitable gift card fulfillment.
• AchieverscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployee recognition and rewards platform partner integrating Charity On Top gift cards.
• Green DotcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services and gift card partner for charitable giving solutions.
• Incomm PaymentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPayment and prepaid solutions partner for gift card distribution.
• Fringe Benefit GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployee benefits platform integrating Charity On Top for charitable giving options.
• Inter&CominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services partner for charitable gift card programs.
• Keurig Dr PepperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner for charitable giving initiatives.
• MeritminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIncentive and reward platform partner.
• ReachdeskminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate gifting and employee reward platform.
• The KnotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWedding planning platform partner for charity gift card integration as wedding favors.
• UnitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployee benefits and rewards platform.
• Virgin AtlanticminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel rewards partner for charitable gift card integration.
• Off GamersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGaming rewards platform partner.
• WalmartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail partner selling Charity On Top gift cards.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce platform partner for gift card distribution.
• CostcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarehouse retail partner for gift card sales.
• KrogercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrocery retail partner for corporate gift card programs.
• Rotary InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounding co-founders are longtime Rotary members and past presidents of South Pasadena Rotary Club. Partnership for community giving initiatives.
• Incentive Marketing AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership. Recipient of IMA Excellence Award Winner 2022. Member of Retail Gift Card Association and Incentive Gift Card Coalition.
• Retail Gift Card AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association membership for gift card industry standards and best practices.
• WiiN (Women in Incentives Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen in Incentives Network membership. Co-founders are active members supporting women in philanthropy and business.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vanguard Charitable: Vanguard Charitable is a major donor-advised fund sponsor. It is also listed as a COT philanthropic partner, but functionally overlaps with Charity On Top's fundforall offering for individuals seeking tax-deductible giving accounts with broad charity choice.
• PayPal Giving Fund: PayPal Giving Fund is a 501(c)(3) that distributes donations to verified nonprofits, integrating giving into PayPal's payment rails. It competes directly with Charity On Top on the consumer donation experience, charity catalog breadth, and tax-deductible pass-through mechanics.
• Network for Good: Network for Good provides online fundraising and donation software plus a donor-advised fund program. It overlaps with Charity On Top's fundforall DAF-style account, B2B charity payments, and corporate giving services, serving both nonprofits receiving funds and donors seeking tax-deductible giving options.
• Benevity: Benevity is a leading corporate social responsibility and employee giving platform. Charity On Top's Corporate Foundations, WE GIVE Campaigns, and B2B Charity Payments overlap with Benevity's employee giving, matching, volunteer, and grantmaking modules — both serve Fortune-class enterprises seeking outsourced charitable programs.
• GlobalGiving: GlobalGiving is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform connecting donors to vetted international and domestic projects. It competes with Charity On Top for donor attention and corporate giving dollars, particularly for disaster relief, employee engagement, and cause-specific campaigns.
• TisBest Philanthropy: TisBest is one of the closest direct competitors, offering charity gift cards that let recipients direct funds to a charity of choice. Both companies compete in the charity gift card space targeting individual consumers, corporate gifting, and bulk orders, with similar redemption mechanics and IRS-verified charity catalogs.

Broad incumbents

• Blackbaud: Blackbaud is a large, established provider of nonprofit and donor management software (CRM, fundraising, financial management). It overlaps with Charity On Top at the back-office nonprofit tooling layer but serves a broader portfolio of use cases rather than specializing in charity gift cards or DAF-style giving.

Regional players

• JustGiving: JustGiving is a UK-headquartered online fundraising platform for charities and individuals. It is comparable in product (donation pages, charity verification, payout infrastructure) but operates primarily in the UK and Europe, making it a regional rather than direct U.S. competitor to Charity On Top.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose enables individuals and corporations to fund specific classroom projects at public schools. It overlaps with Charity On Top in the tax-deductible giving experience and corporate partnership model but is focused narrowly on education, intersecting with COT's customized scholarship and employee giving programs.

Others

• Keurig Dr Pepper (in partnership capacity): Keurig Dr Pepper is listed as a COT corporate charitable giving partner and serves as an example peer for how consumer-brand partners distribute charity gift cards via product-linked promotions. Useful as a comparison point for channel-driven gift card activations rather than as a competing giving platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/charityontop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charity-on-top
• Instagraminstagram.com/charityontopfoundation/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@charityontopofficial

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charity On Top Foundation