Charities Aid Foundation of America
Full Service Global Grantmaking
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Since 1992, Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF America) has broken down the barriers to cross-border giving. As a truly global donor advised fund serving corporations, foundations, and individuals, we streamline the grantmaking process to eliminate risk and administrative burden. Through our work, we help US donors support great causes by assisting them in making strategic, effective, and tax advantaged grants both internationally and domestically.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grantmaking
CAF America streamlines the global
grantmaking process, reducing risk, reputation exposure and administrative burden, while at the same time enabling its clients to make strategic, cost-effective, and tax-advantaged grants. Our services for donors and charities include: Donor Advised Funds, Donor Advised Grants and Philanthropic Advisory Services.
CAF America makes approximately 6,000 grants each year in support of legitimate charities in 100+ countries. We provide advice to donors regarding social responsibility, international philanthropy, civil society and the charitable sector around the world.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Average grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
For FY 2017, 2016, 2015. 2014.
Median grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
For FY 2017, 2016, 2015. 2014.
Number of organizations applying for grants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
For FY 2017, 2016, 2015. 2014.
Total dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
For FY 2022
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Work status and occupations, Social and economic status, Gender and sexual identity, Religious groups, Family relationships
Related Program
Grantmaking
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
For FY 2017, 2016, 2015. 2014, & 2013
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
To help North American donors create effective philanthropy throughout the world. Individuals, companies, foundations & advisors rely on CAF America to develop, manage and monitor their philanthropy.
Our key goals of what success for us would look like:
Geographical coverage: Be the leading provider of global philanthropic solutions for donors looking to give both internationally & domestically.
Continue enhancing our industry-leading grantmaking toolbox including ER/ED services, disaster relief, international and domestic employee giving, and corporate & philanthropic advisory services
Increase the network of charities US donors can give to by enabling gifts to go to any charity in Canada, Australia, UK, EU, Russia, Southern Africa, India, Brazil via CAF offices.
Be able to tell the grantee story more clearly with the goal of better describing the impact of the grantee's work.
Expand our on-the-ground advisory services in Africa and Asia Pacific to other regions and countries.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Business Development
Enable High Net Worth individuals and families to broaden their charitable missions to a truly global scope.
Partner with leading corporations to facilitate impactful corporate citizenship strategies
Support foreign charities by allowing them to access tax-effective and legally compliant funding from donors in the US and Canada
Build effective structures for expedited grantmaking in key beneficiary countries
Facilitate tax-effective giving for the philanthropic technology sector
Communications
Further efforts in using social media effectively
Streamline communications throughout the entirety of CAF America, rendering a cohesive and comprehensive message in all communications, including social media, the website, marketing material and conference exhibitions.
Increase CAF America's educational offerings in key areas of international grantmaking through events such as CAF America's annual International Grantmaking Symposium.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Core Strengths
Staff knowledge of global and local civil society and social issues
Offer the most innovative and customized charitable solutions for our donors
Industry-leading due diligence services that are required to make safe and secure cross-border and domestic grants
Use of an established and knowledgeable international network to provide seamless global philanthropy solutions
Achievement of a degree of financial independence as a US nonprofit and not dependent on external grant funding
Reputation in the field of cross-border philanthropy
25+ years of safe cross-border grant making working with the largest multi-national corporations
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Achievements in the last 5 years
Over 13,000 grants made to charitable organizations in 90 countries
Launched the Annual International Grantmaking Symposium in 2015 and leveraged CAF America's collaboration with Johns Hopkins Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies to provide in-depth knowledge and practical application in the field of international and domestic grantmaking.
Developed customized solutions for UHNWI for their global and domestic giving
Revamped CAF America website to make it as transparent as possible in terms of our fees and services plus our news and accomplishments
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Charities Aid Foundation of America
Board of directorsas of 05/24/2023
Char Mollison
Morey Ward
Martin Riant
Audrey Jacobs
Anna Hofmeister
Neil Heslop
Matt Hammerstein
Oscar Bazoberry
Oscar de Bruyn Kops
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/29/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.