Chariot joins the ranks of Waymo, Nvidia, Duolingo, and more
NEW YORK CITY, March 18, 2025 — Chariot is proud to have been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025 in the Social Good category. This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations to set new standards and achieve remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 609 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.
"We’re honored to be named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025," said Salo Serfati, CEO and Founder of Chariot. "At Chariot, we’re committed to optimizing the nonprofit sector—ensuring that organizations can access donations and data seamlessly. What sets us apart is our refusal to accept the status quo. When nonprofits and donors face challenges that others overlook, we see opportunities to innovate. This recognition reinforces our mission to build solutions that remove barriers and unlock more funding for the causes that need it most."
Chariot has transformed Donor Advised Fund giving with the launch of DAFpay, an express-checkout solution that enables donors to give directly from their DAFs, straight from a nonprofit’s website. With DAF assets surpassing $251 billion across 1.8 million accounts, DAF giving represents a massive opportunity for nonprofits—yet legacy processes have made it difficult to access these funds efficiently. Chariot’s innovation eliminates the manual, fragmented workflows that have historically slowed down DAF gifts, empowering nonprofits to accept these donations as seamlessly as credit card or ACH payments.
Today, Chariot powers digital DAF giving for over 60,000 nonprofits. With DAFpay, donors bypass complex third-party portals and give directly from a nonprofit’s donation form, providing a frictionless donation experience. When donors use their DAFs, they give larger gifts, more frequently, with greater long-term loyalty. On the backend, DAFpay automates gift reconciliation and data capture, eliminating inefficiencies and ensuring nonprofits can easily track, manage, and steward their DAF donors. Chariot is setting a new DAF-industry standard, helping nonprofits maximize returns while providing donors with an uninterrupted, intuitive giving experience.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies stands as Fast Company’s hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To determine honorees, Fast Company’s editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies offers both a comprehensive look at innovation today and a playbook for the future,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “This year, we recognize companies that are harnessing AI in deep and meaningful ways, brands that are turning customers into superfans by overdelivering for them, and challengers that are introducing bold ideas and vital competition to their industries. At a time when the world is rapidly shifting, these companies are charting the way forward.”
The full list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies honorees can now be found at fastcompany.com. It will also be available on newsstands beginning March 25.
Fast Company will host the Most Innovative Companies Summit and Gala for honorees on June 5. The summit features a day of inspiring content, followed by a creative black-tie gala including networking, a seated dinner, and an honoree presentation.
ABOUT CHARIOT
Chariot offers a payment solution that integrates DAFs into donation forms for nonprofit organizations. This service simplifies the donation process, allowing donors to give quickly and efficiently while enhancing the fundraising capabilities of nonprofits. Learn more at givechariot.com.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com.