Zelle and Bank of America announced on Mar. 12 a new partnership to enable near real-time charitable disbursements from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to nonprofit organizations using the Zelle network. This initiative replaces the traditional multi-week, paper-based process with fast digital payments.
The development is part of Zelle Forward, an innovation agenda aimed at expanding practical uses for the Zelle platform. The move could help nonprofits access resources more quickly, especially in urgent situations such as natural disasters or community crises.
The proof of concept is being introduced through Bank of America’s Charitable Gift Fund, allowing donors to send grants to selected nonprofits via Zelle. While this pilot is currently limited to participating institutions, there are plans for broader adoption among financial institutions that offer both Zelle and donor advised fund programs.
“Zelle is a staple of the American economy and Americans are ready for it to do more,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “Through Zelle Forward, we are advancing practical new applications of the Zelle network, and this charitable grant delivery capability represents the first of many ways Zelle will continue to innovate and grow. By bringing the speed and reliability of Zelle to charitable grant delivery, we are helping funds reach nonprofits faster so organizations can stay focused on their missions.”
Bank of America’s Charitable Gift Fund distributed over 100,000 grants totaling more than $1.3 billion in 2025 alone. Donald Greene, Donor-advised Fund Executive at Bank of America Private Bank said, “For nonprofits, deploying their resources quickly and effectively matters – whether responding to community needs or scaling vital services. By partnering with Zelle to develop this innovation, we’re giving both donors and nonprofits a more modern and responsive way to take in and make use of charitable contributions. This advancement strengthens our clients’ ability to support the causes they care about and accelerates the impact of nonprofits.”
Throughout 2026, Zelle plans further innovations designed to bring additional capabilities across its network while ensuring these developments remain aligned with consumer needs.
