> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.givechariot.com/v2026-04-01/api/oauth/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.givechariot.com/_mcp/server.

# OAuth

An API key authenticates your own account. OAuth lets a nonprofit grant your application access to theirs, so you can call the API on their behalf without ever handling their credentials.

You send the access token the same way you send an API key:

```curl
curl https://api.givechariot.com/v1/donations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN"
```

OAuth access is not self-service. Contact [support@givechariot.com](mailto:support@givechariot.com) to register your application and receive client credentials.

The [OAuth guide](/guides/oauth) covers the authorization code flow, scopes, token lifetimes, and the production and sandbox endpoints. For OpenID Connect and single sign-on, see [Identity](/guides/oauth/identity).

> Call the API on behalf of a nonprofit that has authorized your application.