I heard that a QCD gift cannot be made through Fidelity Charitable because it is not going directly from the donor to a charity--true?
No.
You cannot make a QCD gift, from your IRA, to a donor advised fund (like the Fidelity Charitable fund). It simply isn't allowed, by the rules. Instead, you must make your QCD directly to the charity.
Reference: https://www.irahelp.com/slottreport/ten-qcd-rules-2019-you-need-know
"The QCD rules are not available for gifts made to grant-making foundations, donor advised funds or charitable gift annuities".
The distribution must transfer directly to a qualified charity. "Qualified charity" is an official IRS designation. The list of qualified charities includes all 501(c)(3) organizations; and the list explicitly does not include donor-advised funds, foundations, or other grant-making organizations.
It's the law. Section 408(d)(8)(B)(i) explicitly excludes donor advised funds (described in section 4966(d)(2)) from being eligible recipients of qualified charitable distributions.