Donation receipt template
A donation receipt for charities and nonprofits: the donor, the gift and its value, the date, your tax ID, and the statement donors need for their tax records.
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Download the donation receipt template
What’s in this template
- Your organization's name, address and EIN
- Donor name and address
- Lines for cash gifts or donated items
- Date of the gift and how it was given
- Notes for the goods-or-services statement
How to fill it in
- Pick a format. Download the Word or Excel file or the printable PDF, make your own copy in Google Docs or Google Sheets, or fill the template in online and download the finished PDF.
- Add your organization and the donor. Put your organization's legal name, address and EIN at the top, and the donor's name and address under Donor.
- Describe the gift. For money, the amount and how it was given (check number, card, transfer). For donated items, a description of each; the donor sets their value, not you.
- Add the statement and send. State whether the donor received any goods or services in return, for example "No goods or services were provided in exchange for this donation", and send the receipt.
When to use it
Send a donation receipt after every gift, and always for single gifts of $250 or more, which US donors cannot deduct without one. Many nonprofits also send a yearly summary listing each gift a donor made; you can put one line per gift on the same template.
This is a template, not tax advice; rules differ by country, so check with an accountant when a gift is unusual (property, vehicles, securities).
Tips
- Use your legal name and EIN exactly as registered.
- Send it promptly; donors need it by the time they file, and January is the busiest month for requests.
- Keep copies of every receipt together with your donation records.
Frequently asked questions
When does a donor need a written receipt?
In the US, a donor needs a written acknowledgment from the charity for any single gift of $250 or more to deduct it. It must name the organization, give the amount (or describe donated items) and say whether the donor got any goods or services in return.
What if the donor got something in return?
Say what it was and give a good-faith estimate of its value; only the part above that value is a donation. In the US, a payment over $75 that is partly a donation and partly for goods or services (a gala ticket, for example) needs that statement.
Should I put a value on donated items?
Describe the items, but leave valuing them to the donor; the charity is not required to state their value. Use the Value column for cash gifts.
