5 Donation Receipt Templates: Free to Use for Any Charitable Gift

Updated May 27, 2021
Donation Receipt

A donation receipt provides documentation to those who give to your organization and serves as a record for tax purposes. If you are responsible for creating a document like this for your organization, these charitable donation receipt templates make it easy to acknowledge gifts from your donors in a variety of situations.

General Charitable Donation Receipt Template

This simple receipt works perfectly for a wide variety of situations. You can fill in the details for your organization and the type of charitable donation. Simply click to download. If you need help, you can review tips for using Adobe printables.

Receipt for Recurring Charitable Donations

If your organization has a program with regular monthly donations or giving that occurs at recurring intervals, you'll need a receipt template that acknowledges the nature of this type of donation. It's a good idea to include details about the recent activities of your organization on this type of receipt, since it will help regular donors feel connected to your cause.

Text Receipt for Donations

Sending a text receipt is another way thank donors for their support. This offers an immediate response, and you can provide a link for the donor to download a more detailed donation receipt for their records. The text receipt should include all basic information, such as your organization's name, the amount of the donation, and the date.

Email Template for Charitable Donation Receipt

An email is a good way to provide documentation about a charitable donation and thank your donors for their help. You can make the email feel personal by including details about your organization and how the donation will be used.

Non-Profit Donation Receipt Template for Goods

Not all donations are monetary, and it's good to have a special receipt template to acknowledge and document donations of goods. This type of receipt should also include information about the value of the good received.

Basic Non-Profit Donation Receipt Requirements

No matter what type of charity you are responsible for managing, your donation receipt needs to include some basic information. Receipts serve an important purpose from a donor relations perspective and provide you and those who show generosity to your cause with a record of charitable donation transactions that take place. When creating any type of receipt, be sure to include the following information on the form:

  • Name of the organization
  • A statement stating that the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) organization along with its federal tax identification number
  • Date that the donation occurred
  • Donor's name
  • Type of contribution made (cash, goods, service)
  • Value of the contribution
  • If anything was received in exchange for the donation
  • Name and signature of authorized representative of the organization

Tips for Using Donation Receipts

It helps to keep a few tips in mind when you offer receipts for donations, whether those are cash or goods:

  • Legal language is not required on a charitable donation receipt, but can be included if you like. Including legal language can add legitimacy to a receipt. Since many donors use a receipt for tax purposes, adding some legal language can prove that the donation is legitimate and qualifies for a tax deduction.
  • Consider telling the donor how much of the donation is tax-deductible. If you're offering a gift or service in exchange for the donation, you'll need to subtract the value of this from the donation to know how much is tax-deductible.
  • If the entire amount of the donation is tax-deductible, you can add a statement to that effect. A good example is, "No goods or services were exchanged for this donation."
  • Think about including some background details about your organization and your mission. This can be important for the donor and can help them feel appreciated, and it may encourage repeat donation.
  • If your organization is a church, consider sending a donation receipt specifically for religious organizations. A church donation receipt is different from another non-profit in the language used.

Communication and Documentation Are Important

If you're operating a charitable organization, communication and documentation are very important. From the donation request letter you send to the receipt your offer to donors, clearly communicating your needs, the facts of the donation, and your appreciation can help your non-profit organization be successful.

5 Donation Receipt Templates: Free to Use for Any Charitable Gift