Donation Receipt Template
A donation receipt is a written acknowledgment from a charity or nonprofit to a donor, recording the gift, its date and amount or description, and whether the donor received anything in return, so the donor can support a tax deduction. The template below is pre-filled with a sample from Riverside Community Food Bank to Dana Whitfield: 3 lines, $840.00. Edit it and download the PDF.
Pre-filled donation receipt sample ($840.00). Example prices: replace them with your own.
From
Riverside Community Food Bank
12 Market Street
Springfield, IL 62704
billing@example.com
Donation Receipt
Received from
Dana Whitfield
40 Station Road
Fairview, OR 97024
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash gift, general fund | 1 gift | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Gala dinner ticketsEstimated value of the dinner: $85 per ticket | 2 ticket | $150.00 | $300.00 |
| Monthly gift, October | 1 gift | $40.00 | $40.00 |
- Subtotal
- $840.00
- Total paid
- $840.00
Notes
No goods or services were provided in exchange for the cash gifts. For the gala tickets, the part above the dinner's value is $65 per ticket ($150 less $85).
Paid
Made with Billwise - invoice-pdf-maker-app.web.app
Preview of the PDF. Everything stays in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
What is a donation receipt?
A donation receipt is a written acknowledgment from a charity or nonprofit to a donor, recording the gift, its date and amount or description, and whether the donor received anything in return, so the donor can support a tax deduction.
The tool prints it with the heading "Donation Receipt" and behaves as a receipt, marked as paid.
Sample donation receipt: Riverside Community Food Bank to Dana Whitfield
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash gift, general fund | 1 gift | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| Gala dinner tickets (Estimated value of the dinner: $85 per ticket) | 2 ticket | $150.00 | $300.00 |
| Monthly gift, October | 1 gift | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Total paid | $840.00 |
When to use a donation receipt
- A donor gives money, goods or securities to a registered charity or nonprofit.
- A supporter buys a ticket to a fundraising dinner or auction where part of the price pays for a benefit.
- A donor asks for a year-end summary of their gifts for a tax return.
- Someone donates goods such as furniture, clothing or equipment and needs a record of what was given.
What a donation receipt must include
- Organisation's legal name, address and tax-exempt status or charity number
- Donor's name and address
- Receipt number and the date of the gift
- Amount of a cash gift, or a description (not a value) of a non-cash gift
- A statement of whether any goods or services were given in return
- A good-faith estimate of the value of anything given in return
- Name or signature of an authorised person
Donation Receipt vs similar documents
-
vs sales receipt
A sales receipt records a purchase; a donation receipt records a gift and, for US donors, states whether anything was received in return.
-
vs cash receipt
A cash receipt confirms a payment for something; a donation receipt confirms a gift and carries the wording a donor needs for a tax claim.
-
vs payment receipt
Membership dues or event tickets paid to a nonprofit are payments with a benefit, so only the part above the value received can count as a donation.
Legal and tax note
In the United States, a donor needs a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity to deduct any single contribution of $250 or more, and for a payment of more than $75 that is partly a gift and partly for goods or services the charity must give a written statement estimating their value (IRS Publication 1771).
General information, not legal or tax advice.
How to make a donation receipt
-
Open the pre-filled sample
The tool above starts as "Donation Receipt" from Riverside Community Food Bank to Dana Whitfield.
-
Replace the parties
Enter your business and your customer, plus tax-exempt status and date of gift.
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Edit the lines
Change the 3 sample lines ($840.00 in total) to your own items and prices.
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Check the required fields
Make sure all 7 fields listed above are filled, then download the PDF.
Trades that use a donation receipt
Frequently asked questions
Who issues a donation receipt, the donor or the charity?
The charity or nonprofit issues it to the donor. A donor cannot write their own receipt to support a tax deduction.
Should a donation receipt state the value of donated goods?
For non-cash gifts, US charities describe the items but are not expected to value them; the donor is responsible for the value claimed. Cash gifts are stated at the amount received.
Can I send one receipt for a whole year of donations?
Yes, many charities send an annual summary listing each gift with its date and amount, as long as the donor has it by the time they file the tax return the gifts are claimed on.