MAKE THE DOCUMENT WORK FOR YOUR SITUATION
About this donation receipt
A donation acknowledgment records a contribution and explains whether the donor received goods or services. It supports recordkeeping, but it does not establish tax-exempt status or determine the donor’s deduction.
When to use it
- A charitable organization receives cash or noncash property.
- The donor needs a contemporaneous acknowledgment with the required information.
- A contribution includes benefits that need a separate good-faith value disclosure.
What to gather before completing it
- Verify the receiving organization’s legal name, EIN, and tax-status statement.
- Record the contribution date, actual cash amount, and separate description of donated property.
- State whether goods or services were provided; describe and estimate benefits where appropriate.
- Check IRS substantiation and quid pro quo disclosure requirements for the particular contribution.
- Use separate guidance for donated vehicles, noncash substantiation, restricted gifts, and unusual benefits.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assigning the donor’s tax value to noncash property in the receipt.
- Omitting the goods-or-services statement.
- Treating a sponsorship with advertising benefits as automatically fully deductible.
- Using an EIN as proof that every payment to the organization is deductible.
After you complete the document
- Issue the acknowledgment promptly and keep a copy with contribution records.
- Reconcile the receipt with bank, gift, and restriction records.
- Correct errors transparently and retain the correction trail.
What the template includes
The online builder and downloaded documents use the same fields. A selected state can add relevant research prompts. Complete only applicable items; add explanations for exceptions rather than assuming a blank entry resolves them.
Document details4 inputs +
Set the date, jurisdiction, and your internal reference.
- Document date *
- US state *
- County
- Document reference
People & organizations8 inputs +
Use legal names and current contact information.
- Charitable organization legal name *
- Charitable organization address *
- Charitable organization email
- Charitable organization phone
- Donor legal name *
- Donor address *
- Donor email
- Donor phone
Contribution details12 inputs +
Describe noncash property without assigning the donor’s tax value.
- Receipt number *
- Organization EIN
- Organization tax-status statement
- Contribution date *
- Contribution type
- Cash amount (USD)
- Noncash property description
- Donor restriction / campaign
- Goods or services provided?
- Goods or services description
- Good-faith benefit value estimate (USD)
- Authorized organization representative *
Additional details & signing7 inputs +
Add attachments, exceptions, and the names of authorized signers.
- Attachments / supporting records
- Exceptions / additional terms
- First signer printed name
- First signer title
- Second signer printed name
- Second signer title
- Signing date
Practical tips
- For a contribution of $250 or more, the IRS calls for a contemporaneous written acknowledgment with specified information.
- A quid pro quo contribution over $75 generally requires the charity’s written disclosure, including a good-faith estimate of the provided benefits. Exceptions can apply.
- Receipt wording does not make an organization tax-exempt or establish the donor’s allowable deduction. Verify the organization’s status and the transaction.