A donation receipt is the acknowledgement a nonprofit or charity gives a donor for a contribution. Donors need it for their tax records, and in the US a written acknowledgement is required for gifts of $250 or more. It shows the organisation, the donor, the amount, the date, and the statement about whether anything was given in return.
What to include on a donation receipt
- Your organisation’s name and tax-exempt ID (EIN in the US; charity number elsewhere)
- The donor’s name and the date of the donation
- The amount of a cash gift, or a description of a non-cash gift (without stating its value)
- A statement of whether goods or services were provided in exchange — and their value if so
- An authorised signature
The “no goods or services” statement
US tax rules require the receipt to say whether the donor received anything in return. If they did not, the receipt must state that — this tool prints “No goods or services were provided in exchange for this donation” for you. If the donor received something (an event ticket, a gift), you must describe it and give a good-faith estimate of its value, because only the amount above that is deductible.
Rules differ by country and by the type and size of gift. Confirm your acknowledgement meets your tax authority’s requirements.
How to create a free donation receipt
1Choose your currency and enter your organisation and its tax-exempt ID
2Enter the donor and the date received
3Add the donation amount
4Download the PDF and send it to the donor