Template · Fundraising

Donor thank-you letter and receipt

A warm thank-you letter that also works as the written acknowledgment the IRS requires for gifts of $250 or more.

The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice. Reviewed October 14, 2026.

A thank-you letter is the first step in keeping a donor. It also has a legal job. A donor can't claim a federal tax deduction for any single gift of $250 or more unless they have a "contemporaneous written acknowledgment" from your charity, meaning a letter, email or receipt they get from you by the time they file their tax return (IRS Publication 1771).

According to the IRS, that acknowledgment must include:

the name of your organization
the amount of a cash gift (cash includes checks, cards and online gifts)
a description, but not the value, of a noncash gift
a statement that you gave no goods or services in return, if that is true
if you did give something in return, a description of it and a good-faith estimate of its value
if the only thing given was an intangible religious benefit, a statement saying so

There is no IRS penalty on the charity for skipping it, but your donor loses the deduction, and that is a fast way to lose a donor.

A second rule covers "quid pro quo" gifts, meaning a donor pays more than $75 and gets something back, such as a gala dinner. You must tell the donor in writing that only the amount above the value of what they received is deductible, and give a good-faith estimate of that value. A charity that fails to do this can be fined $10 per contribution, up to $5,000 per event or mailing (IRS).

This template has two versions: one for a gift with nothing given in return, and one for a gift where the donor received something.

How to adapt it

Send it quickly. Within a few days is ideal.
Make the opening personal: name what the gift will do.
Never put a value on a noncash gift (like donated goods). Describe it only. Valuing it is the donor's job.
For donors who give many times a year, you may send one year-end letter that lists each gift, as long as it has all the required items.
Keep a copy of every acknowledgment, in line with your document retention policy.

Preview

Thank-you letter: gift with nothing given in return

[ORGANIZATION NAME]

[ORGANIZATION ADDRESS]

EIN: [EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER]

[DATE]

[DONOR NAME]

[DONOR ADDRESS]

Dear [DONOR FIRST NAME],

Thank you for your generous gift of $[AMOUNT] to [ORGANIZATION NAME], received on [DATE OF GIFT].

[ONE OR TWO SENTENCES ON WHAT THE GIFT WILL DO, FOR EXAMPLE: YOUR GIFT WILL PAY FOR A MONTH OF AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING FOR FOUR STUDENTS.]

[OPTIONAL: ONE SENTENCE OF NEWS OR AN INVITATION, FOR EXAMPLE TO VISIT OR VOLUNTEER.]

With gratitude,

[NAME]

[ROLE]

[ORGANIZATION NAME] is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution. Please keep this letter for your tax records.

Thank-you letter: gift where the donor received something in return

[ORGANIZATION NAME]

[ORGANIZATION ADDRESS]

EIN: [EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER]

[DATE]

[DONOR NAME]

[DONOR ADDRESS]

Dear [DONOR FIRST NAME],

Thank you for your payment of $[TOTAL AMOUNT PAID] to [ORGANIZATION NAME], received on [DATE OF GIFT], in support of [EVENT OR CAMPAIGN NAME].

[ONE OR TWO SENTENCES ON WHAT THE GIFT WILL DO.]

With gratitude,

[NAME]

[ROLE]

[ORGANIZATION NAME] is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In exchange for your contribution, you received [DESCRIBE GOODS OR SERVICES, FOR EXAMPLE TWO DINNER TICKETS], with a good-faith estimated fair market value of $[VALUE]. The amount of your contribution that is deductible for federal income tax purposes is limited to the amount of money you gave ($[TOTAL AMOUNT PAID]) minus the value of the goods or services you received ($[VALUE]), which is $[DIFFERENCE]. Please keep this letter for your tax records.

Thank-you letter: noncash gift

[ORGANIZATION NAME]

[ORGANIZATION ADDRESS]

EIN: [EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER]

[DATE]

[DONOR NAME]

[DONOR ADDRESS]

Dear [DONOR FIRST NAME],

Thank you for your generous donation of [DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS, FOR EXAMPLE TEN BOXES OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN GOOD CONDITION], received on [DATE OF GIFT].

[ONE OR TWO SENTENCES ON HOW THE ITEMS WILL BE USED.]

With gratitude,

[NAME]

[ROLE]

[ORGANIZATION NAME] is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution. We are not able to state a value for donated items. Please keep this letter for your tax records.

Sources

Checked on October 14, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.