Your Guide for the Perfect Tax-Compliant Receipt

Download this template to ensure you have all the necessary information on your donation receipts.

 

Are you ready for a receipt revamp? If your donation receipts are stale – or if they don’t have all the information required for your 501(c)(3) organization – it’s time to rethink them.

Download our free Tax-Compliant Donation Receipt Template to create a compelling and comprehensive donation receipt for your organization. 

Crafted by our fundraising experts, this template includes a warm thank-you message, a call to reach out with any questions, and an encouraging note to stay involved. Plus, it shares all the necessary information so your donors can enjoy the full benefits of their tax-deductible gift.

How to Write A Nonprofit Donation Receipt

Like any receipt, a donation receipt provides crucial information about a transaction. However, instead of making a return, a donation receipt serves another vital function – it helps your donors secure their tax deduction for their gift. 

A donation receipt is also an opportunity to share gratitude with your donors for their gift. That’s why most nonprofit receipts include a thank-you message along with the following crucial information about the gift: 

  •  Donation amount
  •  Donation date
  •  Donation type such as cash, bank transfer, stock, etc.
  • The organization’s EIN 
  • The donor’s contact information
  • The organization’s contact information
  • If any goods or services were given in exchange for this gift
  • Any specific fund or purpose attached to the donation

Including all of this information gives your donors everything they need when it comes time to do their taxes. A detailed receipt also helps organizations keep track of donations if anything should happen with their own records.

When it comes time to write your receipt, start by drafting your heartfelt thank you. You might create different receipt copy for each campaign, or you might use the same receipt copy for all donations. However you approach it, including a gratitude statement ensures that each gift is properly appreciated.

Next, compile all the information listed above. Then, download our Tax-Compliant Donation Receipt template to help you structure your receipt. The template also includes a statement of gratitude that you can use and edit to make your own.

When should you send tax-compliant donation receipts? 

The short answer: as soon as possible! A good rule of thumb is to send out your donation receipts no later than two days after you’ve received the donation. However, with online fundraising, donors are expecting a much quicker acknowledgment. That’s where Donorbox can help!

When someone gives using your Donorbox donation form, they will automatically receive a receipt with all the necessary information. You can customize this receipt for every campaign, too. Donors will never be concerned that their transaction didn’t go through!

Tips for writing your receipt 

  • Read your donation receipt draft out loud. This will help you catch any small errors that you might have missed while writing.
  • Share your draft with a team member. Sometimes fresh eyes can catch things that we might miss, and a second look can offer feedback on the tone of your receipt. 
  • Add all the crucial information first, then focus on your gratitude message.
  • Download our Tax-Compliant Donation Receipt to streamline the writing process!

For more assistance writing a tax-compliant donation receipt, check out this blog. Plus, learn how easy it is to send year-end tax receipts with Donorbox.

With the right resources, your organization can send tax-compliant, grateful receipts in no time!

About Donorbox

Donorbox aims to provide nonprofits with simple, effective tools to manage their fundraising activities, form better relationships with their donors, and build sustainable growth for their organization.

As one of the industry’s top fundraising platforms, Donorbox offers a variety of products, including donate buttons, embedded fundraising forms, custom fundraising pages, Text-to-Give, Peer-to-Peer, crowdfunding campaigns & more.

Donorbox is free to sign up, with no contracts and no montly fees. Along with the lowest processing fees in the industry, we have all the tools you'll ever need to get your mission from start to sustainability to success!