Have you ever donated to your favorite charities or for worthy causes to help certain advocacies? If so, you would have received a donation receipt that details your contributions. It basically stands as a proof that you made a contribution. If you are a member of an organization and you accept donations, then you must have your own donation receipt template.
Donation Receipt Templates
What should be on a donation receipt?
A donation receipt template should comply with particular requirements when it comes to the information it contains. You should include this information to make your document useful and official.
Moreover, you can only issue a donation receipt under the name of the individual who made the donation. If you plan to create your own template, make sure to include the following information:
- The name of the benefactor or donor.
- The date when the benefactor or donor made the donation.
- The name of your organization, association or group along with your federal TIN and notice that states that you’re registered.
- The total amount donated by the donor or benefactor.
- In the case of non-monetary donations, a list of the items, and their descriptions.
- A declaration that states if there were any commodities or services given in exchange for the donation. If there wasn’t any exchange involved, state this too.
- The name of an authorized representative of your organization and their signature.
- A disclosure statement.
Other helpful details to include
Aside from the required information stated above, the inclusion of the following information can also be very helpful in your donation receipt template:
- How you used the contributions and donations
In the case of monetary contributions, you should describe how you used the money for the betterment of your organization. For donations other than monetary, state in your receipt to whom you gave the items or what you used them for. - The objectives and goals of your organization
Stating these in your receipt will be highly appreciated by your benefactors. They would like to know how they can further help your organization to achieve your goals. - Updates about your organization
You may also use your receipt to request benefactors to participate in volunteer activities you might have in mind for the future.
These suggestions aren’t official but instead, they may serve as part of the acknowledgment of the help that the donors have given to your organization. When you include this information in your goodwill donation receipt, it enhances the possibility of your beneficiaries to make more donations in the future.
charitable donation receipts
How do I write a donation receipt?
You need to pay attention to the layout of your donation receipt template when you intend to create the template yourself. If applicable, adding a logo to the layout makes it easier for the donor to see the sender without having to read the entire receipt.
If you plan to have your receipts printed, make sure they are printer-friendly. You may also want to consider making your receipt more like a letter to give it a personal appearance. Of course, this isn’t necessary if you prefer it to look like a receipt. Additionally, base your template on the charity type you’re promoting.
Also, make sure that your template for the non-profit donation receipt is both professional and versatile. There are many things you can do to make sure your receipt includes everything and still looks impressive.
A great way to achieve this is by downloading a template. With a template, you can customize the perfect receipt for your organization. Your donors will appreciate your efforts when they receive the receipt you will sending them after they make a donation.
What can you do with goodwill donation receipt?
One great benefit you can get from a charitable donation receipt is that you can use it to claim a tax deduction for household property and clothing that you may itemize in your taxes. You as the donor will place value on the donated goods.
When you do this, make sure not to abuse the privilege by overvaluing items. The consequence of this is to get audited. To avoid overvaluing, use a Donation Value Guide to give you an idea of how to appraise your donated items.
Goodwill Donation Receipts
How to write a donation receipt letter?
Aside from creating a donation receipt template, you can also opt to write a donation receipt letter for your benefactors. This is a simple letter that you can type in any word processing software you’re comfortable with. Here are some steps to guide you:
- Start with the heading
Just like most letters, this one starts with a heading and this includes the date when you wrote the letter and the recipient’s address. At times, to make the letter look more professional, you may add your organization’s tagline or logo here too. - Follow with a formal greeting
Address this greeting to the recipient of your letter. Just like a standard letter, the greeting should also state the name of your letter’s recipient. - Include a notice of receipt
The first paragraph should mention the notice of receipt addressed to the donor. The letter should state exactly what you received, the worth of the item (or the total amount), when you received the donation, and where you received it. - State your mission
The next important thing that your letter should mention is the mission of your organization and what your organization plans to do with the received donation. Stating gives the benefactors more confidence in your organization. - Add a call-to-action
Although it may sound inappropriate to give a call of action to donate and help again, this can actually be a great way to do just that. While business organizations spend large amounts of money to determine the audience group that they should sell their products to, charitable organizations can also try to get donations from those who have already given donations. - Include a receipt
After affixing your signature to the letter, make sure to include a physical receipt either on another sheet of paper or right at the bottom of your letter. If you can add perforations, the benefactor can easily rip off the receipt and keep it in their files. You can also print it with a dotted line so your donor can cut the attachment with a pair of scissors.