Donation Receipt Format
Acknowledges a donation received.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
Received with thanks from [donor] the sum of $ [amount] by [method] on October 14, 2026, under receipt no. [receipt no.].
The donation will be applied towards [purpose]. No goods or services were provided in return for this donation.
Thank you for your support. Please retain this receipt for your records.
What is a Donation Receipt?
A donation receipt is the written acknowledgement a charity, trust, temple, school or society gives a donor confirming what was received and when. Donors keep it as their record, and many will not give again without one. Where the gift is tax-deductible, the receipt is usually the evidence the donor's revenue authority expects, so one missing the organisation's registration details can leave a genuine donor unable to claim anything at all.
Treasurers of small associations issue these as often as large NGOs do: sports clubs, parent associations, places of worship, animal shelters, alumni funds, disaster appeals. The situations vary — cash dropped in a collection box, a bank transfer, a standing order, a gift of goods, or a single annual statement summarising a year of monthly giving. Corporate donors and grant-making bodies almost always require one before releasing further funds, and auditors of the receiving organisation will sample receipts against the bank statement.
Prescribed content differs sharply. The IRS expects a written acknowledgement for US gifts at or above a stated threshold, including a statement of whether goods or services were provided in return. The CRA sets mandatory elements for official Canadian donation receipts. In India, receipts supporting a claim under the Income Tax Act commonly carry the trust's approval and registration details, and cash gifts above a limit are not deductible at all. UK Gift Aid works through a donor declaration rather than the receipt. Check the current rules for your jurisdiction.
A receipt does not make a donation deductible. That depends on the organisation's registered or approved status, and issuing receipts you are not entitled to issue creates a problem for both sides. It is not proof of that status either — a donor checking you out should look you up on the public register. It is not a contract, so it does not bind anyone to a future pledge, and in several systems it is the donor, not the charity, who must value donated goods.
What to put in a Donation Receipt
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Your tax registration no. optional | For example: EIN 47-3821590 |
| Customer name | For example: Halliwell Interiors Inc. |
| Receipt no. | For example: RCPT-2026-0442 |
| Amount received | For example: 2,400.00 |
| Paid by | Free text |
| Applied towards | For example: the after-school reading programme |
| Signatory name optional | For example: K. Srinivasa Rao |
| Signatory designation optional | For example: Honorary Secretary |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Donation Receipt
Lead with the organisation's legal name and registration
Use the registered legal name, not the trading or campaign name, plus the registered address and whatever identifier your jurisdiction requires: charity number, EIN, ABN, PAN or approval reference. A donor's tax office matches on those. A receipt headed only with a logo and a campaign slogan will not support a claim.
Record the date, amount and payment method
State the date the money was actually received, the amount in figures, the currency, and how it came in — cash, cheque number, bank transfer reference, card, or online platform. Where cash rules apply a threshold, the method decides whether the gift qualifies, so it is not a detail you can leave to the covering letter.
Describe donated goods without pricing them
For gifts in kind, describe what arrived and its condition: '12 folding chairs, used, sound frames, minor scuffs' rather than 'chairs worth £600'. In several systems valuation is the donor's responsibility and a charity that assigns a figure has overstepped. Describe accurately enough that an assessor could form their own view of value.
State whether anything was given in return
If the donor received a gala dinner, a raffle entry, a place at an event, merchandise or advertising, say so and describe it. Where a benefit is given, only the excess over its value is typically treated as a gift. A line reading 'no goods or services were provided in return for this donation' is what the substantiation rules in some countries actually require.
Number the receipt and sign it
Give every receipt a unique sequential number and keep a matching copy or ledger entry. Have an authorised officer sign it and print their name and role. If a duplicate is ever issued because the donor lost theirs, mark it clearly as a duplicate of the original number so it cannot be used to claim twice.
Common mistakes
- Sending a warm thank-you letter with no amount, date or registration number gives the donor nothing they can use to substantiate the gift.
- Leaving out the statement about goods or services provided in return can invalidate the receipt where local substantiation rules require that wording.
- Putting a value on donated goods in a system where valuation is the donor's responsibility exposes both the charity and the donor at assessment.
- Receipting a pledge before the money has actually arrived overstates income and leaves a receipt in circulation for a gift that may never come.
- Issuing replacement receipts without marking them as duplicates opens the door to the same donation being claimed twice and is exactly what an audit looks for.
Frequently asked questions
Is a donation receipt required by law?
It depends where you are and what the donor wants to do. Many jurisdictions do not compel a charity to issue one, but the donor cannot claim tax relief without acceptable evidence, and several revenue authorities specify what that evidence must contain. Some, including Canada, regulate the content of official receipts closely. Check the rules that apply to your organisation before designing your format.
What should a donation receipt include?
At minimum: the organisation's legal name, address and registration identifier; the donor's name; the date received; the amount and currency or a description of the goods; the payment method; a unique receipt number; a statement about anything given in return; and an authorised signature. Your own jurisdiction may add required wording, so check the current list before printing a batch.
Can I claim tax relief without a receipt?
Usually not, and where small gifts are treated more leniently the concession is narrow and specific. Bank records may help but often do not carry the charity's registration details, which is what an assessor looks for. If a receipt has gone missing, ask the organisation for a duplicate marked as such rather than reconstructing one yourself.
Can I issue a receipt for donated goods?
Yes, and you should — but describe rather than value. Record what was given, its quantity and its condition, and note that it was a gift in kind. In several systems the donor determines and supports the value claimed, sometimes with an independent valuation above a threshold. Check the rule before writing any figure on the receipt.
Do I need a separate receipt for every donation?
Not always. Regular givers are often sent one consolidated annual statement listing each payment with its date and amount, which is accepted in many places and is far less work. What matters is that the individual gifts are itemised, not merged into one total, and that the statement carries the same registration details as a single receipt would.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.