Founder tool

Donation receipt builder

Fill in the gift and get a thank-you acknowledgment with everything the IRS asks for, ready to copy into a letter or an email, or to download.

Your organization's name

Your EIN (optional)Your 9-digit Employer Identification Number, like 12-3456789. It's on your IRS letter.

Donor's name

How was the gift given?

CashCheckCard or online paymentProperty (goods, stock, equipment: anything that isn't money)

Date you received it

Amount of a money gift ($) (optional)For cash, check, card or online gifts. Leave blank for property.

Description of donated property (for property gifts)What it is and its condition, like “a used oak baby crib and matching dresser”. Never a dollar value: the charity doesn't value donated property.

Did the donor get anything in return?

Nothing. The donor got nothing back.Something: a dinner, a ticket, a gift or another benefitOnly intangible religious benefits (religious organizations only)

If something: what did they receive? (optional)Like “a dinner at our spring gala” or “two concert tickets”.

If something: your good-faith estimate of its value ($) (optional)What it would cost to buy, not what it cost you. A $40 dinner is worth $40 even if it was donated.

Signed by (optional)

Their title (optional)

Your answers aren't stored or saved in the page address. To keep a copy, download or copy the text.

Your acknowledgment will appear here

Fill in the gift, and you'll get the letter's text with every statement the IRS asks for, a checklist of what it includes and why, and a file to download. Nothing you type is stored or put in the page address.

Golden hint

Send it within a few days, and keep a copy of every acknowledgment you send. One year-end letter listing each gift also works, if it has everything for each one.

The rules in plain words

The full guide: thanking donors the way the IRS requires.

When donors need it: for any single gift of $250 or more, a donor can't claim a federal tax deduction without a written acknowledgment from you. Smaller gifts don't add up toward the $250, but a thank-you with the same wording never hurts.
When to send it: it must be “contemporaneous”, meaning the donor has it by the date they file their tax return for that year, or the return's due date with extensions if earlier. Charities usually send them by January 31 of the next year at the latest.
Letter, email or receipt: there's no IRS form. A letter, postcard, email or computer-generated receipt is fine if it has the required wording. The donor keeps it; they don't attach it to their return.
When the donor got something back: if a payment over $75 was partly for goods or services (a gala dinner, a ticket), you must tell the donor in writing how much is deductible and give your good-faith estimate of what they received. Small token items with your logo and some low-cost membership benefits are exceptions; the IRS adjusts those limits for inflation each year.
Keep a copy: of every acknowledgment, with your gift records, in line with your document retention policy.

Source: IRS Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (Rev. 11-2023), checked October 21, 2026. Vehicles, boats and planes worth over $500, and conservation easements, have their own rules not covered here. See also our donor thank-you letter template.

General information, not legal or tax advice. If you're unsure, ask your accountant.