Donation Receipts for Donor Tax-Exempt Giving: Essential Strategies on Donation Receipts for Nonprofits and Charitable Contributions for Nonprofit Fundraising Success

Acknowledging the need for precise records is vital for your nonprofit's well-being, transparency, and compliance with local laws. Tasks like sending donation receipts might seem a bit tedious, but it's not something you can skip out on- the IRS requires donors to have a receipt for any contribution above $250 for tax deductions.

However, rather than seeing this as just a duty, there's a significant opportunity here. Keeping track of who gives what and when is a great way to understand and connect with our donors. Instead of treating the donation receipt as just paperwork, it makes sense to improve this process. You can make it more efficient by using a platform like Paybee for automation.

What is a Donation Receipt Letter?

A donation receipt letter is a written acknowledgment the charitable organization provides upon receiving a donation. It doesn't have to take the form of a traditional receipt- it can be a letter, a card, or an email containing crucial details that validate the donation.

Ensuring that a donation receipt letter includes all necessary details is essential before presenting it to the donor. While the charitable organization may not face penalties, an improperly filled or incomplete donation receipt letter could damage "donor relations" by potentially being disallowed by the IRS.

Several online fundraising platforms, including Paybee, can automate donation receipts for you. Our platform will automatically populate your donation receipts with the transaction details of each donor. This feature ensures that you remain compliant with IRS requirements without having to manually update the information.

Why Are Donation Receipts Crucial for Nonprofits?

Charitable receipts play a pivotal role in monitoring donations and ensuring compliance with the IRS- for nonprofits, these receipts hold heightened importance as they contribute to reducing the income tax liabilities for the organization and the contributing employees. This reciprocal benefit encourages continued contributions. Nonprofits also require charitable receipts for various reasons:

Legal Compliance

The IRS mandates donors to provide donation receipts in specific cases. Failure to furnish the required receipt can result in penalties, with a fee of $10 per contribution and potential costs reaching up to $5,000 for each specific campaign.

Recording Donation History

Collating donation receipts is a significant method for tracking the donation histories of individual supporters within an organization.

Accounting Purposes

Donation receipts are integral for maintaining accurate and transparent financial records for organizations. They also document any goods or services provided to other charitable entities.

Receipt Manager

The efficient management of receipts is emphasized to ensure compliance and accurate record-keeping.

When Should You Provide Donation Receipts?

It is recommended to consistently send a donation receipt for every donation, ensuring that donors don't have to request acknowledgment. Recognizing the benefits and opportunities it offers, issuing receipts should be considered an essential practice for your organization.

While it might be possible to manage for a short period without furnishing receipts, it's crucial to note that donors can only claim a tax deduction with official written confirmation, potentially discouraging them from contributing. Beginning the donation receipting process can be challenging, especially without the right systems, making it time-consuming. Some nonprofits opt to set a threshold for issuing receipts, such as sending them only to those who donate more than $20.

As mentioned earlier, leveraging nonprofit management software such as Paybee is an effective solution, automating the process and ensuring prompt issuance of receipts after each contribution. An important tip to remember is that, for donations made in the United States, donors must receive written communication for any monetary contribution of less than $250 to be eligible for a tax return. This can include a thank-you note acknowledging the contribution. However, for contributions of $250 or more, such as a donation receipt, a written acknowledgment is necessary for donors to claim tax returns.

The 6 Types of Donation Receipts

Various receipts fall under the category of donation receipts, and here are some instances.

Charitable donation receipts

This document functions as an acknowledgment of donations from donors, confirming the reception of their contributions. It may be presented as a letter, email, or receipt, including all necessary information essential for tax-related purposes- if the donation surpasses $250, it becomes eligible as a charitable donation receipt.

In-Kind Donation Receipt

Issued when gifts are in goods and services, in-kind donation receipts indicate that no monetary transaction was involved. When gifts come as goods, they hold a monetary value, making the receipt usable for tax purposes. However, if the gift is a service, it is not tax-deductible. For goods received, the donor determines their value, not the nonprofit. This receipt should include a detailed description of the gift.

Cash Donation Receipt

Generated when a donor contributes through cash, this receipt validates the transaction and serves as a document for the donor to use when deducting taxes. Such receipts are only created at the donor's request.

Stock Gift Donation Receipt

This receipt is crafted when a donor provides a nonprofit with a contribution in the form of stocks from a corporation. It includes information like the number of stock shares and the company's name. However, it does not specify or ascertain the value of the stocks. Instead, sending a follow-up letter containing the value of the shares is considered a best practice.

Silent Auction Receipts

Given to every individual purchasing at a silent auction organized by a nonprofit, this receipt provides details such as the participant's name, the names and values of the items acquired, the organization's name, and the event date.

Year-End Donation Receipts

This important receipt is something every nonprofit should send to donors, especially those who contribute regularly, as mandated by federal law- these receipts enable donors to claim tax deductions for their contributions. Paybee simplifies the process, allowing nonprofits to send year-end donation receipts to donors with just a single click.

IRS Guidelines for Charitable Contributions 

To guarantee a donor's eligibility for a tax deduction, every charity-issued receipt must include six crucial elements. Any omission of these elements may affect the donor's ability to claim a tax deduction for charitable contributions, as the IRS rigorously disapproves of charitable deductions in cases of receipt errors.

Name of the Charity and Donor

The receipt must contain both the name of the charity and the donor's name. While additional details such as the charity's address and EIN are often provided, they are not mandatory. However, donors should keep records of the charity's address for tax purposes.

Date of the Contribution

Although not technically required, the contribution date is crucial. Donors must maintain records of donation dates, but the receipt can be valid in the absence of other documentation. Careful reporting of the correct date is essential, especially around year-end transactions. The postmark date on the transmittal envelope is considered the contribution date for mailed checks, while credit card donations reflect the charge date.

Detailed Description of the Property Donated

Cash donations should be explicitly mentioned on the receipt. For non-cash donations, a detailed description of each item should be provided. Real property donations benefit from including the physical address, facilitating IRS matching to property appraisals. Stock donations require reporting the number of shares and the company name.

Amount of the Contribution (for Cash Donations Only)

The dollar amount must be specified on the receipt when cash is donated. For non-cash items, the receipt should never include a value. Donors are responsible for obtaining proper valuations for non-cash contributions, and charities should refrain from providing values to avoid potential liabilities.

Statement Regarding Goods or Services Exchange

The receipt must include whether goods or services were provided in exchange for the contribution. A simple statement like "No goods or services were provided in exchange for this donation" suffices.

Value of Goods or Services (if Applicable) and a Statement on Limited Tax Deduction

If the charity provides goods or services to the donor, the receipt should disclose their value. This is known as "quid pro quo" and is crucial for donations exceeding $75. The receipt should include a statement specifying that the tax-deductible contribution for income tax purposes is limited to the amount exceeding the value of the goods or services received. This protects the charity from potential disputes and ensures clarity for the donor.

Charities should exercise caution in reporting stock values on receipts and carefully craft wording to avoid implying the exact tax deduction allowed for the donor. Special exceptions exist for minimal values, such as the token exception, membership benefits exception, and intangible religious benefits, with specific rules beyond the scope of this article.

When to Send a Donation Receipt

There are several key times to consider when deciding when to send donation receipts:

Immediately After a Donation is Made

Automation tools like Paybee's donation receipt generator enable instant acknowledgment of gifts or ticket purchases.

Upon Request

Nonprofits without automatic receipt systems often send acknowledgments when requested by supporters for tax deduction purposes. Your nonprofit CRM can help streamline this process.

For Annual Reporting

End-of-year giving reports are crucial for compiling a donor’s yearly gifts for tax purposes.

After Special Gift Contributions

Receipts are also sent for recurring donations, matched gifts, in-kind donations, and other unique situations.

How to Create Donation Receipts 

Follow these five steps to build a donation receipt that checks all the boxes.

Step 1: Automate

Automating your donation receipts saves time and keeps you organized. Donation receipts can come in many shapes and sizes, each with its own form of automation:

Email: Especially for donations made online, email is a practical medium for sending donation receipts. Many organizations save time by setting up a donation receipt template for automatic donation receipts through a CRM.

Direct Mail: Donation receipts also travel via snail mail. And, with a letter builder, you can also create a free, printable donation receipt template to use again and again.

Text Message: For tech-savvy donors, a donation letter via SMS can work just fine. Craft your donation receipt with texting tools to send immediate yet personal thank-you blasts when donations come in.

Step 2: Personalize

While donation receipt letters may seem like just another task to check off the to-do list, it’s crucial to remember that acknowledging gifts is more than just a nonprofit hassle. When done effectively, donation receipts present a prime opportunity to connect with supporters and make them feel valued. This is where personalization becomes key.

In your CRM, organize supporter data with filters, labels, and tags so you know who you’re thanking, and why. With merge fields, you can automatically address each supporter by first and last name, include specific donation amounts, and even the specific campaign they contributed to.

Step 3: Make it Yours

Great donation receipts should always include branded elements in order to remind supporters of who you are. Plus, a little branding always helps stick out from run-of-the-mill spam. Just like creating custom donation forms, specific design elements reinforce your organization’s identity and serve to bolster your connection with supporters.

Create a donation receipt template that speaks to your organization by including:

• Your organization’s logo
• Your brand colors and fonts
• Branded illustrations or graphics

Step 4: Show Your Gratitude

Donor stewardship involves lots of gratitude every step of the way. When creating your donation receipt, be sure to emphasize the impact of a donor’s gift with specificity. Instead of only including the factual details of a contribution, create a custom thank-you message that mentions specifics around the impact of a donation.

Provide details about specific groups or beneficiaries that were helped by the donor’s contribution, how a donor’s gift helped pay for crucial operating costs, or why their contribution is particularly relevant during a specific time or season. It’ll make all the difference! Plus, you can make it pop with embedded video testimonials, photos, and even GIFs.

Step 5: Inspire

Donation receipt templates serve not only to acknowledge past gifts but also as a means to inspire future giving. When supporters feel appreciated and thanked, they are more likely to donate again- this is where strategic call-to-actions come in.

To maintain the giving momentum, great donation receipt templates often include:

• Your nonprofit’s contact information for further communication
• Social media icons and links for following
• QR codes for supporters to scan to donate, which link to your campaign, donation page, or form.

FAQs on Donation Receipts for Nonprofits

When does the IRS require donation receipts?

The IRS mandates donation receipts in three situations: for donations exceeding $250, when the donor receives goods or services in exchange for a donation exceeding $75, and upon donor request.

How can nonprofits ensure compliance with IRS requirements?

To adhere to IRS regulations, nonprofits must meticulously follow the specified guidelines for donation receipts. The good news is that they can utilize electronic receipts- these can either be printed and dispatched via traditional mail or signed digitally and conveyed to the donor through email.

Regarding security, these receipts should be read-only or non-editable, safeguarded against digital threats with suitable software and encryption, and affixed with a secure electronic signature. Maintaining control over this electronic signature is imperative, entrusting it to a responsible individual duly authorized by the charity. Additionally, preserving copies of email-issued receipts contributes to the overall security and integrity of the donation acknowledgment process.

Can donation receipts be sent electronically?

Certainly, donation receipts can be sent electronically. The IRS accepts both paper and electronic formats, provided the electronic receipt meets specific criteria, including being easily accessible, legible, and printable by the donor.

How long should nonprofits keep copies of donation receipts?

Nonprofit organizations should keep duplicates of donation receipts for at least seven years. This time frame is consistent with the record-keeping period recommended by the IRS, which guarantees adherence to potential audit requirements.

What should nonprofits do if a donor requests a receipt for a previous donation?

If a donor requests a receipt for a previous donation, nonprofits should promptly provide the requested documentation. Maintaining organized records and being responsive to donor inquiries is important to maintain a positive relationship.

Can you make use of a donation receipt template?

Yes, you can start by designing the layout of your donation receipt, ensuring it complies with all legal requirements. Then, tailor this fundamental template to the specific donation type, non-cash contributions, or monetary support. Make it a practice to annually review your donation receipt templates and make any necessary adjustments.

Summing Up: Importance of a Nonprofit Donation Receipt

A nonprofit donation receipt serves as confirmation for any donation made by a donor, verifying the receipt of their gift. They can take the form of a letter, email, or receipt, including all essential details required for tax purposes- if the donation exceeds $250, it qualifies as a charitable donation receipt. Nonprofit entities might need to provide these receipts as the need arises. Organizations must stay well-prepared, ensuring that donation receipts are readily available for donors. To streamline this process effortlessly, nonprofits can opt for fundraising platforms like Paybee. These platforms can seamlessly generate one-off donation receipts and year-end receipts for donors.