46 Free Donation Receipt Templates (501c3, Non-Profit)

All businesses and organizations including non-profit firms are liable to tax compliance, meaning they should provide transparent and accurate accounts and documentation of their transactions.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides a section referred to as the Itemized Deductions that allows the exception of gifts and donations obtained from charitable contributions. Qualified organizations that receive tax-deductible donations are expected to provide proof of how they received their contribution by documenting donation receipts.

A donation receipt is an official document that provides evidence of donations or gifts given to an organization by donors.

Donations are mostly tax-deductible, but taxpayers are not let off with just their word, they need to provide proof that a particular amount of property was acquired through donation. Hence, the purpose of a donation receipt is to assist in filling taxes in compliance with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Free Donation Receipt Templates

Free donation receipt template 01

Cash Donation Receipt Template 02

Donation receipt template 03

Downloadable donation receipt template in Word 04

Printable donation receipt template 05

Free donation receipt template 06

Editable donation receipt template 07

Comprehensive donation receipt template 08

Simplified donation receipt template 09

Free Word donation receipt template 10

Modern donation receipt template 11

Customizable donation receipt template 12

Comprehensive donation receipt template 13

Simplified donation receipt template in printable format 14

Free donation receipt template in Word format 15

Modern donation receipt template with printable 16

Customizable donation receipt template 17

Printable donation receipt template 18

Free printable donation receipt template 19

Editable donation receipt template 20

    How Much Tax- Deduction Can a Donor Claim?

    Under the IRS Itemized Deduction section, the donors can have their cash or property donations reimbursed, specifically those that are above 250 dollars and are made to renowned organizations. Therefore, organizations are expected to send donation receipts to their donors to serve as proof that they made the donation and are liable for tax deductions.  IRS permits donors to deduct or exempt a maximum of 50% of their total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of the period the donation was made.

    What IRS Considers as Charity

    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) defines a charitable organization as one that exists for more than one charitable purpose in society. Donors should first confirm with 501(c)(3) Charity list before making donations to verify if the charity is eligible for tax deductions under the IRS guidelines.  The IRS gives high priority to the following as being part of the charity.

    • Religious Organizations are considered as a charity by the IRS, which include churches, mosques, and temples among other religious institutions.
    • IRS considers non-profit educational centers as charitable organizations.
    • Non-profit medical facilities also qualify as charity organizations according to IRS
    • Red cross and goodwill organizations are recognized by the IRS as charitable organizations.
    • Children orphanages and animal orphanages as well are part of charity organizations identified by the IRS.

    Non- charity organizations

    However, some organizations do not qualify as part of charity based on IRS analysis.  Such organizations include:

    • Sports club
    • A voluntary gift is given to another person
    • Contributions from political leaders
    • Civil and local groups
    • SACCOS and trade unions

    Printable donation receipt template 01

    Easy-to-use donation receipt template in editable Word format 02

    Downloadable donation receipt template 03

    Word donation receipt template 04

      Types of Donations Recognized by the IRS

      Donations given to charity may take many forms depending on the purpose or mission the charity organization seeks to achieve. Cash is the most common type of donation, however, other forms of donations may include non-cash donations also known as donations in kind, and may include; clothing, food, property among others. A donation receipt should be issued to donors indicating the type of donation offered, the date the donation was made, the name of the organization that received the donation and the donor, and the value of the donation.

      Cash payments

      Cash payments are donations contributed by donors to charity in form of cash. A cash donation template contains the date of the donation, the name of the donor, the organization that will receive the donation, and the amount being donated.

      Below is a sample of a cash donation template:

      First Name: ____________________
      Last Name: ____________________
      Address: ____________________
      City/State/Zip: ____________________
      Home Phone: ____________________
      Cell Phone: ____________________
      Email: ____________________

      Enclosed is my tax-deductible gift of

      $ ____________________

      I would like my donation applied toward:

      __________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________

      Please make checks, corporate matches, and other donations payable to:

      Gift will be matched by: ____________________

      Organization Name: ____________________

      Branding/Logo

      Please keep my donation confidential

      Personal property (in-kind) donation

      Personal Property donations include giving contributions in terms of clothing, furniture, art, household items, among other necessities required by the charity. The donation receipt that captures personal property donations should consist of the name of the item being contributed, the value of the item, and a brief description of the item. Other considered factors in such a receipt could be; the date when the transaction was carried out, the name of the donor, and the charity receiving the contribution.

      The IRS allows a donor can claim tax deductions on personal property donated to charity worth more than $500 but not more than $5000. In such situations, the IRS stipulates that the property be professionally appraised to qualify for a tax deduction.

      The appraisal has to be completed in sixty days and the appraiser should authorize IRS form 8283 section-A   IRS Form 8283 – Section A.  indicating these donations. For such kinds of donations that exceed $5000, a special appraisal is required to be recognized by the IRS needs to be completed  IRS Form 8283 – Section B

      Vehicle donation

      Vehicle donation receipts are viable for applying for tax deductions if the worth of the vehicle donated exceeds $500.  To receive tax deductions, donors and charities must fill the forms below according to the IRS guidelines at the end of the year.

      • For Charities: the IRS expects charities to fill  IRS Form 1096 attached together with  IRS Form 1098-C. The charity is also expected to provide their donors a written receipt in compliance with  IRS Publication 4302.
      • For donors: the IRS expects them to fill Schedule A of the IRS 1040. Donors are required to present the donation receipt obtained from the charity organization they donated to.

      The written vehicle donation receipt should capture the following details:

      • Donor’s Name
      • Charity’s Tax ID Number
      • 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
      • Vehicle’s Odometer Reading
      • Description of Vehicle
        • Year
        • Make
        • Model
        • Color
        • Body Type
      • Date of the Contribution
      • *If sold, gross proceeds from the sale.

      Free printable donation receipt template 21

      Customizable donation receipt template 22

      Simplified donation receipt template in Word format 23

      Free donation receipt template in printable format 24

      Modern donation receipt template 25

      Customizable donation receipt template 26

      Printable donation receipt template 27

      Free Word donation receipt template 28

      Editable donation receipt template 29

      Comprehensive donation receipt template 30

      Simplified donation receipt template in printable format 31

      Free donation receipt template in Word format 32

      Vechicle donation receipt template

      Modern donation receipt template with printable 34

      Customizable donation receipt template 35

      Printable donation receipt template 36

      Donation-Receipt-Template

      Church-Donation-Receipt

      Donation-Receipt-From

        Types of Donation Receipts

        Simplify your donation receipt process and ensure transparency and gratitude towards your generous donors with our professionally designed templates. There are various types of donation receipts including the following:


        501c3-Donation-Receipt-Template

        501c3 Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Cash-Donation-Receipt-Template_

        Cash Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Church Donation Receipt Template

        Church Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Clothing-Donation-Receipt-Template_

        Clothing Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Food-Donation-Receipt-Template

        Food Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        In-Kind-Donation-Receipt-Template_

        In Kind Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Political-Campaign-Donation-Receipt-Template_

        Political Campaign Donation Receipt

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)


        Vehicle-Donation-Receipt-Template

        Vehicle Donation Receipt Template

        Download: Microsoft Word (.docx)

          Requirements of a Donation Receipt according to IRS

          The IRS gives clear guidelines on what should be included in a donation receipt. Some of these essential features of a donation receipt include; the name of both charity and donor, the date of the contribution, detailed description of the property donated, amount of contribution among other features.

          Name of charity and donor

          The donation receipt is required to have the name of the donor, who is the person making contributions to the charity.  It should also state the name of the charity organization as well as the address or location of the charity organization receiving donations.

          Date of contribution

          The date the donor made his contributions to the charity organization is important and should be captured on the donation receipt. The dates inform the IRS when contributions were made to allow tax-deductions for the donations made during that fiscal year.

          Detailed description of donation

          In cases where donations are made in cash, the cash is recorded on the donation receipt as soon as it is received, where donations are not cash-based, a clear description of the donations is recorded on the donation receipt. Some donations could be in form of land, and in this case, the location is stated on the donation receipt.

          Amount of contribution

          The amount of contribution in cash should be recorded on the donation receipt. However, for non-cash donations, the charity organization should not value these contributions and thus the value cannot be recorded on the donation receipt. The role of valuing such contributions remains solely the donor.

          Statement regarding exchange for contributions

          The IRS expects a statement regarding exchange for contributions in the donation receipt. The charity should simply state and admit to some of the benefits acquired from the contribution and not necessarily describe such benefits. For example, in the case of an educational institution, this could be stated; nothing was given in exchange for the benefits enjoyed.

          The value of goods provided by charity to the donor

          In some cases, the charity organizations may provide some goods or services to donors in exchange for their donations. Information regarding such goods and services should be disclosed in the donation receipt. It is assumed that donations exceeding $75 from the donor should be included and those below this amount should not necessarily be recorded in the donation receipt.

          Failed Donation Receipts

          For various reasons the transactions from donors to the charity may be unsuccessful, if this happens, the charity must inform the donor. The charity may miss out on some information required when informing the donor. For this, the information required is listed as:

          • Charities should mention the reason behind the unsuccessful transaction in the failed donation receipt explaining to the donor why the donation transaction was nullified.
          • The dates when a failed transaction had been initiated should be provided to the donor by the charity organization.
          • A failed donation receipt should provide a link for the donor to update their billing information.
          • Credit card information of the charity should be provided in the failed donation receipt.
          • An email address of the charity organization is provided to allow the donor to find out more details about the failed transaction.
          • The name of the person that initiated the failed transaction should be provided by the charity organization in the failed donation receipt.
          • The charity should state in the failed donation receipt the name of the person or organization that was intended to receive the contribution from the donor.
          • Charities should also mention the amount that was involved in the failed transaction when filling the failed donation receipt sent to donors for evaluation.

          Conclusion

          Donation receipts are very vital for donors and charity as it gives a clear record of what the donors have contributed to the charity over time and the benefits being enjoyed by the charity from such contributions. The use of templates to come up with this document could go a long way in minimizing the chances of missing out on some important details in the construction of the document. Part of maintaining transparent and good relations with donors requires sending them receipts for every donation they make.

          About This Article

          Simone Johnson
          Authored by:
          Small Business Financial Expert, Financial Product Analyst, Startup Specialist
          Simone Johnson is a writer who has covered a range of financial topics for small businesses, including on how to obtain critical startup funding and best practices for processing payroll. Simone has researched and analyzed many products designed to help small businesses properly manage their finances, including accounting software and small business loans. In addition to her financial writing for business.com and Business News Daily, Simone has written previously on personal finance topics for HerMoney Media.

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