Donation Thank You Letter Template
One of the most important communications of any charity fundraising or donations campaign is the Donation Thank You Letter. Raising money is all about relationships and keeping those relationships healthy is vital to future fundraising success. There is no better way to do that than to show sincere appreciation to each of your donors through a personalized thank you.
A donation thank you letter can also double as the official donation receipt that the donor will need if they are going to claim their donation as a tax deduction (see the IRS guidelines). Continue reading below for tips on writing thank you notes, information about donation receipts and links to other resources.
Donation Thank You Letter Template
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Author: Brent Weight and Jon Wittwer
License: Limited Use
Description
Select this template to you help you get started with a personalized thank you letter for a donation received. You can also use it to help with sponsorship thank you letters. Use the optional donation receipt section if you have not already provided the donor with an official receipt or written acknowledgement.
Tips: Writing a Donation Thank You Letter
Sending a donor a thank you letter doesn't need to be time consuming. Simply start with our free donation thank you letter template, personalize it, print it, sign it, and then send it. Follows these tips:
- Make sure you are familiar with and understand IRS Publication 1771
- Start with a statement such as "Thank you so much for your very generous donation of $... to [Your Organization]".
- Thank you letters do not need to be long. Personalization and sincerity are more important than length.
- Make sure to get the thank you notes off promptly – usually within 24 hours of receiving the donation.
- Refer to the original request that resulted in the donation so the donor knows their money will go to the appropriate cause. Better yet, provide additional details about how their money will actually be used. This helps them to envision how they are helping and will lead to higher satisfaction.
- Personalize the note; don’t just use a form letter. Mention specifics about the donor such as how long they have been donating or how good it was to see them at last year’s event.
- Consider writing your letters or notes by hand – in today’s digital world they will really stand out. At the very least, skip the printed signature and get a real person to sign it.
- Why not have one of the individuals who directly benefited from the donations write the thank you notes. While not always practical, this approach is powerful.
- Sign the letter.
Donation Receipts and Donor Substantiation
The IRS has specific guidelines when it comes to charities, nonprofit organizations and fundraising. There are also rules that donors must follow before taking deductions on their federal tax returns. See the IRS Publication 1771 listed in the resource section below for more details. It is actually a well-written document that does a good job of explaining the requirements in a way that is both comprehensive and easy to understand.
Sample Donation Thank You Letters
Sample Donation Thank You Letter
Bill Stevenson
XYZ Charity
123 Anywhere Street
Somewhereville, Best State 88889
12/3/2009
Mr. Ryan Francom
456 Somewhere Road
Best Town, Best State 88888
Dear Mr. Francom,
On behalf of XYZ Charity, I would like to thank you for your contribution of $500 to our Summer Camp program.
For over 30 years XYZ Charity has been helping children ages 8 to 17 attend summer camps where they not only have the best week of the summer, but develop skills and friendships that will last them a life time.
Because of your generous donation, we will be able to send an additional 4 kids to camp this coming summer. With your assistance we have now committed to sending 390 kids to camp and will continue working hard to reach our goal of 500 kids this year.
Again, we thank you for your generosity and look forward to working with you again next year.
Sincerely,
[Signature Required]
Bill Stevenson
Fundraising Manager
Donation Receipt
| Organization: | XYZ Charity |
| Date Received: | 12/3/2009 |
| Cash Contribution: | $500 |
| Item Contribution: | None |
No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.
Sample Donation Receipt Request Letter
Mr. Ryan Francom
456 Somewhere Road
Best Town, Best State 88888
1/1/2010
Bill Stevenson
XYZ Charity
123 Anywhere Street
Somewhereville, Best State 88889
Dear Mr. Stevenson,
I am writing to request a copy of a donation receipt for tax purposes. Can you please send us a copy of our donation receipt for the 2009 calendar year? We made two donations totaling $500 dollars. We look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Ryan Francom
Additional Resources
- Donation Form by Vertex42.com - A customizable and printable form to give to potential donors.
- IRS Publication 1771 (pdf) at irs.gov - This document is written for the charity or organization that receives donations as well as donors. It outlines the record keeping requirements as well as the rules for sending or obtaining written acknowledgement or written disclosures.
