Donation Receipt Generator
A donation receipt is the written acknowledgment a nonprofit gives its donor, and for gifts of $250 or more, it's the document the IRS requires the donor to hold before claiming a deduction. This generator includes the sentence most homemade receipts miss: whether any goods or services were provided in return, which is what makes the acknowledgment valid.
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| Organization | Cedar Grove Food Pantry |
|---|---|
| EIN | 82-4471903 |
| Received from | Jordan Lee |
| Date | August 12, 2026 |
| Goods or services | No goods or services were provided in exchange for this contribution |
How Long to Keep This Document
Federal minimums for small businesses. States and industries can require longer; when two rules apply, keep the record for the longer period.
| Record | Keep at least | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Receipts and expense records backing a tax return | 3 years | IRS general limitations period (6 if income is underreported by more than 25%) |
| Invoices and sales records | 3 years | IRS: records supporting income on a filed return |
| Payroll records (wages, pay dates, hours totals) | 3 years | FLSA 29 CFR 516 |
| Timesheets and time cards behind wage computations | 2 years | FLSA: records on which wage calculations are based |
| Employment tax records (payroll tax filings) | 4 years | IRS: after the tax is due or paid, whichever is later |
Source: IRS Pub 583; IRS employment tax rules; DOL FLSA Fact Sheet #21 · checked 2026-08
What to Know About Donation Receipts
- IRS rules (Publication 1771) require donors claiming a single contribution of $250+ to hold a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity, a canceled check is not enough at that level.
- The acknowledgment must state whether the organization provided any goods or services in exchange, and if so, a good-faith estimate of their value. The 'no goods or services were provided' sentence is load-bearing.
- For quid pro quo contributions over $75 (donor receives something, a dinner, a tote), the charity is required to disclose the deductible portion.
- 'Contemporaneous' means the donor must receive it by the earlier of their filing date or return due date. January batch-receipting exists for a reason.
- Including the organization's EIN isn't legally required on the acknowledgment, but donors' tax preparers routinely ask for it. Standard practice is to print it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a donation receipt say for the IRS?
The organization's name, the date and amount (or description of non-cash property), and a statement of whether goods or services were provided in return. With a good-faith value estimate if they were. For gifts under $250 the donor can rely on bank records, but organizations typically receipt everything.
Does the charity or the donor value a non-cash donation?
The donor. The receipt should describe the item ('12 boxes of children's books') but not assign a dollar value. Valuation is the donor's responsibility, and charities that state values create problems for both sides.
When should receipts go out?
Best practice is immediately, and no later than January 31 for the prior year's gifts, so donors have them before filing. The IRS requirement is that the donor holds it by the earlier of filing or the due date.
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