Free donation receipt template (in-kind and cash)

Fill in the boxes and print a donation receipt, or download a blank Word template. It covers cash gifts and donated goods such as food, with the elements IRS Publication 1771 lists for a written acknowledgment. No sign-up, and nothing is sent anywhere — the receipt is built in your own browser.

Your organization

Organization name

EIN (optional)

Address and contact We are a 501(c)(3) organization (adds the tax-exempt sentence with your EIN). Leave unticked if you are a program of a church or school, a government agency, or work under a fiscal sponsor whose EIN is not yours.

Donor and receipt

Donor name

Receipt number

Donor address

Date issued

Signed by (name, title)

Cash and other monetary gifts

Cash, checks, cards, online gifts. Leave empty if there were none.

Add a monetary gift

Donated goods (in-kind)

Describe what was given. There is no value column on purpose: for donated goods the receipt gives a description, not a value, and the donor determines the value.

Add donated items

Goods or services given in return

None — no goods or services were provided Something was provided in return (describe it and give a good faith estimate of its value)

What was provided

Good faith estimate of its value ($)

Only intangible religious benefits

Optional: food donation statement for business donors

Add the IRC §170(e)(3) statement (business donors of food). Only prints if you ticked 501(c)(3) and entered an EIN. Your organization is making this representation: tick it only if it is true of how you operate. See the food donation tax deduction.

What goes on a donation receipt

IRS Publication 1771 (Rev. 11-2023) says a charity should give the donor a written acknowledgment containing:

• the name of the organization;
• the amount of any monetary contribution;
• a description (but not the fair market value) of any contribution of property, such as donated food;
• a statement that no goods or services were provided in return, if that was the case; or a description and good faith estimate of the value of any goods or services that were; or a statement that only intangible religious benefits were provided.

The donor’s Social Security or tax identification number is not needed. The donor needs the acknowledgment for any single contribution of $250 or more, and must receive it by the earlier of the date they file that year’s return or its due date (including extensions). One acknowledgment, such as an annual summary, can cover several gifts, and letters, emails and computer-generated forms are all acceptable. If a donor pays more than $75 partly as a gift and partly for goods or services, the charity must give a separate written disclosure statement.

Background: can a food pantry give donors a tax receipt? and, for grocery stores, restaurants and farms giving food, the food donation tax deduction (IRC §170(e)(3)).

Year-end letters without the typing

One receipt at a time is fine for a handful of donors. PantryPOS logs every donation by donor, date, category and pounds as it is received, and its Donors & tax letters screen prints or emails a year-end acknowledgment letter for each donor: their in-kind gifts by date with a description and approximate pounds, the “no goods or services” statement and no dollar value. The 501(c)(3) sentence prints only if you say you are one, and the §170(e)(3) food-donation statement is an option you turn on (off by default; it needs the 501(c)(3) setting and an EIN). The letters cover donated goods, not cash gifts. $39 a month for the first site, free 30-day trial, no card. Start a free trial

This template is free and unrestricted. It follows IRS Publication 1771 and the IRS written-acknowledgment page as published on October 10, 2026. It is not tax or legal advice; your donors should talk to a tax professional, and your own accountant should confirm your organization’s status. Other free tools: all free pantry tools.