Colorado Nonprofit Association

Thank You Letter

Description

This is Colorado Nonprofit Association’s sample gift acknowledgement letter. You may use this as a template for your organization. However, this is only one of many templates and suggestions for thank you letters. 

Although nonprofits are not required to provide receipts or gift acknowledgements for contributions of less than $250 (unless it is a quid pro quo contribution), it is a best practices to acknowledge all charitable gifts to the organization. Gift acknowledgements should be sent to the donor as soon as possible – typically, within 1 to 2 days of receipt. 

All gift receipts/thank you letters should include:

• Amount or description of non-cash contribution
• Date the contribution was received
• Statement that your organization is recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS
• Statement that, “no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift,” OR the fair market value of any goods or services provided (e.g. value of tickets to an event)

Additional Outside Resources

• Gift Acknowledgements: Saying “thank you” to donors, National Council of Nonprofits
• Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, IRS Publication 1771
• These 12 Ways to Thank Donors Will Keep Them from Saying Goodbye, Nonprofit Hub