Most development offices have a thank you letter for donation receipts that has been copied forward for years. It thanks the donor for their generous support and could have been sent to anyone on the list. Donors read it once, and it tells them nothing they did not already know.
The templates below take 1 kind of donor at a time. Each sits in its own block with placeholders in brackets, so you can lift it whole, and under each letter there is a short version for a card or a text and the recognition gift that suits that donor. We make those gifts for a living, and the examples come from our work with more than 300 institutions. Our donor recognition gifts are made to be worn and used long after the letter has been filed.
Jump to a template:
- University donors
- Scholarship donors
- Grateful patient donors
- Museum members
- Independent school parents
- Memorial gifts
- Major donors, with the notecard for their gift
- Short messages, the email and the tax acknowledgment
Every donation thank you letter does 5 things
Good thank you letters have the same 5 parts, usually in this order. Every one of them is simple, which is partly why they get skipped when the gift queue backs up.
The 5 parts of a donor thank you letter
- The donor, the gift and the date. Name all 3: "your gift of $500 to the Class of 1998 Scholarship, received on March 3."
- What the gift will do. Say it in 1 concrete sentence, tied to the fund the donor chose.
- A detail only you could tell. A place on campus the donor will remember, or a line from the student the gift supports.
- No new ask. Leave any request for a later letter. This one should ask for nothing.
- A real signature. The president, the dean, the head of school or the person the gift helps, signed by hand.
Most fundraising guides advise sending the letter within 48 hours of the gift arriving, and within a week at most, and that is a sensible standard to hold yourself to. If you have to choose, a letter on day 3 that names the fund is better than a form letter the same afternoon.
A hand signature from the dean the donor actually met counts for more than a printed one from the president. When there are too many letters to sign by hand, ask the signer to add 1 handwritten line above their name.
Short thank you messages for a donation fit cards, texts and social posts
A short thank you message for a donation does the letter's job in 1 or 2 sentences. Below is a set for each place you are likely to need one, starting with the card that goes in with a gift.
Short messages work when they name 1 specific thing
Each of these names something particular about the gift. Take them 1 at a time and fill in the brackets.
For a card or a handwritten note
Thank you, [First name]. Your gift to [fund] goes to work this week.
Because of you, [a student, a family, a gallery] gets [specific thing] this year. Thank you.
[First name], thank you for standing with [Organization]. We are grateful to have you with us.
Your gift of [$amount] arrived today, and the whole team is grateful.
Thank you for remembering [name] with a gift to [Organization].
For a text message
Hi [First name], it's [Name] at [Organization]. Your gift just arrived. Thank you, it means a lot to [the students, the patients, the team].
Text only the donors who gave you their mobile number and agreed to hear from you that way.
For a social post
Thank you to [Name] for supporting [program]. Your gift [1 line on what it funds].
Name a donor in public only with their permission. Many people give quietly on purpose.
For an email subject line
[First name], your gift to [fund] has arrived
Thank you, [First name]: here is what your gift does first
Each kind of donor needs its own letter
A grateful patient gives for different reasons than a museum member does, so their letters should not read the same. Each template below starts with what that kind of donor cares about and then gives the letter itself, with a short version and a gift after it. Once the brackets are filled, aim for 120 to 200 words.
University donors want to see the fund their gift went to
Name the school or the fund rather than the university in general. With alumni, add the class year and a detail from campus they will remember, such as a building or a tradition, and have the dean or the president sign.
The full letter
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] to [fund name] at [University], received on [date].
Your support goes straight to [what the fund pays for, in 1 sentence]. This year that means [concrete result, such as 40 students in the new seminar or a new microscope in the biology lab].
[For alumni: As a member of the Class of [year], you will remember [place or tradition on campus]. It is still here, and gifts like yours keep it going.]
We will write again in [month] to show you what your gift made possible.
With gratitude,
[Signature]
[Name], [Title]
A short message
Thank you for your gift to [fund], [First name]. [1 concrete result] happens this year because of you.
The recognition gift
For leadership donors and giving society members, we would suggest something drawn from the university's own details. The University of Notre Dame chose bespoke enamel cufflinks and a matching brooch as recognition gifts for donors and alumni, both designed and handcrafted in Britain. In the cufflinks and pins collection, enamel cufflinks start from $45 and lapel pins from $15. Our university and alumni gifts page shows the wider range.
"We cannot thank you enough for the extraordinary heirloom-quality gifts that reflect our deep appreciation for our Benefactors. With your help, we have created unforgettable memories that they will carry with them and share within the Notre Dame community. Collaborating with you has been a true delight!" Jessica Reasons, The University of Notre Dame
Scholarship donors want to hear from the student
Scholarship donors want to know who their gift reached. Name the scholarship, and with the student's written permission, name the student too and quote a line in their own words. If you promise a letter from the student and a yearly report on the fund, make sure both actually go out.
Check your student privacy policy before you name anyone. If a student would rather stay private, describe them by year and program instead.
The full letter
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] to the [Scholarship name]. This year it supports [Student first name], a [year of study] student in [program] from [hometown].
In [Student first name]'s own words: "[1 or 2 sentences from the student about what the scholarship changed]."
Gifts like yours decide who gets to study here. [Student first name] will write to you directly this [season], and we will send you an update on the fund each year.
With thanks,
[Signature]
[Name], [Title]
A short message
[First name], [Student first name] starts [term] in [program] because of the [Scholarship name]. Thank you for making that possible.
The recognition gift
If most of your scholarship donors are alumni, a Saxony wool scarf in the university's colors suits them well. Alumni wear it to reunions and games, and it brings its own story for the notecard, since Saxony scarves were first introduced to students at Oxford and Cambridge as a mark of academic excellence. They start from $58 in the scarves collection. The University of Chicago paired its Saxony wool scarf with a blazer badge and a silk scarf and tie drawn from a Babylonian lion mosaic at the Oriental Institute.
"Harris Made designs are made with such precision, sophistication, and embody a rich story of tradition. They are the perfect recognition gifts for our most loyal alumni and friends." Emily Abrahamson, Donor Engagement, University of Chicago
Grateful patient donors want their caregivers thanked too
Never mention a diagnosis or treatment in the letter, even if the donor did. Gifts from grateful patients often honor a nurse or a doctor, so tell the donor the caregiver has heard their words, and only once that is true. The letter comes from the foundation president or from the head of the caregiver's department.
Health privacy rules shape what you can write and to whom, so have your privacy office approve the template once. Our guide to grateful patient programs covers the rest of the program.
The full letter
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] to [Hospital or Foundation name], made in honor of [caregiver name and role].
We have shared your words with [caregiver first name], and the whole team was moved to hear them.
Your gift will support [program, such as the family support fund or new equipment for the unit], so the next family who comes through our doors finds the same care you did.
With deep thanks,
[Signature]
[Name], [Title], [Foundation name]
A short message
[First name], thank you for your gift in honor of [caregiver name]. We have passed your words on, and they meant a great deal.
The recognition gift
A gift tied to a campaign gives grateful patients something to wear to the campaign's events. Lurie Children's Hospital gave a pashmina and a silk tie at the launch of its For Every Child campaign, and Emma's hand-drawn sketch for the tie worked out the pattern repeat and the tipping before anything was made. More of our hospital work is on the donor recognition gifts for hospitals page.
Museum members want an invitation to come back
Thank a member for their membership level and leave the dollar figure out. Name 1 thing on view now or opening soon, and use the letter to invite them to a members' preview.
If the annual membership is $75 or less and the member receives only standard benefits such as members-only events, the Internal Revenue Service does not require a disclosure statement for those benefits. The acknowledgment section below has the detail.
The full letter
Dear [First name],
Thank you for joining [Museum] as a [membership level] member. Your support, received on [date], helps us care for [collection detail] and keeps our galleries open to [number] school groups each year.
We would love to see you soon. [Exhibition name] opens on [date], and members are invited to a private preview on [date]. Your membership card is enclosed.
Thank you for making [Museum] part of your year.
Warmly,
[Signature]
[Name], [Title]
A short message
Welcome, [First name]. Your [membership level] membership starts today, and [Exhibition name] opens to members on [date]. We hope to see you there.
The recognition gift
For members at the top levels and for campaign donors, we like a silk scarf drawn from the collection itself. The Smithsonian's silk scarf and tie were built on the Smithsonian sunburst for the Smithsonian Campaign, and the National Museum of Natural History chose a scarf printed with a Carboniferous forest. A bespoke silk scarf starts from $65. See our gifts for museums for more.
Independent school parents want to see their child's school in the letter
Parents are giving to the school their own child attends, which makes theirs the easiest letter to make specific. A thank you letter for a donation to a school should name the Annual Fund and 1 thing it pays for that their child will actually use. The head of school signs, and the child is mentioned by first name only if your school's policy allows it.
The full letter
Dear [Parent first names],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] to the [School] Annual Fund.
This year the Annual Fund is paying for [specific thing, such as the new science lab or financial aid for 40 students]. [Child first name] and [his or her or their] classmates will see the difference every day.
Thank you for being part of the [School] family.
With gratitude,
[Signature]
[Name], Head of School
A short message
Thank you, [Parent first names]. This term [Child first name] and [his or her or their] classmates will use the [specific thing] your Annual Fund gift helped pay for.
The recognition gift
Parents wear a scarf in the school's colors to games and reunions, where other families see it. Kent School chose a silk scarf with its heraldic coat of arms and a Saxony wool scarf in the School's colors, made as gifts for its alumni and parents. Our gifts for independent schools page has more ideas for parent and alumni giving.
"We were fortunate indeed to find Harris Made when looking for special gifts for our alumni and parents. Harris Made delivered items of exceptional quality with lasting appeal and with a special significance, items that are uniquely KENT." Kathy Nadire, Director of Development, Kent School
Memorial gift letters thank the donor and honor the person remembered
A memorial gift needs 2 letters: a thank you to the donor that states the amount, and a notice to the family that names the donors and leaves the amounts out. In both, the person being remembered is named in the first sentence. Keep the language plain and warm, with no fundraising lines at all, and sign by hand.
The letter to the donor
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] in memory of [full name of the person remembered]. We know [first name] meant a great deal to you, and we are honored that you chose [Organization] to remember [him or her or them].
Your gift will support [program], work [first name] cared about. We have let [family name] know of your kindness. We did not share the amount of your gift.
With sympathy and gratitude,
[Signature]
The notice to the family
Dear [Family name],
We want you to know that [donor names] have made gifts to [Organization] in memory of [full name]. Their gifts will support [program]. We are thinking of you.
With sympathy,
[Signature]
A short message
Thank you for remembering [name] with a gift to [Organization]. We have let [family name] know of your kindness.
The recognition gift
Hold any gift until the family has set up a named fund, then send it with the first report on that fund rather than with the condolence letter. A gift for the family can carry the person's own words. Purdue's silk scarf and tie for the retirement of its Dean of Engineering, Leah H. Jamieson, were printed with her final remarks and her own signature, and a memorial piece can use a person's handwriting in the same way. If the memorial gift is a planned gift, our guide to legacy society recognition picks up from here.
Major donors get a personal letter and a notecard with their recognition gift
A major gift letter is written by the gift officer who knows the donor and signed by the president. It should mention the conversation that led to the gift and say what happens next, including the month the donor can expect a report. The recognition gift follows later in its presentation box, with a notecard.
Leave the explaining to the letter, since the card travels with the gift and needs to stay short. Keep the front under 40 words with the thank you on it, and put the story of the gift on the reverse.
The full letter
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your commitment of [$amount] to [campaign or fund]. When we sat down in [month] and you told me why [cause] matters to you, I knew this gift would change [specific thing].
Here is what happens next. [Concrete next step, such as: work on the new wing begins in March, or the first 4 fellows arrive in the fall.] I will send you a report in [month], and I hope you will join us for [event or visit] to see it for yourself.
In the coming weeks you will receive a small token of our thanks, made for [Institution] alone.
With gratitude and admiration,
[Signature]
[Name], President
The notecard, front
[First name], thank you for believing in [cause or fund]. This [gift name] was made for [Institution] alone, as a small sign of our gratitude.
[Signature]
The notecard, reverse
[Gift name]. Designed for [Institution] from [the detail it draws on, such as the crest above the library door]. Made in Britain. Exclusive to [Institution] and never sold.
The recognition gift
Leather goods are a good fit for major donors who travel. MIT Sloan gave its top donors an embossed leather passport holder and luggage tag, and Emory Goizueta Business School chose leather goods for its top donors as well. Luggage tags start from $28 in the leather goods collection, and our stewardship gifts for major donors page covers giving societies and leadership levels. Sending a gift with the thank you also changes what the acknowledgment has to say, which is covered further down.
The email version is shorter and links to proof
A thank you email to donors goes out the same day the gift arrives. Keep it to 80 to 120 words, with a subject line that names the donor and the fund and a single link to something that shows the gift at work. Attach the tax receipt as a separate document, and tell the donor a letter is coming by mail.
A donor thank you email fits on 1 screen
Its job is to confirm the gift quickly, so leave the longer story for the letter.
The email
Subject: [First name], your gift to [fund] has arrived
Dear [First name],
Thank you for your gift of [$amount] to [fund] on [date]. It is already at work: [1 sentence on what it pays for].
[Link text: See the students, patients or galleries your gift supports]
Your tax receipt is attached as a separate document, and a letter from [President or Dean name] is on its way by mail.
With thanks,
[Name], [Title]
[Phone]
Subject lines for each kind of donor
- University donor: [First name], your gift to [fund] has arrived
- Scholarship donor: [First name], meet the student your gift supports
- Grateful patient: Your gift in honor of [caregiver name]
- Museum member: Welcome to [Museum], [First name]
- School parent: Thank you from [School], [Parent first names]
- Memorial gift: Your gift in memory of [full name]
- Major donor: A note of thanks from [President name]
The gift acknowledgment is a separate job from the thank you
The acknowledgment is for the donor's tax records, and the Internal Revenue Service sets what it must say. It can share a page with the thank you as long as the receipt sits under its own heading at the foot of the letter, or goes in a separate document, so the letter above it still reads like a letter.
What the Internal Revenue Service asks for
Under Internal Revenue Service Publication 1771, a donor needs a written acknowledgment from the charity to deduct any single gift of $250 or more. The duty to get it sits with the donor, which is the best reason to send it without being asked. The Internal Revenue Service page on written acknowledgments lists what it should contain, including:
- the name of the organization
- the amount of any cash gift
- a description, but not the value, of any non-cash gift
- a statement that no goods or services were provided, or a description and good faith estimate of the value of what was provided
Publication 1771 calls the acknowledgment contemporaneous when the donor has it by the date they file their return or the return's due date, extensions included, whichever comes first. A letter sent within days of the gift clears that easily.
When a recognition gift changes the acknowledgment
When a donor pays more than $75 and receives something back, such as a gala dinner, the charity must give a written disclosure that the deductible amount is limited to the payment minus the value received, with a good faith estimate of that value, according to the Internal Revenue Service guidance on quid pro quo contributions.
A recognition gift counts as goods or services unless its value is insubstantial under limits the Internal Revenue Service adjusts for inflation each year. Those limits depend on the size of the gift as well as the cost of the item, so ask your finance office to check each giving level against the current year's figures before you print receipts, and state the estimated value of the gift wherever it does not qualify.
This is general information and should not be read as tax advice. Confirm the details for your organization with your own tax adviser.
An acknowledgment block can sit at the foot of the letter
Choose 1 of the 2 bracketed statements and delete the other.
[Organization legal name] is a tax exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Our employer identification number is [number]. We received your gift of [$amount] on [date].
[No goods or services were provided in exchange for your gift.] OR [In exchange for your gift you received [description], with an estimated fair market value of [$amount]. The deductible amount of your gift is [$amount].]
Please keep this letter for your tax records.
A recognition gift keeps the thank you going for years
A gift stays in use long after the letter has been filed, and the 2 work best when they share a detail. If the letterhead carries the crest, put the crest on the cufflinks. If the donor named a building, draw the scarf from that building.
Each of our designs starts as a hand-drawn sketch built around the institution's own crest and colors, and Emma hand-selects the materials for it. The making happens in Britain, at mills and a foundry that hold Royal Warrants, and the finished design belongs to the client alone and is never sold to anyone else. Each gift arrives hand-wrapped in a presentation box branded for the institution, often with a notecard that has the thank you on the front and the provenance of the gift on the reverse. You can see both on our craftsmanship page.
A gift for each kind of donor
| Donor | Gift that suits them | From | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| University donors | Enamel cufflinks or a lapel pin | $45, pins $15 | University of Notre Dame |
| Scholarship donors | Saxony wool scarf | $58 | University of Chicago |
| Grateful patients | Silk pashmina gift set or silk tie | $90, ties $48 | Lurie Children's Hospital |
| Museum members | Bespoke silk scarf | $65 | Smithsonian |
| School parents | Silk or Saxony wool scarf | $65 or $58 | Kent School |
| Memorial funds | Silk scarf carrying the person's words | $65 | Purdue University |
| Major donors | Leather luggage tag or passport holder | Tags $28 | MIT Sloan, Emory Goizueta |
Plan the gift before the moment you need it
Most projects take 8 to 16 weeks, so order well before the campaign closes or the society dinner is booked, and tell us your date when you start a project. Gifts start from $15, and we ask for a minimum of 125 pieces per design. Our donor recognition gifts page shows what we make for each giving level, and donor recognition gift ideas walks through 8 of them.
Thanking donors well takes more than 1 letter
The letter is only the first contact after a gift. Thanking donors well means following it with a phone call and an impact update, so the donor has seen their gift at work before anyone asks them again.
| When | What | From whom |
|---|---|---|
| The same day | The thank you email, with the receipt attached | The gift officer or the annual giving team |
| Within 48 hours | The signed letter | The president, dean or head of school |
| Within 2 weeks | A phone call, especially for first gifts | A board member or volunteer |
| Within 90 days | An impact update with 1 named result | The program, or the student the gift supports |
| Within the year | An invitation to see the work, and the recognition gift at the right level | The gift officer |
Our donor stewardship guide turns this into a plan for the full year. For the update itself, see donor impact reports, and for the invitation, our donor appreciation event ideas.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a thank you letter for a donation?
Name the donor, the exact gift and the date it arrived, then say in 1 sentence what the gift will do. Add 1 detail only your institution could tell. Leave out any new ask, and have a real person sign it.
What is a good short thank you message for a donation?
A good short message names 1 specific result. For example: Thank you, [First name]. Your gift to [fund] goes to work this week.
Does a thank you letter count as a tax receipt?
It can, if it carries the acknowledgment language the Internal Revenue Service asks for on gifts of $250 or more, as set out in Publication 1771. This is general information, so confirm the details with your own tax adviser.
Should a thank you letter mention the amount of the gift?
Yes, in the letter to the donor, but never in the notice to a family after a memorial gift, which names the donors and leaves the amounts out.
Can you send a gift with a donor thank you letter?
Yes, and many institutions do for major donors. The acknowledgment must then say whether goods or services were provided, unless the gift's value is insubstantial under that year's Internal Revenue Service limits. A notecard in the box can carry the thank you and the story of the gift.
Who should sign a donor thank you letter?
The most senior person the donor would recognize, or the person the gift helps. Whoever it is should sign by hand.