501(c)(3) Cash Donation Receipt
IRS-compliant written acknowledgment for cash donations of $250+ to a 501(c)(3) public charity.
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Riverbend Community Outreach
1407 Maple Avenue, Suite 220, Madison, WI 53703
EIN: 47-3829145
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OFFICIAL DONATION RECEIPT
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Date issued: May 7, 2026
Receipt #: Check #4218-20260422
DONOR
Name: Margaret Chen
Address: 623 Lakeshore Drive, Madison, WI 53715
CONTRIBUTION
Date received: April 22, 2026
Amount: $500.00
Method: Check
Reference: Check #4218
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GOODS OR SERVICES
Status: No goods or services were provided
Fair-market value: $0.00
N/A — no goods or services provided. Full amount is tax-deductible.
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ORGANIZATION STATUS
Riverbend Community Outreach is a 501(c)(3) public charity recognized by
the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions are deductible to the extent
allowed by law (IRC §170). No goods or services were provided in exchange
for this contribution except as disclosed above.
EIN: 47-3829145
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SIGNATURE
_______________________________ Date: ____________________
David Okonkwo, Executive Director
Riverbend Community Outreach
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PLEASE RETAIN THIS RECEIPT FOR YOUR TAX RECORDS.
IRS requires written acknowledgment from the charity for any single
contribution of $250 or more (IRC §170(f)(8)). This receipt satisfies
that requirement when retained with your tax records.
About this template
A 501(c)(3) donation receipt is the IRS-compliant written acknowledgment that a public charity must provide donors for any single contribution of $250 or more. The legal basis is IRC §170(f)(8): donors cannot claim a charitable deduction over $250 unless they have a "contemporaneous written acknowledgment" from the charity received before they file their tax return (or the extended due date). Required elements (Treas. Reg. §1.170A-13(f)): (1) name of the organization; (2) amount of cash contribution OR description of non-cash contribution; (3) statement that no goods or services were provided in exchange for the contribution OR description and good-faith estimate of the value of any goods/services provided; (4) for religious organizations, a statement that any goods/services consisted entirely of intangible religious benefits. The IRS does NOT require the receipt to include the EIN or the donor's SSN, but including the EIN is strongly recommended (donors and their tax preparers expect it; some software requires it). Threshold rules: Under $250 - bank record (cancelled check, credit-card statement) is sufficient; receipt is courtesy only. $250+ - written acknowledgment required from charity. Quid pro quo over $75 (donation for which donor receives goods/services) - written disclosure required regardless of amount, stating donor may only deduct the excess over fair-market value of goods/services. Best practice: send acknowledgment within 30 days of receipt, and provide an annual statement (January) summarizing the year's gifts. Common errors that disqualify receipts: missing the "no goods or services" statement (most common), missing the date the contribution was received (vs. the date the receipt was issued), and combining multiple contributions into a single annual letter without listing each contribution's amount and date individually for $250+ gifts. Penalties: charities issuing improper acknowledgments may not face direct penalties, but donors lose deductions, which damages charity-donor trust.
When to use it
- Acknowledging cash contributions of $250 or more (legally required).
- Year-end giving statements summarizing donor activity.
- Quid pro quo donations over $75 (where donor received goods/services).
- Recurring monthly donor receipts.
- Stock or securities contributions (with separate fair-market value documentation).
What to include
- Organization name, address, and EIN.
- Donor name and address.
- Date of contribution (the date charity received it, not the date acknowledged).
- Amount of cash OR description of non-cash property.
- "No goods or services" statement (or description + FMV of any provided).
- Authorized representative signature and title.