Handwritten Donation Receipt Generator

Donation receipts that donors and auditors trust

Every rupee given to a temple, trust, NGO, school committee or festival samiti should come with a receipt. For the donor, it is proof that the money reached the organisation — and, where the organisation is approved for it, the basis of a tax deduction. For the organisation, receipts are the backbone of its accounts: they show auditors, members and the tax department where the money came from. A missing or careless receipt is the quickest way to lose donors' trust.

This donation receipt generator gives trusts, NGOs, temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras, festival committees and charities a dignified, handwritten-style receipt with the donor's details, amount in figures and words, purpose, payment mode, and the organisation's registration details. Download it as a PDF, print it, or send it on WhatsApp the day the donation is received.

Donation receipt format

• Header: organisation's name, address, phone, PAN and registration details (trust or society registration; 12A/12AB and 80G approval numbers with validity, if any).
• Receipt details: receipt number in one running series, and date.
• Donor: name, address and PAN (for receipts used for tax deduction).
• Amount: in figures and words.
• Purpose: general donation, corpus fund, specific project, annadaan, festival, building fund.
• Payment mode: cash, cheque (number and bank), UPI or bank transfer (reference).
• Footer: signature of the authorised office bearer and the organisation's seal.

How to make a donation receipt

1. Choose the donation receipt template and enter the organisation's name, address and registration details.
2. Fill the donor's name, address and PAN.
3. Enter the amount; the amount in words is written automatically.
4. Write the purpose and payment mode, with the cheque or transaction reference.
5. Add the seal and signature with the Add tab, or print and sign.
6. Send it to the donor and keep your copy in serial order.

Donation receipt format for 80G

Donors can claim a deduction under the familiar section 80G only when the organisation holds a valid 80G approval (the numbering is from the Income-tax Act, 1961; the Income-tax Act, 2025 effective April 2026 renumbered the provisions). The rules have tightened in recent years:

• Approval details: the receipt should show the organisation's PAN and its 80G approval number with validity.
• Donor's PAN: needed because the organisation must report donations.
• Form 10BD and 10BE: approved organisations must file a statement of donations (Form 10BD), generally by 31 May after the financial year, and then issue each donor a certificate in Form 10BE. The donor's deduction is matched against this statement, so the 10BE certificate is the document that counts — your receipt is the acknowledgment at the time of giving.
• Cash limit: donations in cash above ₹2,000 do not qualify for the deduction. Encourage larger donations by cheque, UPI or bank transfer.
• Donations in kind (food, clothes, materials) don't qualify for the deduction, though they should still be acknowledged.
• Tax regime: the 80G deduction is not available under the default new tax regime.

Donation receipt sample

All PANs and numbers here are illustrative. Note "Received with thanks" — a small courtesy that donors notice.

Temple donation receipt and temple bill book format

Temples receive donations in many forms: hundi offerings, pooja and archana fees, annadaan sponsorships, festival contributions, building fund pledges and gold or silver offerings. A temple bill book format usually has pre-printed headings for common purposes; you can recreate that with the bill book style and your temple's name. Keep pooja fees (payments for a service) separate from donations — they are different in the accounts. Donations to a temple trust qualify for 80G only if the trust holds approval, or for specifically notified temples in limited cases, so don't print 80G details unless they apply.

Donation receipt format for NGOs and trusts

The donation receipt format for a trust and the donation receipt format for an NGO are essentially the same: what changes is the registration under which the organisation operates — a public charitable trust registered with the charity commissioner or registrar, a society, or a Section 8 company. NGOs and charitable trusts receiving grants and individual donations need a donation receipt format that fits their audit: a running receipt series per financial year, the donor's full details, the purpose or project the donation is restricted to, and the account it was received in. NGOs receiving money from foreign sources must hold FCRA registration or prior permission and receive it only in their designated FCRA bank account; never issue an ordinary receipt for a foreign contribution without following those rules.

Chanda receipt for festivals and community events

A chanda receipt is the simplest kind of donation receipt. Festival committees — Ganesh utsav, Durga puja, Navratri, Chhath, community iftars, Christmas events — collect chanda from residents and shops. Even when there's no tax benefit, a receipt for every contribution protects the committee: it shows each donor that their money was recorded, and it lets the committee publish a clear account after the event. Number receipts in one series, write the donor's name and amount, and sign. Never print 80G details on a committee receipt unless the committee itself holds that approval.

Donation receipt format in Word or a donation bill book?

Organisations often look for a donation receipt format Word file, a donation bill format to print, or a printed donation bill book. A printed book is fine for collection drives — but the copies are easy to lose and the amount in words is often written wrong. This generator gives you the same format on a phone, writes the amount in words correctly, and keeps a downloadable copy of every receipt. For large drives, prepare a few receipts in advance with only the donor's name and amount left to fill.

Need the bill in Word? Click Word under the bill to download it as a .docx file, at the same A4, A5 or 80 mm thermal size as the PDF. It opens in Microsoft Word and Google Docs. The bill is placed in the file as a picture, so make any changes here and download it again.

Charity donation receipts outside India

Charities in other countries follow their own rules for a charity donation receipt. In the United States, for example, donors generally need a written acknowledgment from the charity for any single contribution of $250 or more, stating the amount and whether the donor received any goods or services in return; in the UK, Gift Aid declarations let charities reclaim tax on eligible donations from UK taxpayers. Change the currency in Bill settings, use your charity's registration details in the header, and follow the rules of the country where you are registered.

Thanking donors

A receipt is also a chance to say thank you. A short line — what the donation will make possible, or an invitation to the next event — turns a formality into a relationship. Many organisations send the receipt on WhatsApp with a photo from the project the donor supported. Donors who feel thanked give again.

Donations in kind

Rice for annadaan, blankets for a winter drive, books for a library: donations in kind should be acknowledged with a description and quantity ("50 kg rice", "20 blankets"), and a value only if the organisation's policy allows it. They don't qualify for the 80G deduction, but a receipt still shows the donor their gift was received and helps the organisation keep stock records.

Anonymous and cash donations

Hundi collections and anonymous donations should be counted in the presence of at least two trustees or volunteers, recorded in a collection register, and receipted to "Hundi collection — [date]" rather than to individuals. For cash donations from identified donors, give receipts as usual, but remember the ₹2,000 cash limit for donors who want the tax deduction. Charitable organisations also have their own rules about anonymous donations above certain limits, which their accountants should apply.

Keeping donation records for audit

Charitable organisations are audited, and donation receipts are the first thing auditors check. Keep receipt books or downloaded receipts in serial order for each financial year, with cancelled receipts retained and marked. Match every receipt to a bank credit or to the cash deposited from collections. Maintain a donor register with names, PANs, amounts and purposes — it's also what you need to file the annual statement of donations. Corpus donations and donations for specific projects should be tracked separately, since they must be used for those purposes. Publishing a simple annual summary of donations received and how they were used builds lasting trust with members and donors.

Donation receipt checklist

• Organisation's name, address, PAN and registration details.
• 80G approval number and validity — only if actually approved.
• Running receipt number and date.
• Donor's name, address and PAN.
• Amount in figures and words, purpose and payment mode.
• Authorised signature and seal.

Related bill types

Trust-run guest houses and dharamshalas can bill room rent with the lodge bill; schools collecting fees use the school fee receipt; and a plain bill book page is available as the cash memo. See all types on the handwritten bill generator page.

Use donation receipts honestly

Issue donation receipts only for money or goods actually received, in the real donor's name, for the real amount. Bogus donation receipts — issued for cash returned to the "donor", or with inflated amounts — have been the subject of large-scale tax investigations, and both the organisation and the donor face penalties and loss of approvals.