Every January, donors start asking for their giving statements. If your gift records are already tidy, sending them takes an afternoon. If a gift was posted to the wrong year or a donor has no address on file, it can take much longer.
This guide walks through what to gather, how to check your numbers against the bank, and how to make statements from a spreadsheet. You can start with our free template and move up to a fuller kit if you need it.
What a giving statement usually lists
Most year end giving statements show the organization's name, the donor's name, each gift with its date and amount, and the total for the year. Many also include a line about whether the donor received any goods or services in return.
The exact rules for what a written acknowledgment must say come from the IRS, and we don't restate them here. Read IRS Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf (opens in a new tab)), and check the wording with your accountant before you send anything.
A simple timeline
December: gather the last gifts. Keep recording gifts through December 31. Note the date each gift was received so it lands in the right year. Ask your counters to keep the year end count sheets together.
Early January: reconcile. Before you print a single statement, check that the total of all donor gifts for the year ties to the contribution deposits in your bank records. If the two numbers don't match, find the difference now. It is much easier than correcting a statement after it has been mailed.
January: send. Print or email the statements, keep a copy of each one, and write down the date they went out.
Step by step with the free template
- Download the free Year-End Giving Statement. It works in Excel and Google Sheets, with no macros.
- On the Gift Log tab, fill in your organization and the donor.
- Enter each gift: date, method, fund, amount, and the value of any goods or services provided.
- The annual total, net total and count of gifts calculate for you.
- Edit the acknowledgment wording on the Statement tab to fit your organization.
- Print the Statement tab or save it as a PDF.
- For the next donor, use a fresh copy of the file, or duplicate the Gift Log and Statement tabs.
The free template is built for one donor per file. That works well for a handful of donors. With a longer list, a donor log that holds everyone saves a lot of copying.
How to match statements to deposits
Add up every donor's total for the year. Compare that number with the contribution deposits for the same period. Common reasons they don't match:
- A gift dated December 31 that was deposited in January (or the other way around)
- Loose cash in the plate that was counted but not tied to a donor
- A gift recorded under the wrong donor or the wrong fund
- A typo in an amount
Fix the records first, then print. If you keep pledges, check those too. Our Church Petty Cash Log and Pledge Tracker ($12.99) tracks pledge campaigns alongside petty cash.
When you want more than one donor per file
- Year End Giving Statements and Church Donor Letters ($12.99). A gift log by donor and fund. Pick a donor ID and a contribution statement fills in, with the "no goods or services were provided" line. It also includes a giving summary by fund and gift type, plus mileage, benevolence and missions logs. Excel and Google Sheets.
- Nonprofit Donation Tracker Spreadsheet with Pledges ($12.99). For nonprofits: a donor log that prints year end contribution statements, a pledge and campaign tracker, and a Word pack of 16 donor, grant and sponsor letters and forms, including a year end statement cover letter.
- Church Treasurer App ($29.99). An app, not a spreadsheet. It keeps giving records by donor, date and fund, and prints year end giving statements for one donor or everyone at once. It also handles the two-person offering count and the deposit slip.
See everything for treasurers in Church and Nonprofit.
These are organizational tools. They are not tax, legal or accounting advice. Confirm acknowledgment wording with a qualified accountant.
FAQs
When do churches send giving statements?
Most churches send them in January, after December's gifts are recorded and the year's giving has been checked against the bank deposits. Ask your accountant if your organization has a specific deadline.
What goes on a contribution statement?
The IRS sets the requirements for written acknowledgments. See IRS Publication 1771 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf (opens in a new tab)) and confirm your wording with your accountant.
Can I make giving statements from a spreadsheet?
Yes. Our free Year-End Giving Statement works in Excel and Google Sheets. It has a gift log and a printable statement tab. For many donors in one file, the Year End Giving Statements and Church Donor Letters spreadsheet fills in a statement when you pick a donor ID.
How do I match statements to deposits?
Add up all donor totals for the year and compare them with contribution deposits for the same dates. Look for gifts posted in the wrong year, loose cash not tied to a donor, gifts under the wrong donor, and typos. Fix the records before you print.