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It outlines best practices for acknowledging multiple gift types, including financial gifts, in-kind gifts, pledges, soft credits, memorial or honorary gifts, and sponsorships. The ebook emphasizes core gift-entry fundamentals—who gave, what was given and the amount, when it was made, where it should be directed, why it was given, and how it will be acknowledged—so every donor receives timely, complete letters with required details.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/guide-to-acknowledging-gifts-fundamentals-of-gift-entry-and-acknowledgment-letters/279790/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/guide-to-acknowledging-gifts-fundamentals-of-gift-entry-and-acknowledgment-letters/279790.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Putri","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"Why are gift acknowledgment letters important to a fundraising program?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"Gift acknowledgment letters help build and steward donor relationships by thanking donors and confirming their gifts are appreciated. For certain gifts, they also provide an important record for the donor and support IRS obligations.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What information must be captured for every gift entry?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"Gift entry should answer Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Accurate spelling and correct constituent matching, gift type and amount, gift date, fund/program direction, and the reason for the gift are essential for consistent records and acknowledgments.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How should in-kind gifts be handled for tax-deductible amounts?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"In-kind gifts may include a tax-deductible amount for goods, but the amount is $0 unless there is a verified third-party appraisal or donor documentation of the fair market value. 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She has over 15 years of fundraising experience and continues tobe active in development as she fund raises for Alamo Rescue Friends, a non-profit dog rescue organization she founded in 2010.  \n[littlegreenlight.com](littlegreenlight.com)  \nIntroduction  \nGift acknowledgment letters can be the backbone of a successful fundraising program. By thanking donorsand telling them their gift is appreciated, you’re taking an important step toward building and stewarding a relationship. Moreover, for certain gifts an acknowledgment letter is an important record for the donor and fulfills your obligation to the IRS. In this ebook, we’ll cover best practices for acknowledging the following types of gifts:  \n Financial gifts  \n In-kind gifts  \n Pledges  \n Soft credits, including donor-advised funds  \n Memorial or honorary gifts  \n Sponsorships  \nBefore we dive into these different types of acknowledgments, though, we need to take a step back to go over the fundamentals of gift entry. Why? Because in order to acknowledge gifts, you need to be committed to good gift entry. Gift entry might seem like such a basic component of fundraising that it doesn’t need much consideration. The reality is that without accurate, detailed, and consistent gift entry, your organization’s ability to acknowledge gifts will be hindered, and you’ll miss this opportunity to strengthen relationships with donors. The time you invest in proper gift entry will be well worth it!  \n0 2  \nThe fundamentals of gift entry  \nEvery gift your organization receives is part of the story of your organization’s fundraising efforts, and, like with any story, you need answers to the following key questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why? Whether you’re using a donor management system like Little Green Light or you’re using an Excel spreadsheet to track gifts, recording the following details is essential.  \nWho made the gift?  \nCapturing the correct spelling of the name of the person ( or entity, such as a foundation) is crucial. Make sure the gift is connected to the right constituent. To avoid creating duplicate records, you should search your database by name and also by mailing address or email address to see if the constituent already has a record.  \nWhat kind of gift did they give and in what amount?  \nDid the donor make a financial contribution, an-kind gift of goods or services, or a pledge commitment; or did they buy non-tax-deductible items, tickets, or other goods?Whatever the type of gift, you need to accurately enter its amount. For in-kind gifts, note that donors can receive a tax deduction for gifts of goods but not for donated time.  \n0 3  \nYou can record a tax-deductible amount for in-kind gifts. The amount is $0 unless you have a verified third-party appraisal or the donor provided documentation of the fair market value dollar amount.(Refer to  IRS Publication 561 for further details.)  \nWhen was the gift made?  \nThis may seem like an obvious question to answer, but it can be a bit trickier than it first appears.  \nDo you use:  \n The date on the check, or  \n The date of the postmark, or  \n The date on which the donation is received by your organization?  \nWe recommend referring to this document to help you understand how to determine the gift date. This is particularly important when it comes to entering gifts received at the end of the calendar or fiscal year.  \nWhere should the gift be directed?  \nIf the donor wants their gift to be allocated to a particular program or fund at your organization, you need to keep track of that information. You can do this by coding a specific fund to the gift record. If the donor does not indicate a specific intent for the expenditure of their gift, you can code it to your general fund.  \n0 4  \nWhy did the donor make this gift?  \nIt’s likely that a donor chose to make a gift in response to a specific appeal or event","cbCaiuWFl5ExOyND","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuWFl5ExOyND","pdf",1035444,20,"English","# Introduction\n## Fundamentals of Gift Entry\n## Acknowledging a Financial Gift","[{\"question\":\"Why are gift acknowledgment letters important to a fundraising program?\",\"answer\":\"Gift acknowledgment letters help build and steward donor relationships by thanking donors and confirming their gifts are appreciated. For certain gifts, they also provide an important record for the donor and support IRS obligations.\"},{\"question\":\"What information must be captured for every gift entry?\",\"answer\":\"Gift entry should answer Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Accurate spelling and correct constituent matching, gift type and amount, gift date, fund/program direction, and the reason for the gift are essential for consistent records and acknowledgments.\"},{\"question\":\"How should in-kind gifts be handled for tax-deductible amounts?\",\"answer\":\"In-kind gifts may include a tax-deductible amount for goods, but the amount is $0 unless there is a verified third-party appraisal or donor documentation of the fair market value. Guidance can reference IRS Publication 561 for details.\"}]","Guide to Acknowledging Gifts - Fundamentals of Gift Entry and Acknowledgment Letters | PDF",1789527445,7]