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Donor appreciation gifts

Donor appreciation gifts for nonprofits

A good donor appreciation gift is a modest thank-you, small next to what the donor gave, sent soon after the gift with a note about what it did. Ours start at $22. A gift can change what the receipt says, so check with your accountant.

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Donor appreciation gifts by donor group

Keep the gift small next to what each donor gave, and send it soon with a note about what the money did. A typical budget and one real gift per group.

Major donors and monthly donors need different thank-yous

A major donor gets one considered gift from your leadership. A monthly donor gets the same small gift as everyone else in the program, once a year.

Major donors

  • One gift per household, from the executive director or board chair.
  • Sent after the gift arrives, with a note about what it paid for.
  • Modest next to the gift: a thank-you, not something that looks like a return on it.
  • Ask the gift officer first. Some major donors would rather every dollar go to the work.

Monthly donors

  • A small box at the one-year mark, or once at year end.
  • The same gift for everyone in the program, so it stays fair and cheap to run.
  • Thank them for the habit, not the amount.
  • One export from your donor database, and each gift ships to its own home.

Donor gifts and the receipt: what the IRS says

A thank-you gift can change what your acknowledgment has to say. Here is what IRS Publication 1771 states, in general terms.

  • $250 or more needs a written acknowledgment.

    A donor can't claim a deduction for a single contribution of $250 or more without one from your organization. If you gave goods or services in return, it must describe them and give a good faith estimate of their value.

  • Over $75, partly for goods or services: a quid pro quo contribution.

    When a donor pays more than $75 partly as a contribution and partly for goods or services, your organization must give a written disclosure statement.

  • Token items have their own exception.

    Goods of insubstantial value, such as low-cost items with your name or logo, don't have to be described when the publication's conditions are met. Its dollar limits are 2023 figures that the IRS adjusts for inflation.

  • Acknowledgments usually go out by January 31.

    The publication notes that charities typically send them no later than January 31 of the year after the donation.

Source: IRS Publication 1771, Charitable Contributions: Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (Rev. 11-2023). Whether a thank-you gift counts as goods or services in return, and what your receipt should say, is a question for your accountant before the gifts go out. This is general information, not tax advice.

Year-end giving season and the January thank-you

If your donors give at year end, thank them by email right away, and send the gifts in January, when the team has time to do it well.

  • Tuesday, December 1, 2026

    GivingTuesday. Thank everyone by email that week; save gifts for donors above your threshold.

  • December 2026

    Year-end giving season. With a December appeal running, gifts can wait until the rush is over.

  • December 31, 2026

    The last day of 2026, and the close of a December appeal.

  • January 2027

    Acknowledgments and the thank-you push: gifts and notes go out while the gift is still fresh.

  • All year

    Monthly donors' anniversaries, and major gifts as they close.

Order by, for gifts that arrive Tuesday, January 19, 2027

  • Under 100 gifts, no logo

    Order by Tue, Jan 5, ideally by Tue, Dec 29.

  • 100 or more gifts, or anything with your logo

    Order by Tue, Dec 22, ideally by Tue, Dec 8.

GivingTuesday date from givingtuesday.org. For a gift that lands before December 31, order 2 to 3 weeks ahead, or 4 to 6 weeks for 100 or more gifts or anything with your logo. Sending a few hundred at once? See bulk corporate gifts.

Gifts for donors by price

Real gifts and real prices per gift, before shipping and branding. We stop at $200 on purpose: a donor thank-you should stay modest.

Under $40: first-time and monthly donors

The same small box for everyone in the group, sent with a note about what their gifts did.

$40 to $100: mid-level donors and your board

A full box or collection, from the executive director, once a year.

$100 to $200: major donors

Larger boxes for your most generous households. Still modest next to what they gave.

Every gift opens our partner store, where you can order online. Sending to a long list or adding your logo? Get a free quote with volume pricing instead.

Every gift is chocolate, so check your donor notes for allergies and diets before you order. Want your logo on an insert? See custom logo gifts.

A thank-you hour for a giving circle or your board

For a small group of donors in different towns, a tasting together on video can mean more than a box. A kit ships to each home and a live host runs the hour.

Each card shows the live price. Kit workshops book about 3 weeks ahead for US addresses, or about 5 weeks with guests in Canada or abroad; each activity page lists where its kit ships. An event you give donors is also something of value, so the same receipt question applies. More in team building kits.

What to write in a donor thank-you note

Name what the gift did, in meals, families or hours, then say thank you. Leave the gift's value out of the note.

Thanking volunteers too? See volunteer appreciation gifts. For everyone else you thank at work, from a speaker to a partner, see thank you gifts. And for your own development team after the year-end push, team building for nonprofits on a small budget.

  • Your gift paid for 120 hot meals this December. Thank you for making that happen.
  • A year of monthly gifts kept our tutoring program open every week. Thank you for sticking with us.
  • Thank you for your first gift. Here is a small something while we put it to work.
  • Because of you, 14 families moved into their own homes this fall. Thank you.
  • Thank you for giving, and for asking your friends to give too.
  • From all of us at the shelter: thank you for a year of showing up for the animals.

Donor appreciation gift questions

What are good donor appreciation gifts?

A modest gift sent soon after the donation, with a note that names what the money did. Chocolate works for most donors: a small box for first-time and monthly donors, a fuller one for mid-level donors and your board, a larger box for major donors. Ours start at $22.

How much should a nonprofit spend on donor thank-you gifts?

Keep it small next to the gift: under $40 for first-time and monthly donors, $40 to $100 for mid-level donors and board members, $100 to $200 for major donors. Some donors would rather have no gift at all, so ask your gift officers.

Do donor thank-you gifts affect the tax receipt?

They can. IRS Publication 1771 says an acknowledgment for a contribution of $250 or more must describe any goods or services given in return with a good faith estimate of their value, and a payment over $75 made partly for goods or services needs a written disclosure statement. Token items have an exception. This is general information, not tax advice: check with your accountant.

When should you send donor thank-you gifts?

Thank donors by email within days, then send gifts once the year-end rush is over. GivingTuesday is December 1, 2026. For gifts that arrive Tuesday, January 19, 2027, order by January 5, or by December 22, 2026 for 100 or more gifts or anything with your logo.

Should monthly donors get thank-you gifts?

Yes, but once a year, not every month: a small box on the anniversary of their first monthly gift or at year end, the same for everyone in the program, with a note about what a year of gifts did.

What should a donor thank-you note say?

What the gift did, in numbers the donor can picture: meals served, families housed, hours of tutoring. Then thank them. Leave the value of the gift out of the note.

Can donor gifts ship to each donor's home?

Yes. Send one spreadsheet of names and addresses, exported from your donor database, and each gift ships to its own address with your note inside. Every gift is chocolate, so check your records for allergies first.

Can our nonprofit's logo go on donor gifts?

Branded inserts and other presentation options can be added depending on the gift and order size. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for anything with your logo.

Thank-you gifts for every donor group

Send us your donor groups, counts, budget and the date you want gifts to land, and we'll come back with a gift plan and a quote.

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