Tax Receipts

NeedBridge can generate tax receipts for volunteers who donate items or funds to fulfill needs. These receipts provide documentation that volunteers may use for tax deduction purposes. This guide covers setting up tax receipt generation, managing receipts, and understanding how the system works.

What Tax Receipts Are

A tax receipt is a document that acknowledges a volunteer's in-kind or monetary donation made through fulfilling a need. Nonprofits that are tax-exempt under applicable law can issue these receipts so donors can claim deductions on their taxes.

Tax receipts in NeedBridge are generated as PDF documents that include your organization's legal information, the donation details, and a standard disclaimer.

When Receipts Are Generated

Tax receipts are generated when a claim is marked as completed, provided your organization has enabled the tax receipt feature. The process works as follows:

  1. A volunteer claims and fulfills a need.
  2. The case worker marks the claim as completed.
  3. If tax receipts are enabled, the system generates a receipt and sends it to the volunteer by email.

Not every completed need generates a receipt. The feature must be enabled in your organization settings, and the need type should involve a donation of goods or funds.

Setting Up Tax-Exempt Information

Before tax receipts can be generated, you must configure your organization's tax-exempt information in Settings:

  • Legal entity name -- The official legal name of your nonprofit organization as it appears on your tax-exempt determination letter.
  • Tax ID -- Your organization's tax identification number (such as an EIN in the United States).
  • Receipt disclaimer -- A standard statement that appears on every receipt, such as "No goods or services were provided in exchange for this contribution." Consult your accountant or legal advisor for the appropriate language.
  • Receipt number prefix -- An optional prefix for receipt numbers (for example, "NB-2026-") that helps you organize and identify receipts in your records.

Navigate to Settings and look for the tax receipt or donation receipt section to configure these fields.

Viewing and Managing Receipts

To view generated receipts:

  1. Navigate to the receipts section in your admin menu.
  2. Browse or search the list of receipts by volunteer name, date, or receipt number.
  3. Click any receipt to view its details.

Each receipt record shows:

  • Receipt number
  • Volunteer name and email
  • Date of donation
  • Description of the donated items or funds
  • Estimated value (if provided)
  • Your organization's tax-exempt information

Resending Receipts

If a volunteer needs a copy of their receipt resent:

  1. Find the receipt in the receipts list.
  2. Open the receipt detail view.
  3. Click Resend to email a new copy to the volunteer.

This is useful when a volunteer loses the original email or needs another copy for their tax records.

The Receipt PDF

Each receipt is available as a downloadable PDF. The PDF includes:

  • Your organization's logo and legal entity name
  • Tax identification number
  • Receipt number and date
  • Donation description and value
  • The disclaimer text you configured
  • Volunteer donor information

The PDF is attached to the email sent to the volunteer and is also accessible from the receipt detail view in the admin interface.

Tax Year Tracking

Receipts are organized by tax year so you and your volunteers can easily find all donations within a specific year. Use the date filters on the receipts list to view receipts for a particular year.

This is especially useful at tax time, when volunteers may contact your organization asking for their donation records.

Tips

  • Consult a tax professional. NeedBridge provides the tools to generate receipts, but your organization is responsible for ensuring the receipts comply with applicable tax laws. Work with your accountant to set up the disclaimer and verify your tax-exempt status.
  • Configure tax information before enabling receipts. Make sure your legal entity name, tax ID, and disclaimer are accurate before receipts start going out to volunteers.
  • Keep receipt records. Receipts are stored in NeedBridge, but consider exporting them periodically for your organization's financial records.
  • Be responsive at tax time. Volunteers may reach out in the first few months of the year asking for receipt copies. Knowing how to find and resend receipts saves everyone time.