Giving Statements: Professional Tax Receipts Your Donors Will Appreciate

Every January, churches face the same task: preparing year-end giving statements for donors who need them for tax purposes. Whether your congregation gives online, by check, or through a mix of methods, donors expect a clear, accurate record of their charitable contributions. A well-designed giving statement does more than satisfy the IRS—it reinforces trust, expresses gratitude, and reminds donors of the impact their generosity has made.

Why Giving Statements Matter for Churches and Donors

For donors, a giving statement is often the only formal record they receive from the church. It serves as proof of charitable giving when filing taxes, especially for those who itemize deductions. Donors appreciate receiving a personalized summary that shows each gift, the fund it supported, and the total amount given over the year. When that statement arrives in a professional format with a warm cover letter from the pastor, it reinforces the church’s care for its people.

For churches, giving statements support compliance and stewardship. The IRS expects 501(c)(3) organizations to provide written acknowledgment for donations of $250 or more. Even for smaller gifts, many donors rely on year-end statements when preparing their returns. Beyond tax compliance, statements offer an opportunity to thank donors, highlight ministry impact, and invite continued partnership. A thoughtful cover letter can turn a routine mailing into a meaningful touchpoint.

From Batch Printing to Donor Self-Service

OnlineGiving.org’s Giving Statements feature gives you full control over how statements are created and delivered. You design the cover letter, transaction table, and closing page using customizable templates with placeholders for donor names, addresses, totals, and transaction details. Filter statements by fund or campus so you can produce separate statements for different ministries or locations. When you’re ready, print a full batch for mailing or let donors download their own statements from the giving website.

Donors who give online can access their statements directly from their Giving History page. A Tax Statements dropdown lists all published statements they qualify for, and they can open and print or save as PDF with one click. This self-service option reduces administrative workload and ensures donors who prefer digital records get them instantly. For donors who prefer paper, you can print statements in bulk, sort by postal code for efficient mailing, and even print envelope labels separately.

In this article, we’ll overview the OnlineGiving.org Giving Statements feature.

Giving Statements User Guide

The Giving Statements feature at /admin/statements lets you create, edit, and manage year-end contribution statements. Each statement is tied to a calendar year (January 1 through December 31) and can be filtered by funds and donor preferred campuses. You customize the cover letter, transaction page, closing page, and envelope label using rich text editors and template variables. Statements can be printed in batch from the control panel or downloaded by donors from their Giving History page.

Key Takeaways

• Statement Management: Create, edit, and delete statements from the control panel. Each statement has a title, year, status (Draft or Published), and optional fund and campus filters.
• Calendar Year: Statements always cover a full calendar year (Jan 1–Dec 31). Choose the year when creating a statement; years from 2022 through the current year are available.
• Batch vs Individual: Print full batches for mailing (with sort options and pagination) or let donors download their own statements from the giving website.
• Print Delivery: Print statements with configurable margins, page breaks, and closing page. Print envelope labels separately for efficient mailing.
• PDF Download: Use your browser’s Print dialog to save statements as PDF when printing. Donors can do the same from the giving website.
• Statement Customization: Customize the cover letter, transaction table, closing page, and envelope label with template variables (donor name, address, totals, transaction details).
• Year-End Statements: Create a statement for each tax year. Publish when ready; donors see only published statements.

Table of Contents

1. Statement Overview
   • Accessing Giving Statements
   • Statement Structure (Cover, Transactions, Closing)
2. Creating and Editing Statements
   • How to Create a Statement
   • How to Edit a Statement
   • How to Delete a Statement
   • Audience Filters (Funds and Campuses)
3. Statement Templates
   • Cover Letter Page
   • Transaction Page
   • Closing Page
   • Envelope Label
   • Template Variables
4. Printing Statements
   • Print Options (Sort, Margins, Page Breaks)
   • Filter Donor Statements
   • Printing Envelope Labels
5. Donor Self-Download
   • How Donors Access Statements
6. Multi-Campus and Advanced Options
   • Campus Filtering
   • Duplicate Statement Prevention
7. Frequently Asked Questions

Statement Overview

Accessing Giving Statements

To open the Giving Statements area:

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Click “Giving Statements” in the left navigation menu (or go to /admin/statements).
3. The main page lists all statements with columns for Title, Year, Status, and actions.

From the list, you can create a new statement, filter by status (Published or Draft), search by title or year, and use the actions menu on each row to edit, print, print labels, or delete. A Help button links to a video walkthrough.

Statement Structure (Cover, Transactions, Closing)

Each giving statement has three main sections plus an optional envelope label:

• Cover Letter Page: The first page donors see. Typically includes a thank-you message, ministry highlights, and a brief note about the transaction details on the following pages. Use template variables for the donor’s name, address, year, and total amount.
• Transaction Page(s): A table of all donations for the statement year, with date, fund, payment type, and amount. Transactions are listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Page breaks can be configured to control how many rows appear per page.
• Closing Page: A final page with a closing message, contact information for questions, and any required tax language. You can choose to include or skip this page when printing.
• Envelope Label: A separate template for printing address labels. Use this when mailing statements in bulk; you can print labels independently from the full statements.

Creating and Editing Statements

How to Create a Statement

1. Log in to the control panel.
2. Click “Giving Statements” in the left navigation.
3. Click the “Create New Statement” button.
4. Enter a Title (e.g., “2024 Year-End Giving Statement”).
5. Select the Year (calendar year from 2022 through the current year).
6. Choose Status: Draft (not visible to donors) or Published (donors can download).
7. Optionally select Funds and Preferred Campuses to filter which donors and transactions are included.
8. Customize the Cover Letter, Transaction Page, Closing Page, and Envelope Label templates (see Statement Templates below).
9. Click “Save” to create the statement.

If you leave funds and campuses blank, the statement includes all tax-deductible donations for the year across all funds and campuses. Use filters when you need separate statements (e.g., one for general fund only, or one per campus).

How to Edit a Statement

1. From the Giving Statements list, click the statement title or use the actions menu and select “Edit Statement”.
2. Update any fields (title, year, status, filters, templates).
3. Click “Save” to apply changes.

Edits take effect immediately. If the statement is published, donors will see the updated version the next time they access it.

How to Delete a Statement

1. From the Giving Statements list, open the actions menu for the statement.
2. Click “Delete”.
3. Confirm when prompted.

Deletion is permanent. The statement will no longer appear in the list or be available to donors.

Audience Filters (Funds and Campuses)

The Statement Audience Filters section lets you narrow which donors and transactions are included:

• Filter by Funds/Sub-Funds: Select one or more funds or sub-funds. Only donations to those funds are included. Leave blank to include all tax-deductible funds.
• Filter by Donor Preferred Campus: Select one or more campuses. Only donors whose preferred campus matches are included. Leave blank to include all donors.

Use these filters when you need separate statements for different ministries (e.g., a building fund statement vs. general fund) or for multi-campus churches that want campus-specific mailings. Each unique combination of year, funds, and campuses creates a distinct statement; the system prevents duplicate statements with the same filters.

Statement Templates

Cover Letter Page

The cover letter appears on the first page of each donor’s statement. Use the rich text editor to add your church logo, a personalized greeting, ministry highlights, and a note directing donors to the transaction details. You can insert images via the “Insert Image into Cover Letter” upload. Template variables (e.g., {user_first_name}, {statement_year}, {statement_total_amount}) are replaced with actual data when the statement is generated.

Transaction Page

The transaction page displays each donation in a table. You must include the required template variables: {transaction_start} and {transaction_end} to mark the repeating row, plus {trans_payment_date}, {trans_fund}, {trans_payment_type}, {trans_amount}, and {statement_total_amount}. The default template provides a table with Date, Fund, Payment Type, and Amount columns. Non-cash asset donations (e.g., stock) are listed in a separate section with asset type, name, and quantity; per IRS regulations, the church does not assign value to non-cash gifts.

Closing Page

The closing page appears after the transaction table. Use it for a final thank-you, contact information for questions, and any required tax language (e.g., that offerings are tax-deductible and the church may redirect designated offerings per IRS regulations). When printing, you can choose to skip the closing page to save paper if desired.

Envelope Label

The envelope label template is used when printing address labels separately from the full statements. This is useful for bulk mailing: print labels first, then print statements, and match them when stuffing envelopes. The default template includes the donor’s name and address. You can customize the layout to fit your label sheets.

Template Variables

Template variables are placeholders that are replaced with real data when statements are generated. Draggable labels appear above each editor; you can drag them into the content or type them manually. Common variables include:

• Donor: {user_first_name}, {user_last_name}, {user_org_name}, {user_email}, {user_address}, {user_city}, {user_state}, {user_postal_code}, {user_phone}, {user_country}
• Statement: {statement_year}, {statement_total_amount}, {statement_total_transactions}
• Transaction (inside the repeating row): {trans_payment_date}, {trans_fund}, {trans_sub_fund}, {trans_payment_type}, {trans_amount}, {trans_id}, {trans_gateway_txn_id}

The transaction page also requires {transaction_start} and {transaction_end} to wrap the repeating row. If you modify the transaction template, ensure these required variables remain in place or the statement will not generate correctly.

Printing Statements

Print Options (Sort, Margins, Page Breaks)

From the Giving Statements list, select “Print Statement” from the actions menu. The print page shows:

• Sort Statements By: Postal Code A-Z, Postal Code Z-A, Last Name A-Z, or Last Name Z-A. Sorting by postal code helps when mailing in bulk (e.g., for presorted postage).
• Statement Closing Page: Include or skip the closing page.
• Margins: Top, Right, Bottom, Left (in pixels). Adjust for your printer and paper.
• Number of Rows Before 1st Trans Page Break: How many transaction rows appear on the first transaction page before a page break (default 25).
• Number of Rows Before 2nd+ Trans Page Break: How many rows on subsequent transaction pages (default 32).
• Filter Donor Statements: See below.

Click “Save Printing Preferences & Refresh Preview” to update the preview iframe. Click “Print Statement” to open the print-ready view in a new window. From there, use your browser’s Print dialog to print or save as PDF. Statements are paginated (e.g., 100 donors per page); use the pagination to print in batches.

Filter Donor Statements

The Filter Donor Statements option lets you narrow which donors receive printed statements:

• Do Not Filter: Include all qualified donors (default).
• Only include statements for donors with unknown emails: Useful when you’ve already emailed statements to donors with valid emails and only need to print for those without.
• Only include statements for donors having non-digital giving history: Donors who gave by cash or check during the year, and may not have online access.
• Only include statements for donors with either unknown emails or non-digital giving: Combines the above to minimize printing while ensuring everyone who needs a paper statement receives one.

These filters apply only at print time. They do not affect which donors can download statements from the giving website.

Printing Envelope Labels

To print envelope labels separately, select “Print Labels” from the actions menu. The labels page offers:

• Sort Labels By: Same options as statement printing (postal code or last name).
• Filter Donor Statements: Same filter options as statement printing.
• Margins: Top, Right, Bottom, Left for label alignment.

A preview shows sample labels. Click “Print Labels” to open the label view in a new window, then use your browser’s Print dialog. Labels use the envelope label template you configured when creating the statement.

Donor Self-Download

How Donors Access Statements

Donors who give online and have a giving account can download their own statements from the Giving History page. When they log in and view their donation history, a Tax Statements dropdown appears (when published statements exist that include their giving). Each option opens that statement in a new window. Donors can then use their browser’s Print dialog to print or save as PDF.

Only Published statements are visible to donors. Draft statements do not appear. Donors see only statements they qualify for—those that include their transactions based on the statement’s year and fund/campus filters. If a donor gave only to a specific fund and your statement is filtered to that fund, they will see it; if the statement includes all funds, they will see it as long as they have any tax-deductible giving in that year.

Donors must have a valid address on file to be included in statements. The system uses the donor’s profile address for the cover letter and labels.

Multi-Campus and Advanced Options

Campus Filtering

For multi-campus churches, the Filter by Donor Preferred Campus option lets you create campus-specific statements. Select one or more campuses when creating the statement; only donors whose preferred campus matches will be included. You can create separate statements per campus (e.g., “2024 North Campus Statement”) or leave the filter blank for an all-campus statement.

Duplicate Statement Prevention

The system prevents duplicate statements: you cannot create two statements with the same year, funds filter, and campus filter. If you try to save a statement that duplicates an existing one, you’ll see an error. Edit the existing statement instead, or change the filters to make the new statement unique.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Draft and Published status?

Draft statements are visible only in the control panel. You can edit them, preview the print view, and test the layout. Donors cannot see or download draft statements. Published statements appear in the Tax Statements dropdown on the donor’s Giving History page. Publish when you’re ready for donors to access the statement. You can change a published statement back to draft if needed.

Can I create a statement for a date range other than a full calendar year?

No. Giving Statements are always tied to a full calendar year (January 1 through December 31). The year selector determines which transactions are included. For mid-year or custom date ranges, use the Donation Report or other reporting tools. For tax purposes, year-end statements covering the full calendar year are the standard approach.

Why don’t I see any donors when I try to print?

Statements only include donors who (1) have at least one approved, tax-deductible transaction in the statement year, (2) have a valid address on file, and (3) match the fund and campus filters (if any). If you see “no transactions match,” check that you have giving data for that year, that donors have addresses, and that your filters aren’t too restrictive. The Filter Donor Statements option can also narrow the list at print time.

Can I email statements to donors instead of printing?

The Giving Statements feature focuses on print and donor self-download. Donors can access their statements from the Giving History page and save as PDF. For bulk email delivery of statements, you would need to use a separate process (e.g., exporting a list and using your email provider). Many churches combine approaches: email donors with a link to download, and print only for those who prefer paper or don’t have email.

Do statements include non-cash asset donations (e.g., stock)?

Yes. Non-cash asset contributions are listed in a separate section on the transaction page. The template includes placeholders for asset type, asset name, and quantity. Per IRS regulations, the church does not assign a value to non-cash gifts; donors should consult their tax advisor for fair market value. The default template includes this disclaimer.

How do I save a statement as PDF?

When you click “Print Statement” or “Print Labels,” a new window opens with the print-ready content. Use your browser’s Print dialog (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) and choose “Save as PDF” or “Print to PDF” as the destination. Donors can do the same when viewing their statement from the Giving History page. The system generates HTML suitable for printing; your browser handles the PDF conversion.

What happens if I delete a statement?

Deletion is permanent. The statement is removed from the list and is no longer available to donors. If donors have already downloaded or printed it, they keep their copies. Consider changing the status to Draft instead of deleting if you might need the statement again.

Need help setting up giving statements or customizing templates? Contact us at support@onlinegiving.org or (615) 206-4000. OnlineGiving.org provides courtesy setup assistance to help you create professional, donor-friendly giving statements.