How to Look Professional and Save Time: Invoices and Receipts for Nonprofits
Ditch the Word docs and Excel struggles. This Canva invoice and donation receipt template helps nonprofits look professional and stay compliant in just minutes.
You send out an invoice. Or a donation receipt. Then you spot the typo. Or the layout shifts. Or the logo is missing again.
Sound familiar?
If you are part of a small nonprofit or a growing community project, you already wear multiple hats. Fundraising, communications, grant writing, budgeting..... admin work tends to sit in the background until suddenly, it cannot be ignored. Especially when donors start requesting official receipts or your auditor asks for proper documentation.
This is exactly why I created the Invoice and Donation Receipt Template for Canva. It helps you look polished, feel confident, and save time every single month.
Why This Template Exists
This template was born out of many conversations with nonprofit leaders, particularly those in small or emerging organisations. I heard the same thing over and over again:
“I’m using a Word document from years ago and manually typing each donor’s name. It works, but it’s messy and time consuming.”
Or
“We cannot afford accounting software yet. But we want our systems to look professional and feel easy to use.”
Sound familiar? You are not alone.
So, I built this tool that simplifies the process without requiring advanced software or design skills because many nonprofits I know had already heard of Canva and used it regularly.
Real Life Example: Meet Susan from The Youth Resource Project
Susan runs a small community-based nonprofit in rural South Africa. Her organization provides food parcels and job readiness training to unemployed women. Most of her funding comes from individual donors, church partners, and small family foundations. Every month she receives between five and ten donations, ranging from R100 to R5 000 ($5 to $270 USD).
Before using this template, Susan was typing each receipt manually in Microsoft Word, saving them one by one, and emailing them out. She dreaded it.
After downloading the Canva template from NonprofitToolkits, she uploaded her logo once, set her brand colours, and added her organization details. Now, when she needs to send an invoice or receipt, she opens the template in Canva, updates the donor name and date, clicks Download, and it's ready to go. It takes her less than five minutes!
What Makes This Template Different
- It is fully editable in Canva
- Includes two designs. One for invoices and one for donation receipts
- You can add your own logo, brand colours, and contact info
- Includes space for tax numbers, donation purposes, and personal thank you messages
- Works in free Canva accounts with no add-ons needed
- You do not need design experience or technical knowledge. Just enter your info, click Download, and send a clean, polished document.
Who This Is Perfect For
- Admin staff managing donor communication manually
- Fundraisers and consultants supporting multiple organizations
- Small nonprofit founders who are setting up systems from scratch
- Volunteers or board members who are asked to manage documentation
- Anyone tired of messy, outdated templates
If you are building trust with donors, how you communicate on paper matters. A clean, clear receipt is part of that relationship.
Two Free Tips for Better Invoice and Receipt Management
- Create a shared cloud folder
Set up a Google Drive folder titled Receipts and Invoices with subfolders for each quarter or funding campaign. You can even name files like "Donation_Receipt_JohnSmith_April2025" so they are easy to search. This simple system helps at audit time and reduces daily stress. - Include a mini impact message in every receipt
For example:
“Thank you for your donation. Your support helped us deliver hygiene kits to 53 children last month.”
It creates a personal connection. Donors are far more likely to give again when they feel part of your story.
Ready to Upgrade Your Admin Procedure?
The Invoice and Donation Receipt Canva Template is available now on my Etsy store. It is affordable, easy to edit, and designed with real nonprofit needs in mind!
Ready to take your nonprofit to the next level? Explore more tips, tools, and resources at NonprofitToolkits and start making an even greater impact today!
