How do I send year-end gift receipts by email?

Overview

Use this process to email donors a year-end gift receipt that includes a summary and itemized list of their contributions for the prior calendar year.

Each donor receives their own individual email containing only their own contribution information.

Result: Donors receive a year-end receipt by email, and no donor sees anyone else’s data.

Before you begin

• You have a saved donor list for year-end receipts

• A year-end gift receipt email is available to use or edit

• You are ready to email everyone in the selected list

Estimated time: 5–10 minutes (longer if reviewing or editing content)

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Open Targeted Email

1. Start from the EveryAction Home Page.

2. From the left-hand menu, go to:
   Engagement → Communication Tools → Targeted Email

3. If you don’t see this option, use Search for a page and type Targeted Email.

Targeted Email is the tool used to send messages to a specific list of donors.

Step 2: Create or open an email

1. Choose one of the following:

   • Create a new email, or

   • Open an existing year-end receipt email

Tip: If this is your first time sending year-end receipts, using an existing email is often safer.

Step 3: Build the email

1. Select your saved year-end donor list as the audience.

2. In the email body, insert the Year-End Gift Receipt merge field.

   • This field automatically fills in each donor’s gift details.

3. Review the message preview to confirm it shows:

   • Total donated amount for the prior calendar year

   • Total tax-deductible amount

   • An itemized list of contributions

Important: The preview shows how the email will look for one donor at a time.

Step 4: Review before sending

Before sending, pause and confirm:

✅ The correct donor list is selected

✅ The preview shows only one donor’s gifts

✅ The year and totals look correct

✅ You are ready to email everyone in the list

Tip: If available, send a test email to yourself before sending to donors.

Step 5: Send the email

1. When you are ready, click Send.

Each donor will receive their own email with their individual receipt details.

What the year-end gift receipt includes

• All recorded contributions (not only online gifts)

• Itemized gifts from the prior calendar year

What the year-end gift receipt does not include

• Contributions with status Failed, Declined, or ActBlue Pending

• In-kind contributions

• Financial household aggregation

  • Each contact receives a separate receipt

Note: ActBlue Pending is an active status label if your organization uses ActBlue integration.

Common questions and reassurance

• Will donors see each other’s data?
  No. Each donor receives a separate email with only their own information.

• Does this resend receipts to past years?
  No. The receipt reflects the year shown in the preview.

• Is this reversible?
  Once sent, emails cannot be recalled—review carefully before sending.

What else do you need help with?

• How do I create an audience for year-end gift receipts?

• How do I resend a year-end gift receipt to one donor?

Not what you’re looking for?

Return to Understanding End-of-Year Fundraising Communications to choose a different task.