Proof Of Donation
So, what does proof of donation look like?
Well, for donating blood, if you have an account with the donation provider, you will be able to see your most recent donation date when you access your account. A screenshot of this (with identifying information like the venue redacted) will be sufficient proof of donation. Other donation providers may give you a donor card, or a paper which records your most recent donation. So long as the date of your donation is on the paper, we will accept this as a proof of donation.
In terms of volunteering, it is pretty common for there not to be formal proof provided. In this instance, whoever supervised you during your volunteering can write a reference for you, or if you have a photo of you either on site or with other volunteers, as many organizations will take group photos at the end of projects, that will also suffice.
Proof of donations of clothes to a charity can look a few different ways. If you are donating to the bins charities run near shops and schools, obviously you won't have a receipt, so there a video of the clothes being put into the donation bin is acceptable. If you are giving the clothes to a charity shop, they should be able to give you a receipt of some kind. In the U.S. this receipt should also contain the charity's identification number (used for tax purposes), which will need to be visible to us when submitted. In other places, like the UK, there isn't often a proof of donation given, however most charity shops should be willing to write up a note for you upon request, confirming that you have donated. If they can't or won't (or you don't feel comfortable asking) you can also take a photo of your donation either in or around the shop. As long as the donation and name of the shop is visible, we will accept this as proof of donation.
For donations of food to a food pantry or similar, proof can vary from bank to bank. Typically, in the uk at least, there is no formal proof of donation given. In these cases, the guidance on charity shop donations also applies here.
Many different kinds of non-monetary donation exist, and there will not always be formal proof of donation offered or available. If you have donated, and don't have any of the kinds of proof we've listed here, don't worry. We operate on good faith and giving the benefit of the doubt, so if you aren't sure you have adequate proof of donation, feel free to get in touch with us so we can work with you on figuring that out.
Similarly, if you want to donate, but aren't sure what proof of donation might look like for your donation, you can wither contact us to see what we will accept, or the organization you intend to donate to in order to see what proof of donation they offer.
