How to Make a Donation in Someone’s Name

Motivations for giving vary among donors. In the case of tribute and memorial gifts, people want to acknowledge someone special by giving to a nonprofit. Perhaps they want to celebrate or remember a birthday, honor someone’s memory, or respond to a current crisis, natural disaster, or political event.  

Consider offering a tribute or memorial gift option on your donation forms. Donating in someone else’s name can be a powerful way to give. If you’re looking for new revenue streams, a campaign that highlights making a donation in someone’s name might be a powerful way to encourage and reengage donors.  

This guide covers how your nonprofit organization can offer this unique way of honoring people. 

Understand Why People Make These Donations 

The first step to making a donation in someone else’s name is understanding why donors make these gifts and what it means to the honoree or his/her/their family. There are several reasons why people donate money, including: 

• Religion: Many faiths promote charitable giving to assist others and make a positive difference. In some cases, donating money is highly encouraged, and specific dollar amounts hold high cultural and religious value.  
• Lived experiences: People often donate to organizations that have helped them in the past or to fundraisers that aim to fight a disease they had, like cancer. They may also give money to these charities because of the experiences of people they know. 
• Belief in a cause: Individuals often provide financial support to causes they feel strongly about, like stopping world hunger or helping struggling animal shelters. 
• Reactive giving: Reactive donors are emotionally motivated to give spontaneously in response to an incident or current event. They may donate to contradict divisive rhetoric— as a witty response.   

Whether donations are made on behalf of someone living or to honor the memory of someone who has passed, knowing why supporters choose these donations can help your team further build relationships with this segment of donors.  

Consider the honoree’s interests 

When offering donations in someone else’s name, the key is leveraging your cause as an option. People often post charities on their social media accounts that they want people to donate to instead of giving them birthday presents. Or, if people are making a donation in the name of someone who has died, the deceased’s family may provide a list of charities to give money to instead of buying funeral flowers. 

However, there may be cases where donors select a charity that they think the acknowledged person might support (or sometimes, may reject). Donors may make tribute gifts as an act of resistance.  

In any case, it’s important to remember that these donors likely have increased motivation. Consider their personal beliefs and what they support to market your charity or cause best. 

Honor Someone Special via Your Nonprofit 

Your organization will want to demonstrate that you are reputable and will be good stewards of the money it receives.   

Some steps you should take to market your charity as legitimate include: 

• Leverage your website: Make sure your website is filled with information about your cause, where donated money is going, and reviews from past individuals who have supported your organization. You should also have stories and quotes from constituents and volunteers. Ensure the page’s web address where payment information is entered is secure, starting with “HTTPS.”   
• Market that donations are tax-deductible: If donors confirm that donating to a charity is tax-deductible, they can almost always trust that it’s a legitimate site. Encourage donors to be informed and check the IRS’s list of tax-exempt organizations. 
• Get all the info you need: Aside from donor information (address, e-mail, name(s)), make sure you ask who the donor wants a letter of acknowledgement to be sent to. Does it go to an honoree or a deceased person’s family? Did anyone set up a special fund or other way of tracking all contributions? The ability to track and acknowledge these gifts is why using a customized form, as opposed to Facebook fundraising or crowdfunding, is the best way to accept donations made in someone’s name. 
• Accept credit cards and digital wallets: Many scam artists ask for gift cards or wire transfers as payment because they’re harder to track. Remind people that encrypted credit card donations and hyper-secure digital wallet donations are a safe, secure way to honor their loved ones.  

While a friend or the deceased individual’s family members may request donations to a specific charity, it still helps to market your organization as an option for honor and tribute gifts. Remind your donors that some crowdfunding sites can be an unregulated way of giving money. Encourage them to always research and find a trustworthy charity that benefits the whole community.  

Make Donating EASY 

Now that you’ve marketed yourself as the perfect charity, it’s time to accept donations! Make sure your organization easily offers the option to donate in someone else’s name on your donation form. If donors need help finding a way to give a donation in someone else’s name or the instructions are unclear, you will leave money on the table and frustrate donors. 

After receiving the money, send the donor a confirmation, receipt, and proper thank you. Make sure to acknowledge the honoree or his/her/their family, too. 

 

Acknowledge honor donations 

Once your nonprofit receives a tribute or memorial gift, you should notify the person or his/her/their family if the donation was made in the name of a deceased individual. Individuals and families of late loved ones take great comfort knowing that their lives or memories matter.  

Donors who give in honor or memory of someone are a perfect donor segment to call and understand more about. They have a very personal connection to your cause and are reaching out to tell you. Steward these donors!   

Who Gets the Tax Deduction? 

Donors can deduct these gifts from their taxes. When donating in someone else’s name, donors provide money. As a result, donors, not honorees, deduct the contributions to charity from their taxes.  

Ensure you provide proof of the donation to your donors. Perhaps you have a CRM where donors can look up their giving history whenever needed! 

Tribute and memorial gift options give your supporters a powerful way to honor loved ones while advancing your mission.  

By understanding donor motivations, aligning with the honoree’s interests, and showcasing your nonprofit’s trustworthiness—through clear forms, secure payments, and tax-deductible messaging—you make giving in someone else’s name seamless.  

Remember to acknowledge both the donor and the honoree with prompt receipts and personalized thank-yous. Tribute gifts are lasting connections that strengthen your community and your cause.