Gift funds documentation checklist

How to use this checklist: Collect the core documents, then complete only the transfer path and special-situation sections that apply. Requirements vary by lender and loan program, so the lender's document list controls.

1. Gift letter

• Signed gift letter: the lender’s form or an equivalent letter signed and dated by the donor.
• Donor details in the letter: donor’s full name, mailing address, telephone number, and relationship to the borrower.
• Gift details in the letter: the actual or maximum gift amount and a clear statement that repayment is not required or expected.
• Transaction details in the letter: borrower name, property address, transfer date, and intended use, when required by the lender’s form.
• Borrower signature: the borrower’s signed and dated acknowledgment, if required by the lender or loan program.

2. Donor funds and source documents

• Donor account statement: a complete bank, brokerage, trust, or other asset statement showing the donor owns sufficient funds, if requested.
• Recent-deposit source records: documents tracing any recent deposit used for the gift, such as a sale record, pay record, or transfer statement, if requested.
• Relationship documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate, shared-address record, or comparable evidence of the donor relationship, if requested.
• Trust, estate, or business records: documents identifying the account and authorized signer when the gift comes from a qualifying trust, estate, or related-person business, if applicable.

3. Transfer documents — complete one path

Use one path: Gather the documents for either Path A or Path B, based on where the donor sent the money.

Path A — Donor sent funds to the borrower

• Outgoing transfer record: a copy of the donor’s check, canceled check, withdrawal slip, wire confirmation, or electronic-transfer confirmation.
• Donor account evidence: a bank statement or transaction history showing the matching withdrawal from the donor’s account.
• Borrower receipt evidence: a deposit slip, bank statement, or transaction history showing the matching deposit into the borrower’s account.
• Payment-app record: the complete transfer record linking the donor’s bank account to the borrower’s bank account when a third-party transfer service was used, if permitted.

Path B — Donor sent funds directly to the closing agent

• Closing-agent transfer record: a wire confirmation or a copy of the certified, cashier’s, or other official bank check delivered to the closing agent.
• Donor account evidence: a bank statement or transaction history showing the source of the direct-to-closing funds, if requested.
• Closing receipt: the Closing Disclosure, settlement statement, or closing-agent receipt showing the gift was received and applied to the transaction.

4. Special situations — if applicable

• Gift of equity: a signed gift letter and a Closing Disclosure or settlement statement showing the gift-of-equity credit.
• Gifted earnest money: a donor check or transfer confirmation plus a receipt, escrow statement, or other record showing the earnest-money holder received the funds.
• Gift of land: proof that the donor owned the land and evidence that title was transferred to the borrower.
• Wedding or graduation gift: the marriage license or certificate, or graduation evidence, plus a borrower account statement showing the deposited funds, when the program permits this treatment.
• Discrepancy explanation: a signed letter of explanation with supporting records for any mismatch in donor name, amount, account, or transfer date, if requested.