The letter must explain who is gifting the money, where the donor's funds are coming from and the relationship between the donor and the recipient. If you go through a bank they will provide the gift letter form to you to get completed.If someone provides a handwritten letter it is filed away. A gift letter for a mortgage shows your lender that you don't need to repay gift money toward your down payment. Most lenders have a template for mortgage gift letters that you can download, fill out, sign and submit back to the lender. Go back to that mortgage officer, and tell him it's a gift. Ask him what he needs in the way of documentation to show it's a gift, not a loan. The purpose of this letter is to document that the money does not need to be repaid as well as the donor's name, contract information, and relationship to you. It is likely that a gift letter will be required. Understanding Gift Funds for Your Mortgage: What are they?