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're borrowing money from parents for your home purchase down payment, lenders will want to see a gift letter for mortgage approval in NYC.We'll also show you how to write a gift letter with a gift letter template so you can help your donor prepare for underwriting. Second, the reason your bank is asking you to provide a gift letter Is that the funds must be verified. Here's a sample gift letter you can use to prove that the money is truly meant as an outright gift, with no expectation of repayment. 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. This guide explains how to document gift funds for a mortgage and meet lender requirements. Your lender may provide you with a gift letter template. What should you include in a gift letter?