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. There is a specific format the gift letter must follow in order to document where this money is going and what it is being used for.Yes, all lenders will require a gift letter. Although you may have the funds, the lender needs to confirm that you won't have to repay the gift. A gift letter is a document that overviews and outlines the terms of a down payment gift for a real estate purchase. A short letter like this sample gift letter will cover all of the requirements your lender needs.