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. What should be in the gift letter?Make sure you get a gift letter upfront from the donor. Does your family need the money right away? If not, write an agreement and make monthly payments. If your father intended for the money to be a gift, and the letter supports that characterization, you have no obligation to pay her back. A gift letter is a written statement for your lender that confirms your down payment funds are a gift and do not have to be repaid. The donor, the person who makes the gift, should intend that the transfer be permanent. Gifts have a special place in the law. For Cash Aid: You and your aided spouse, registered domestic partner, or the other parent (of cash-aided children) if living in the home.