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A donation is a gift given, typically to a cause or/and for charitable purposes. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods as i.e. clothing, toys, food, vehicles, emergency or humanitarian aid items, and can also relate to medical care needs as i.e. blood or organs for transplant. Charitable gifts of goods or services are also called gifts in kind.

It is possible to donate in somebody else's name, also commonly referred to as making a gift in honor or in memory of someone. Gifts in honor or memory of other people are made for various reasons, such as holiday gifts, wedding gifts, or in memory of somebody who has died. Memorial gifts are sometimes requested by the survivors (e.g. "in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to ABC Charity"), usually directing donations to a charitable organization for which the deceased was a donor or volunteer, or for a cause befitting the deceased's priorities in life or manner of death. Memorial donations are also sometimes given by people if they cannot go to the ceremonies.

Donations are gifts given without return consideration. This lack of return consideration means that, in common law, an agreement to make a donation is an "imperfect contract void for want of consideration."^[1] Only when the donation is actually made does it acquire legal status as a transfer or property.^{[citation needed]} In civil law jurisdictions, on the contrary, donations are valid contracts, though they may require some extra formalities, such as being done in writing.^{[citation needed]}

In politics, the law of some countries may prohibit or restrict the extent to which politicians may accept gifts or donations of large sums of money, especially from business or special interest groups (see campaign finance).

In countries where there are limits imposed on the freedom of disposition of the testator, there are usually similar limits on donations.^{[citation needed]}

The person giving a gift is called the donor, and the person or institution getting the gift is called the donee.

Some organized charities have been criticised for the proportion of financial donations which is used for administrative or operational purposes. In some places information on charities' expenses is available from government departments or watchdog organisations, or directly from the charity.

• Fundraising
• Charitable contribution
• Organ donation