Live in USA
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for
charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various
forms, including cash offering, services, new or used goods including clothing,
toys, food, and vehicles. It also may consist of emergency, relief or
humanitarian aid items, development aid support, 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.
Charity Navigator writes that,
according to Giving USA, Americans gave $298.42 billion in 2011 (about 2% of
GDP).[1] The majority of donations were from individuals (73%), then from
bequests (about 12%), foundations (1.8%) and less than 1% from corporations. The
largest sector to receive donations was religious organizations (32%), then
education (13%). Giving has increased in 3 out of 4 years since 1971 (with the
occasional declines occurring around recession years).
Blackbaud reports
that, in the US, online giving in 2012 grew 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. The
percentage of total fundraising that comes from online giving was about 7% in
2012. This was an increase from 6.3% in 2011 and is nearing the record level of
7.6% from 2010 when online giving spiked in response to Haitian earthquake
relief efforts. Steve MacLaughlin notes in the report that "the Internet has now
become the first-response channel of choice for donors during disasters and
other emergency events."
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 lobby groups (see campaign
finance). Donations to charities are also usually tax deductible. Because this
reduces the state's tax income, calls have been raised that the state (and the
public in general) should pay more attention towards ensuring that charities
actually use this 'tax money' in suitable ways.
It is possible to donate in
the name of a third party, making a gift in honor or in memory of someone or
something. Gifts in honor or memory of a third party are made for various
reasons, such as holiday gifts, wedding gifts, in memory of somebody who has
died, in memory of pets or in the name of groups or associations no longer
existing. Memorial gifts are sometimes requested by their 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.
Download