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 of money or property to qualifying charitable organizations 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.
There have been discussions on whether also a donation of time should be tax deductible.
The person or institution giving a gift is called the donor, and the person or institution getting the gift is called the donee.
Donating in the name of others
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 are unable to attend the ceremony.
Donating anonymously
There are also circumstances when people like to donate funds to their preferred causes by not revealing their names. Many donors such as public figures or philanthropists like to stay anonymous while making generous donations according to their wishes. Many donors like to stay anonymous because of their religious beliefs or simply don’t want any notoriety from giving.
Disclaimer: This article first appeared on Wikipedia.