To donate means to give something freely to help others, without expecting anything in return. When you donate old clothes to a charity, you're giving them away so someone else can use them. When people donate money to build a new playground, they're contributing funds to make something good happen for their community.

A donation isn't a trade or a loan. You're not trying to get something back. You're giving because you want to help, support a cause you believe in, or make something better.

People donate all kinds of things: money, time, blood, food, books, or their skills. A software engineer might donate her time to teach coding at a local school. A bakery might donate bread to a food bank. During disasters, people often donate supplies to help those affected.

A donation is the thing given, and a donor is the person who gives it. Museums often have donor walls listing people who donated money to support the museum's work. Hospitals rely on blood donors to help patients who need transfusions.

The key to donating is generosity: giving something valuable of yours to benefit others.