Donations

The most common definition would be contribution. Yes, donation is even said to be the other word for contribution. However, donation given to serve a personal purpose is rather different from that done for charity.

Defining Donation

Apart from defining donation as contribution, donation is also described as a voluntary gift. However, the gift must be given in some good cause. Besides, donation can be described as an act of giving, partook in view of a common purpose and is in particular bestowed to a charity. For further information you can log on to http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=donation.

Donation is at times called as a gift, granted to a fund or some charitable cause, for the betterment of the community. For more information on this type of donation, you can look in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donation .

Furthermore, donation may be done for a private cause; for example, one might chose to donate his land to another person, or give donations while getting his child admitted to a school. These types of donations do not fall under the category of charity.

Another thing worth mentioning is that donation can be done in various ways, encompassing clothing, cash, food, services, toys, blood and many other used items. Donation done in charity is also referred to as “gifts in kind”. Donation done for charity allows the donor to claim for tax relations as well. Any kind of contribution given in charity can help an individual to reduce his potential taxes.

Adding to this, we must also mention the various types of donations available today. Among the diverse varieties, some of the most notable donation types include:

• Blood Donation

• Car Donation

• Organ Donation

• Egg Donation

• Sperm Donation

• Clothing Donation

Blood Donation

While specifying the several kinds donation, the most common type of donation is blood donation. Considered as one of the best ways of donating to charity, blood donation enables an individual to add meaning to somebody else’s life. According to a random survey conducted, it has been quite evident that there is a tremendous shortage of blood in several hospitals all over the world. Patients at times even lose their lives; the reason being the dearth of blood.

The donated blood is used to replace the blood lost in somebody else’s body due to some accident or surgery. Other than this, the collected blood is also used to help patients suffering from different types of blood diseases. Nevertheless, blood donation has many other specific components under it, such as plasma and platelets donation. In case of plasma donation, the plasma is taken away from the blood of the donor without extracting any amount of blood from his body. Moreover, a recent inclusion in the blood donation history is the cord blood donation, which has proved to cure several diseases. However, to be an able blood donor you must possess some basic health conditions, satisfying which are the primary requisites for being allowed to donate blood. In addition to it all, it can be mentioned that blood donation barely creates a difference in the donor’s health, however, it can help to save the life of a patient.

Car Donation

Car donation is quite a common type of donation, which includes the process of giving away unwanted automobiles especially to charitable institutions. More so in several countries, as you donate your car or any other type of automobile to charity, you are entitled to enjoying tax benefits. The deduction (after a certain price amount) is however based on the value of the car as estimated by the car owner, other than the amount given in charity after the sale of the car.

Nowadays, non-profit entities highly depend on the revenue coming from car donations. As this type of charitable work is slowly taking up pace, many charities are operating such donation programs. These charities have special cells working on the merchandise of donated cars. However, some entities have the entire process done through auto auction companies. In addition to this, several processing companies are also engaged in the sell of these donated cars and the money coming in from them is given to charitable institutions. At times the car donor even makes particular specifications about the charity entity where he would like the money coming from his car donation to be directed. Nevertheless, the car donor has to go through several requisite formalities in order to make that particular donation.

Organ Donation

Organ donation is one of the major boons of modern medical science and technology involved in the study of medicine. Organ donation includes the contribution of a person’s organs after his death or, sometimes, even while he is alive. Organ donations are described as “anatomical gifts”, a contribution that can render new life to a dying human being. Besides, this category donation usually entails the taking of organs and tissues from one person and transplanting them in another body.

The different organs that can be donated through organ donation are:

• Eyes
• Liver
• Kidney
• Pancreas
• Intestines
• Lungs
• Skin
• Bone marrow

The best part of this type of donation is that an individual of any age and background can be a prospective donor. However, as a pre requisite, he must possess good health and the organ he is donating should be in healthy condition. People below the age of 18 can contribute, but with necessary permission from their guardians. Any one interested in making such a contribution must document his wishes to an authentic institution concerned with organ transplant. In recent times, however, the supply of organs is far less than the actual demand. This is leading to the death of numerous patients, who can be saved with organ donation.

Egg Donation

Any person, who wishes to help a childless couple incapable of conceiving, can be an egg donor. Several couples all over the world are the helpless lot who find it impossible to conceive. In the past few years, some couples have been fortunate enough to enjoy parenthood by the use of numerous techniques and donated sperms or eggs contributed by donors. Nowadays, through the help of egg donation, many women (whose ovaries are incapable of producing eggs) are able to conceive. Nevertheless, all women are not gifted to donate eggs.

A woman is required to fulfill certain criteria in order to become an egg donor. In connection to this, some kind of rules are put up especially for legal reasons. Many other policies that are set are mainly devised to increase the chances of pregnancy. As such, the usual age group in this type of donation ranges from 21 to 35. Some clinics, however, prefer to take in donations from those who have already given birth once, as there are higher chances of receiving eggs that more fertile. Once you apply to donate your egg, you are required to go through certain formalities. These formalities include certain gynecological exams and physical exams, which help to judge a person’s ability to donate fertile eggs. A donation is complete when the donor is matched with the receiver receiving your eggs. Moreover, a donor’s consent is always necessary.

Sperm Donation

Sperm donation is somewhat similar to egg donation, the only difference lies in the gender. In case of egg donation it is the female and in sperm donation, it is the male. In this type of donation, usually a man gives or, at times, sells his semen, which is later utilized to fertilize a woman and produce a baby. The donation is generally done to a sperm bank, a clinic engaged in the storage of sperms. A recipient, who is infertile, or who might be suffering from some type of generic disease, generally uses the donated sperm.

Clothing Donation

Clothing donation on the other hand is quite a useful way of helping those in need. By donating any of your used or new clothes, which are in good condition, you can help a needy person on the other side of the globe in urgent requirement of clothes. Moreover, it is quite a great way to help someone is need and in turn get rid of those unwanted clothes which are thrown at the corner of your shelf.

Online Donation

Another very common type of donation is an online donation. Through the use of the Internet one can easily reach out to various organizations and make the necessary contributions. Surprisingly, several organizations around the world promote and encourage the re-use of used furniture or household items. This moreover, helps to lessen hideous fly tipping and landfill. However, while donating your furniture, the donor must make sure that they are in good condition and are usable.

On the whole, we can thus suggest that donation can be done by any of the above means. It only requires a desire to spread a smile, a ray of hope and a helping hand to all those in need.