What is Donation?

Definition and meaning of donation: A donation is the voluntary transfer of money, goods, or services from one individual or group to another, without expecting anything in return. In a political context, donations are given by individuals or groups to individual political candidates, political action committees (PACs), and other entities to support elections. Donations in US politics have increasingly skewed toward the wealthy coalescing around individual candidates, resulting in wealthy donors having an outsized influence on the priorities of candidates and representatives if elected. Donations are an important part of the political process in the US, as it does take money to run a strong political campaign. However, limits on donations and dark money, or donations to PACs or candidates without knowing where they came form, leave the door open to corruption.