How to Donate a Gift on Behalf of Someone

Someone with heart disease may request donations to a heart association.

Some people choose to make donations to a charity on their own accord, but others make donations on someone else's behalf. For instance, a couple who is getting married and does not want gifts may ask that guests donate to a favorite charity in the couple's name. Each organization or charity has its own protocol for making a donation on behalf of someone else, but the basic process is the same.

Instructions

1. Donate to the selected charity through its typical donation process. Many charities accept donations through the mail, by phone or online.

2. Give your identifying information just as if you were the official donor so the organization can let the person who requested donations know about your involvement.

3. Include a note with your donation that identifies the person for whom you are making the donation, including contact information. This allows the charity to send a card or certificate to that person, letting him know that someone has made a donation on his behalf.

Tips & Warnings

• A donation "in honor of" is for someone who is alive and "in memory of" is for someone who has died.

References

• Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California: General Support
• Partners in Health: Donate on Behalf of a Loved One
• United Way of the Columbia-Willamette: Individual Giving
• The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation: Make a Donation
• Global Giving: Donate in Honor or Memory of Someone