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Prepositions after verbs

Donate to or donate by?

Donate to is the standard pattern for giving money or goods to a person or organisation. By is usually used separately to express method or deadline.

Quick answer

Which is correct: donate to or donate by?

Use donate to when naming the recipient: donate to a charity. Donate by is not a standard verb-preposition combination for recipients. However, by can appear in phrases about method or time, such as donate by credit card or donate by Friday.

Many people donate to local shelters.
You can donate by bank transfer.
Please donate by Friday if possible.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
donate to + recipient

Naming the person or organisation receiving something

Use to after donate when you mention who receives the donation.

She decided to donate to a medical charity.
Thousands of users donate to the campaign each year.
2
donate + item

Saying what is given

Donate can take a direct object for the thing being given.

They donated clothes after the storm.
The company donated equipment to the school.
3
donate by + method or time

Explaining how or when a donation happens

By is used for method, transport, or deadline expressions, not for the recipient.

You may donate by cheque or card.
Supporters should donate by Monday to be included.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
donate to
We donated to the relief fund.
Standard pattern for naming the recipient.
donate by
You can donate by phone.
By introduces method, not the recipient.
donate directly to
People donated directly to the hospital.
Emphasises the receiving organisation.
donate through
They donated through an online platform.
Shows the channel or service used.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for the recipient

Use to for the organisation or person receiving the donation.

✕ She donated by the charity. ✓ She donated to the charity.

Omitting the recipient preposition

Donate normally uses to before the receiving organisation.

✕ They donated the shelter. ✓ They donated to the shelter.

Confusing method with recipient

By can explain how the donation is made.

✕ We donated by the museum. ✓ We donated to the museum.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They donated ___ a children's hospital.
2. You can donate ___ credit card.
3. Please donate ___ Friday to join the campaign.

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Frequently asked questions

Is donate by correct?

Yes, when by introduces method or time, such as donate by mail or donate by Friday.

Can donate take a direct object?

Yes. You can donate money, clothes, books, or other items.

Do I always need to after donate?

Use to when you mention the recipient, such as donate to a charity.

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