The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Donation \Do*na"tion\, n. [L. donatio; cf. F. donation.]
   1. The act of giving or bestowing; a grant.
      [1913 Webster]

            After donation there is an absolute change and
            alienation of the property of the thing given.
      --South.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which is given as a present; that which is
      transferred to another gratuitously; a gift.
      [1913 Webster]

            And some donation freely to estate
            On the bless'd lovers.                --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Law) The act or contract by which a person voluntarily
      transfers the title to a thing of which be is the owner,
      from himself to another, without any consideration, as a
      free gift. --Bouvier.
      [1913 Webster]

   Donation party, a party assembled at the house of some one,
      as of a clergyman, each one bringing some present. [U.S.]
      --Bartlett.

   Syn: Gift; present; benefaction; grant. See Gift.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

donation
    n 1: a voluntary gift (as of money or service or ideas) made to
         some worthwhile cause [syn: contribution, donation]
    2: act of giving in common with others for a common purpose
       especially to a charity [syn: contribution, donation]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

60 Moby Thesaurus words for "donation":
   accommodation, accordance, aid, allotment, allowance, alms,
   alms fee, appropriation, assistance, award, awarding, benefaction,
   beneficence, bequest, bestowal, bestowment, charity, collection,
   communication, concession, conferment, conferral, contribution,
   deliverance, delivery, dole, donative, endowment, furnishment,
   gift, gifting, giving, grant, granting, handout, help, impartation,
   impartment, investiture, largesse, liberality, offer, offering,
   offertory, philanthropy, pittance, present, presentation,
   presentment, provision, ration, relief, subscription, subsidy,
   subvention, supplying, surrender, tithe, votive offering,
   vouchsafement



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

DONATION, contracts. The act by which the owner of a thing, voluntarily
transfers the title and possession of the same, from himself to another
person, without any consideration; a gift. (q.v.)
     2. A donation is never perfected until it is has been accepted, for the
acceptance (q.v.) is requisite to make the donation complete. Vide Assent,
and Ayl. Pand. tit. 9 Clef des Lois Rom. h.t.