sum of donations

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sum of donations" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the total amount of money received from donations, often in the context of fundraising or charitable activities. Example: "The sum of donations collected during the charity event exceeded our expectations, allowing us to support more families in need."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The organization regularly receives a smaller sum of donations, and brings in less over-all revenue, than the Boy Scouts.

The New Yorker

The good news is that the sum of donations from Jamie Dimon's firm is small relative to the total fund-raising of Columbia University.

The New York Times

The reporter, James Bush, made the connection between a relatively large sum of donations to Ms. Nicastro's campaign for re-election and Mr. Colacurcio, who has been lobbying the council for several years to allow him to expand the parking lot.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The fact that both the number and total amount of donations summed up in an unprecedented way was of course induced by the dimension of the disaster.

Plosone

The Internet makes it easy to propagate inflated claims after a disaster and collect vast sums of donations from well meaning people.

Huffington Post

On Sunday, as he makes a $350 million gift to his alma mater — by far the largest in its history — the New York City mayor, along with the president of the university, will disclose the staggering sum of his donations to Johns Hopkins over the past four decades: $1.1 billion.

The New York Times

FROM BLOOMBERG TO JOHNS HOPKINS, A $1.1 BILLION THANK-YOU  |  Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York City mayor, made a $350 million gift to Johns Hopkins University on Sunday, bringing the sum of his donations over the past four decades to $1.1 billion, Michael Barbarbo reports in The New York Times.

The New York Times

The entire filing can be viewed here: Along with the report, the super PAC included a cover letter to the F.E.C. Dear Sirs and Sirettes, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow (ABTT) would like it entered into the record that as of January 30th , 2012 the sum total of our donations was $1,023,121.24.

The New York Times

As a result, he gained large numbers of volunteers, unprecedented sums of Internet donations and the mantle of being the only viable and veritable antiwar candidate.

The New York Times

Blair Horner, the legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said Mr. Paladino's pattern of donations — small sums of money dispensed by an assortment of corporate entities — strongly suggested that he was trying to avoid drawing attention to his donations, given the business he has before the state.

The New York Times

The estate tax doesn't apply to sums left to charity, and traditionally about 8% of donations come through bequests.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sum of donations", specify the period or event to which the donations pertain to ensure clarity. For example, "The sum of donations received during the annual fundraiser reached $10,000".

Common error

Avoid using "sum of donations" when you are referring to a single donation. The phrase refers to the total of multiple donations, not a single contribution.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sum of donations" functions as a noun phrase that typically acts as the subject or object of a sentence. It refers to the total amount of money or goods received from various donors. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sum of donations" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to represent the total amount of money or goods received through donations. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's usability and correctness. While it's not a highly frequent expression, it appears most often in news and media contexts, followed by science and wiki. When using this phrase, it's essential to specify the relevant period or event and to avoid confusing it with individual donation amounts. Consider alternatives like "total donations" or "aggregate donations" for variety. The phrase carries a neutral to formal tone, making it suitable for professional and academic settings. The sources where the phrase appears are generally authoritative, lending credibility to its usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

total donations received

Emphasizes the action of receiving donations and specifying that we are talking about the total amount.

aggregate donations

Replaces "sum" with "aggregate", a more formal term for the total.

total amount donated

Focuses on the amount and uses the verb "donated" to describe the donations.

combined donations

Highlights the act of combining individual donations into a total.

overall donations

Indicates the entire scope of donations without specifying the calculation.

collected donations

Focuses on the action of gathering donations.

cumulative donations

Implies that donations have been added over a period of time.

total charitable contributions

Uses more formal language, replacing "donations" with "charitable contributions".

volume of donations

Focuses on the quantity or number of donations rather than the monetary value.

net donations

Implies that any deductions or expenses related to donations have been accounted for.

FAQs

How can I use "sum of donations" in a sentence?

You can use "sum of donations" to refer to the total amount of money collected through donations, such as "The "sum of donations" exceeded our initial fundraising goal".

What's a good alternative to "sum of donations"?

Alternatives to "sum of donations" include "total donations", "aggregate donations", or "total amount donated". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it more formal to say "sum of donations" or "total donations"?

"Sum of donations" and "total donations" are generally interchangeable, with "sum of donations" possibly sounding slightly more formal in some contexts.

When should I use "sum of contributions" instead of "sum of donations"?

The terms "donations" and "contributions" are often used interchangeably. However, "contributions" may be preferred in contexts where the donations include both monetary and non-monetary items. Thus, "sum of contributions" could be used instead of "sum of donations".