I generally do not donate to strangers. I've seen a few people in the Virtual Spaces literally go around from person to person asking for gold, and it's absolutely shameless and disgraceful considering it's likely their only means of earning gold in the first place.
When I do donate, it's to friends who don't ask or individuals who don't ask yet show themselves as genuine individuals. Otherwise, I don't really feel they deserve the extra gold/items.
I've never asked for a donation and never received one. And personally, I am all the happier of my achievements being 100% by my hard work smile .