Possibly the worst way to lose something is by accidentally donating it to charity. Expect much awkwardness to ensue.

Can cross with Accidental Bid if it happens at a charity auction.

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Examples:

Comic Books

• An Archie Comics story had Betty accidentally knock her diary into a box of items that she was donating to the local auction. Once she found this out, she tries to bid it back when it gets presented at the auction the next day, but loses to Veronica who's anxious to find out what Betty had written in her diary. Of course, she gives it back to Betty after being called out for it by Jughead.

Live Action TV

• During The Office episode "The Alliance", Michael Scott donates twenty-five dollars to Oscar, whose nephew is participating in a cerebral palsy walk-a-thon. Michael doesn't think twenty-five dollars was a large amount, so it's odd how everyone is congratulating him for it, until he realizes that the sum put in is dollars per mile, and the walk-a-thon is 17 miles long. He spends the rest of the episode agonizing over whether he should lower the amount. He doesn't.
• Mad About You: Paul accidentally donates his & Jamie's bed to Goodwill and has to track it down to buy it back before Jamie finds out.
• The Brady Bunch: Marcia hides her diary in a box of books in the garage, which Cindy then gives to a book donation drive.

Western Animation

• In a Home Movies episode, Coach McGuirk accidentally gave a homeless man more money than he meant to and then swapped it for the smaller bill he meant to give. For the rest of the episode the homeless man follows him around publickly shaming him for taking his money back.
• In an episode of Dan Vs, Dan accidentally donated his car to the Salvation Armed Forces and they refused to give it back.
• A heart-warming example in a Christmas Episode of 6teen, where the gang lose their presents and eventually find that someone put them in the donation bin. They decide to leave them there.
• In the Family Guy episode "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" Peter accidentally donates the family's presents along with the actual donations box.