Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17: The Three Kinds of Faith
Bhagavad Gita 17.20
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe | deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||
A gift that is given simply because giving is right, to someone who can give nothing back, at the proper place and time and to a worthy person, is held to be a gift of clarity.
Modern context
A sattvic gift is given because giving is right, to someone who cannot repay, at the right place and time, to someone who truly needs or deserves it. 'To someone who can give nothing back' is the heart of it. Giving to those who can return the favour is often a kind of trade. Giving where no return is possible is generosity in its purest form.