 After education at Eton College Donaldson went up to Trinity College, Cambridge as a scholar in 1873, graduating with first class honours in Classics in 1877.From 1878 to 1904 he served as a master at Eton, during this time being ordained as deacon in 1884 and priest in 1885.While a schoolmaster he published, with Edward Lyttelton, "Pontes", a book of elementary Latin exercises.