Put on alternative for patron (5)
I believe the answer is:
donor
'patron' is the definition.
(a patron provides financial support)
'put on alternative' is the wordplay.
'put on' becomes 'don' (as in donning or putting on an item of clothing).
'alternative' becomes 'or'.
'don'+'or'='DONOR'
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for donor that I've seen before include "One who dishes out" , "contributor" , "blessed person, relatively" , "One giving to a cause" , "Benefactor, giver" .)