SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Buyers and sellers on eBay, the world’s leading ecommerce marketplace, donated $54.8 million to U.S. and U.K. nonprofit organizations in 2010. A donation was made every 24 seconds through eBay Giving Works, the company’s nonprofit fundraising program in the U.S., raising more than $91 every minute for nonprofits. Overall, donations were up 7 percent last year, compared to 2009, and nearly 9 million items were listed for sale, with all or a portion of the sale price donated to a nonprofit, more than double the items listed in 2009.
“Through Giving Works, eBay continues to drive innovation in online philanthropy, enabling millions of people to easily donate to organizations they care about and support people and communities in need,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe, who was recently appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the White House Council for Community Solutions.
“eBay Giving Works shows that when you give people the platform and tools to make a difference, they do,” Donahoe said. “People care, and they are willing to give whatever they can to help. Fifty-five million dollars is a lot of money. But what’s most impressive is that in a tough economy, people gave what they could. And a dollar here, a dollar there, adds up. eBay Giving Works demonstrates that the smallest actions can do a tremendous amount of good.”
Since the eBay Giving Works program was created in 2003, eBay buyers and sellers have raised $230 million for U.S. and U.K charities—with an average donation of $4.01—and currently lists more than 650,000 charity items on the marketplace, all designated with a blue and yellow ribbon. The program offers several easy ways to support a cause on eBay: sellers can donate a percentage of anything they sell, buyers can add a donation to anything they buy, anyone can make an immediate cash donation, and nonprofits can sell directly to raise funds.
eBay continues to innovate new, easier ways for its community to give, such as regularly featuring different nonprofits at checkout and, as of 2010, allowing eBay users to select a favorite nonprofit, which is presented to them for a donation every time they check out. Throughout the three-month 2010 holiday fundraising campaign, the eBay community donated a projected 32 percent more during checkout than in 2009.
“We are grateful for the support of the eBay community, which, through its generosity, has helped raise nearly $1.7 million in support of Komen’s promise to end breast cancer forever,” said Margo K. Lucero, vice president of business development and partnerships for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “When a woman dies of breast cancer every 69 seconds it’s critical that we continue to fund life-saving research, spread awareness and educate women about their risk.”
In addition to enabling direct donations and the selling and buying of thousands of items that benefit nonprofits, eBay hosts high-profile, celebrity charity auctions. Throughout the holiday fundraising campaign in 2010, celebrity auctions raised $194,633 for charity on eBay, 105 percent more than during the same season in 2009. A few auction items that raised the most funds for nonprofits in all of 2010 included:
- A lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett sold for $2.6 million, with 100% of the sale benefitting San Francisco’s Glide Memorial Church.
- Celebrity Twitter mentions and followings, auctioned off by TwitChange.com — winner of Mashable’s most creative social good campaign in 2010 — with the help of celebrities like Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, raised $540,631 in less than one week for aHomeInHaiti.org.
- Memorabilia and props from the Nicaragua season of “Survivor” raised $250,000, benefitting The Serpentine Project and Operation Smile.
- Items from Oprah Winfrey’s wardrobe raised $150,000 for The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.
eBay is also changing the way small, local nonprofits fundraise, with many using eBay Giving Works in an entrepreneurial effort to reach more customers and donors. Angel Acres Horse Haven in Pennsylvania rescues healthy, young American horses who would otherwise be sold for human consumption in Europe and Asia. Last year, Angel Acres — with only one full-time employee — raised more than $23,000 from the eBay community, 20 percent of its annual budget.
“eBay is an amazing place to get the word out about our horse rescue and has given us access to a huge audience that we would’ve never been able to reach on our own,” said Jo Deibel, Angel Acres founder and president. “We couldn't do what we do without the support of the eBay community," she said.
eBay Giving Works is part of eBay’s Global Citizenship programs that include the eBay Green Team, which inspires the eBay community to sell and buy more sustainably; WorldofGood.com, a global marketplace for environmentally and socially responsible shopping; and MicroPlace, PayPal’s micro finance venture.
About eBay Inc.:
Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) connects millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and our global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.