eBay Buyers and Sellers Gave a Record $54.8 Million to Thousands of Nonprofits in 2010

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jan. 27, 2011 – Buyers and sellers on eBay, the world’s leading e-commerce 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 in the U.S. and eBay for Charity in the U.K., raising more than $91 every minute for nonprofits. 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.