eBay Foundation: Employees Making A Difference

eBay Foundation: Employees Making A Difference

"I have seen the power of the eBay Foundation first hand. Local grants have enabled me to support microenterprise in Guatemala, violence prevention curricula for street kids in Brazil, and energy-efficient stoves in the Horn of Africa." So says Colin Rule, co-captain of the eBay Foundation GIVE Team at eBay headquarters in San Jose CA. As a board member and co-founder of Shine A Light, Colin is passionate about the organization's mission to improve the lives of street children in Latin America by using innovative approaches to long-standing problems.

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Thanks to Colin's support, the eBay Foundation has awarded four grants to Shine A Light, helping to establish and improve communication between 230 non-profit organizations in 49 cities.

These connections are invaluable — by sharing lessons learned and success stories, organizations can quickly apply the experiences of others, and in turn create long-term solutions for the children and communities. Shine A Light has put eBay Foundation funds to work by teaching indigenous children how to use digital photography and the internet to teach others about their lives, their culture, and their hopes. The children learn how to use a digital camera, manipulate images, and turn them into internet-based comic books or graphic novels.

Colin reflects on his experiences, "The Foundation makes me proud to work at eBay, because it is a constant reminder of what my company stands for: people are good, and working together we can make things better. Participation in eBay Foundation programs is one of the greatest benefits of working at eBay!"

Illustrating yet another first, the eBay Foundation was established in 1998 using pre-IPO stock, underscoring the company’s longstanding commitment to philanthropy.

One of the ways the Foundation contributes to the economic and social well-being of local communities is by engaging eBay employees through charitable giving and volunteerism. Through eBay Foundation GIVE Teams, employees are directly involved in recommending grants to deserving causes in their communities around the world. Recently, our China GIVE Team helped provide computers to a local elementary school, and the San Jose GIVE Team sponsored a "Share Your Lunch" campaign to benefit the local food bank.

In addition, the eBay Foundation has supported efforts to alleviate poverty and support economic development, often through grants to microenterprise organizations. These programs directly helped over 1,200 individuals and indirectly supported an additional 1.5 million people.