Small businesses are the backbone of eBay’s thriving marketplace. In return, eBay is committed to supporting these businesses through dedicated resources and initiatives. eBay helps small businesses and entrepreneurs build online storefronts and reach global audiences. Our tools, training, and resources help pave the way for a more equitable economy, promoting economic success today and in the future.
We launched eBay’s Up & Running Grant program in 2020 to provide small businesses with mentoring, funding, and support. Over the past five years, we awarded more than $2.5 million to 250 small businesses from across the U.S. to fuel their growth.
Our global grassroots action networks — eBay Main Street and Small Business Advocacy Network (SBAN) — offer ways for our sellers to stay informed and engaged on issues that affect ecommerce and small businesses, giving them a voice in the legislative process.
eBay Open is our yearly seller event that unites thousands of sellers in the U.S. to educate, celebrate, inspire, and connect.
Seller meetings, hosted by sellers for sellers both in-person and virtually, offer valuable opportunities for eBay entrepreneurs to connect with others in their local communities, share insights, and help grow their business.
The Seller Center is the go-to digital hub for eBay sellers, offering essential information and inspiration to help them thrive on our platform.
Nonprofits and charities use our platform every day to help fund their vital community services. Our efforts to create economic opportunity for all extend beyond our marketplace and into the communities in which we live and work. We are committed to supporting entrepreneurs in service of creating more vibrant local economies.
eBay for Charity is the most active giving platform in ecommerce today. By integrating charity into everyday transactions, we make it easy for our buyers and sellers to give back. We also collaborate with various brands and high-profile individuals to host unique charity auctions on our marketplace. These auctions help nonprofits raise funds for their mission-driven work and allow individuals to support the causes they care about most.
2024 proved to be a record-breaking year for fundraising. eBay for Charity raised more than $192 million for nonprofits worldwide through in-platform donations and large-scale charity auctions, bringing us to over $1.3 billion raised and 225,000 charities enrolled around the world since the start of eBay for Charity over 20 years ago.
Partnership and community support were hallmarks of the year. We linked arms with British Vogue, GLIDE, Elton John, and Homes for our Troops in 2024, collectively raising significant funds in support of causes like sustainability, economic advancement, AIDS research, and support for injured veterans. These initiatives not only offer unique items but also demonstrate the power of collective action to drive positive change.
Our charity sellers are essential to our fundraising ecosystem, turning sales into impactful contributions for nonprofits worldwide. The eBay for Charity team had the privilege of sitting down with Reflections of Trinity’s Laurie Wong, charity seller and director of the Atlanta-area food pantry, to discuss how eBay for Charity has allowed her to reshape her nonprofit's fundraising efforts to better serve her local community.
eBay for Charity is more vibrant than ever, with charities selling their amazing pre-loved inventory online. eBay is also the go-to place for celebrities to support communities they care for, making use of our online auction tools and streamlined donation flows. Whether you’re a seller or a buyer, eBay for Charity makes supporting your favorite non-profit seamless.
We believe when entrepreneurs succeed, they build more resilient and vibrant communities. eBay Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations tackling barriers that prevent people from starting and growing businesses around the world. To create economic opportunity for all, eBay Foundation granted nearly $18 million through 2024 to organizations that support historically excluded entrepreneurs, and to employee-selected organizations through eBay’s employee matching gifts program.
The Foundation’s approach is grounded in trust-based philanthropy: we listen to and learn from our grantees, adapting to their lived needs and realities. We also amplify their voices and expertise as leaders in their fields.
In October, eBay Foundation once again hosted a gathering of our strategic grantees at eBay’s San Francisco office. The event facilitated meaningful discussions on advancing entrepreneurship and fostered connections across grantee organizations. These community-building events are just one of the many ways eBay Foundation shows up for our nonprofit partners beyond financial grants.
Through the Global Give Program, eBay Foundation partners with and supports nonprofit organizations worldwide to remove barriers to entrepreneurship. Committed to creating economic opportunity for all, Global Give awarded nearly $3 million to 31 grantees in the communities where our employees live and work.
eBay U.K. leads a number of innovative programs designed to reduce waste, cut carbon emissions, and break down barriers to entrepreneurship.
Whether our sellers start businesses to support their families, create new income streams, or turn their passions into professions, eBay is here to help.
For over a decade, we have published research examining how eBay connects people, strengthens communities, and empowers independent small businesses to succeed.
