eBay is home to one of the most active giving platforms today. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, eBay for Charity is a community donation program that empowers nonprofits to raise funds to support their mission-driven work and individuals to support the causes they care most about.
Now, more than ever, our global community remains committed to reaching out and empowering others, using our marketplace to help make a positive difference around the world. In 2022, our eBay community raised more than $163 million in charitable donations — a 12% increase over the previous year, breaking all program records. More than $1.25 billion has been raised through eBay for Charity since it was founded in 2003.
A single purchase through eBay for Charity can have a long-lasting impact among charities, recipients and their local communities. Charities like The Skatepark Project — which helps underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth — use eBay for Charity to help expand their reach and build relationships with new supporters.
“eBay for Charity has given us a platform to reach out to a wider audience and create awareness about our organization’s missions and programming,” said Gwen Glover, a development manager at the Skatepark Project. “Our auctions on eBay’s website have helped us reach a large number of potential donors and supporters, who might not have been aware of our organization otherwise.”
And charities like The Teal Foundation, which supports ovarian cancer research, rely on the program to raise funds to support their operations and work. “The eBay for Charity program has been a game-changer for a small nonprofit like ours,” said Sarah Hawkins, executive director of the Teal Foundation. “It not only provides a platform to showcase our mission statement, but it also allows us to raise critical funds for life-changing research and support services.”
Through eBay for Charity, buyers can purchase items in support of their favorite charities or add donations at check-out. Sellers can choose to donate a percentage of their sales to a charity, and charities can sell on eBay to achieve their fundraising goals.
More than 225,000 charities around the world currently use the eBay for Charity platform. Here’s a lookback at some of the highlights from over the past year.
How We Showed Up in 2022
In 2022, eBay and GLIDE commemorated 21 years of giving with our longtime partner, Warren Buffett.
The annual Power of One Charity Auction Lunch with Warren Buffett came to a close with a record-breaking winning bid of just over $19 million. The historic bid came on the final anniversary of the auction lunch, which has raised over $53 million over the past 21 years for GLIDE — a nonprofit organization that lifts people out of poverty and advances equity through systemic change. The anonymous winner secured a private lunch in New York City with Warren Buffet, and the money raised will help the San Francisco Bay Area’s most vulnerable to find long-lasting pathways out of poverty.
Standing with Ukraine
Throughout the past year, the eBay community rallied together to support those affected by the war in Ukraine.
During checkout on the eBay marketplace, buyers donated nearly $43,000 to Nova Ukraine, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine. eBay customers also donated $20,000 to Save the Children, a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to serving children’s rights and needs, and over $30,000 to the American Red Cross, which helps provide food, shelter and clean water in emergencies like natural disasters, armed conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world. eBay matched these funds, further amplifying the power of our marketplace to be a force for good in the world.
Supporting Our Veterans
eBay for Charity also hosted the 6th Annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction with Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds custom homes for veterans. With the help of CNN’s Jake Tapper and other celebrities like George Clooney, Mindy Kaling, Don Cheadle and Wynonna Judd, eBay for Charity raised over $300,000 to help these veterans rebuild their lives, for a total of more than $1.5 million over the last six years.
Protecting America’s Farmlands
Last October, eBay launched a one-of-a-kind virtual auction in partnership with the Tillamook County Creamery Association in Oregon. All proceeds directly benefit the American Farmland Trust — a national nonprofit committed to preserving farmland and helping farmers thrive. The unique items auctioned included a Tillamook-branded Volkswagen bus and a number of products from the creamery, such as a fully-stocked fridge filled with 15 pounds of cheese. In total, the All For Farmers Auction raised over $55,000 for the American Farmland Trust.
New Giving Opportunities
At eBay, charitable giving is a year-round effort, which is why we’re continuing to welcome new charities onto our platform every day.
Some notable new partnerships include the Teal Foundation and the Bodecker Foundation, a nonprofit that provides young people with hands-on creative programs in art, design and music, among and other disciplines.
eBay for Charity partnered with the Bodecker Foundation in December to auction off pairs of the rare eBay x Nike SB Dunk Low sneakers, raising over $355,000 in tribute to the late Nike SB legend Sandy Bodecker.
About eBay for Charity
Anyone can support their favorite cause with eBay for Charity. After all, the average household owns $4,000 worth of items that can be sold online — which is up to $4,000 they can donate to their nonprofit of choice. Whether you’re a charity raising funds on the eBay platform or an individual seller looking to donate up to 100% of your proceeds to a charity of your choice, check out eBay’s easy toolkit to learn how you can start giving in 2023.