Since the credit crunch in 2007, buyers and sellers on eBay, the UK’s largest online marketplace, have donated a staggering £19 million to good causes[i]. Last year alone, the eBay UK community raised over £7.5 million for charity, a 20 percent increase on the total raised in 2009, and a 200 percent increase from 2007 to 2010.
Since 2007, eBay.co.uk has evolved into an online hub for over 5,000 charities, who benefit from reaching eBay.co.uk’s 17 million unique visitors per month, and introduced new and easier ways for users to donate as they buy or sell:
- The hugely successful ‘Give at Checkout’ function, launched in 2008, prompted a 110 percent increase in donations from 2008 to 2009 (£3.3 million to £6.3 million).
- Over £4 million was raised by UK charity shops on eBay in 2010 with the most successful sellers such as Oxfam and Sense hitting over £200,000 in sales.
- Last year eBay UK launched the ‘My Favourite Charity’ option which allows users to donate to their preferred cause each time they buy or sell, as well as displaying a charity badge on their profile. Users who pre-select a favourite charity are 17 times more likely to donate at checkout than those who haven’t.
- Globally, the eBay community donated £34.5 million (US $54.8 million) to U.S. and U.K. not-for-profit organisations in 2010.
Clare Gilmartin, Vice President of European Marketplaces, eBay commented:
“To see this level of year on year growth in charity giving, despite the recession, is truly amazing. It is a testament to both the collective spirit and generosity of the eBay community. We know our customers are increasingly looking for simple online channels to make everyday transactions, which is why we make donating to charity as easy as possible – whether that be by enabling sellers to donate a proportion of what they receive when they sell something, or by bidding in one of our charity auctions.
Through eBay for Charity, we enable charities of all sizes to take advantage of the reach of the internet, allowing them to engage with an expanding universe of online shoppers who are also potential charity fundraisers and supporters.”
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For further information please contact Clare Moore-Bridger on +44 208 439 2091 or +44 7769 144 710
Notes to editors
· Founded in 1999, eBay.co.uk is the UK’s number 1 e-commerce site, providing a platform for over 17.7m unique visitors per month (Nielsen / Netratings, September 2009) to buy and sell new, unique and used items in a fun and easy way
· Far from an online auction house, eBay currently has 30 million live listings on the UK site, with fixed price goods accounting for the majority (60%) of items sold globally
· eBay for Charity is a unique programme that helps charities raise money on eBay. eBay UK manages the programme in partnership with MissionFish UK, a charity. eBay for Charity helps charities of all sizes to raise funds by trading on the eBay marketplace. It also gives all eBay.co.uk users a secure and efficient way of donating a percentage of their sales to a charity of their choice. You can learn more at www.ebay.co.uk/ebayforcharity