For eBay, charity begins at home page
Company will donate its fees when full proceeds from an auction are given away to a certified nonprofit.
The program applies to auctions if the full proceeds from the deal are given away to a certified nonprofit. eBay's donation will go to the same charity, the online auction house said.
The same benefit will be available to nonprofit groups that use eBay's Giving Works platform for auctioning items.
Launched in late 2003, Giving Works encourages customers to donate 10 percent to 100 percent of the final sale price to nonprofit organizations registered with eBay.
"eBay was founded 10 years ago on the principle that people are basically good. This is proven out every day on eBay with our community's support for an incredible range of worthy causes," Bill Cobb, president of eBay North America, said in a statement. "The generosity of the eBay community is tremendous, and we're proud of the role eBay has played in enabling this support."
Since 2000, the company said, more than $40 million has been raised for nonprofits through listings on the eBay Marketplace. This includes more than $1.5 million raised for victims of the recent Asian tsunami and about $10 million collected immediately after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Beginning next month, eBay is also planning to integrate Giving Works with its principal auction platform, Sell Your Item, making it easier for people to donate some or all of an item's final price to a charity.