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Ask Griff
Jim Griffith, also known as "Griff", is one of eBay's most beloved staff members. Griff has also authored the eBay "How to" guide, The Official eBay Bible, and is the host of eBay Radio, airing every Tuesday at 11:00 PT. Each month, Griff will take some of your questions about eBay, and answer them in his own inimitable style.
 Jim 'Griff' Griffith |
How do I go about donating proceeds to Hurricane Katrina relief?
by Jim 'Griff' Griffith
eBay Staff Member
Q: Griff, I would like to donate part of the proceeds of my listings to benefit people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
I know eBay is giving to the United Way, which is good. Would it be all right if I say in my description that the money I collect will go to the United Way? Or do I donate it to eBay requesting that my money goes to the United Way?
Regards,
Laura
A: Hi Laura, Thanks for showing the true eBay spirit by donating part of the proceeds from your listing to a Katrina-related charity. Here's how you can do it:
 Decide how much you want to give
In the Pictures and Details section of the Sell Your Item form on eBay, you will be asked whether you would like to donate a percentage of the final sale price from your listing to a nonprofit organization, through eBay Giving Works. Click the "Add" link to select a nonprofit beneficiary and to indicate your donation percentage (you can choose to donate between 10%-100% of the final sale price).
Once you have made your selections, complete the Sell Your Item form and submit your listing. Be sure to select PayPal or a credit card as one of the buyer payment options. (This is not required for eBay Motors listings.) Another thing to remember is that eBay Giving Works items may not be listed in the Real Estate ad format or Mature Audiences categories.
Register with MissionFish, if you haven't already done so.
If this is your first eBay Giving Works listing, you will be prompted to create an account with MissionFish, a nonprofit organization that provides service and support to eBay Giving Works. You'll need to provide your credit card information to guarantee payment of your donation, and you must consent to terms in the MissionFish User Agreement. You will only have to complete this registration process once.
Remember—sometimes you'll need written permission from the nonprofit of your choice
Because charitable fundraising is a highly regulated area subject to numerous state and federal laws, eBay has partnered with MissionFish to make charitable listing easy and has created very specific guidelines for allowing charitable solicitations on eBay. If you choose not to participate in the eBay Giving Works program but would like to donate all or a portion of your final sale price to a nonprofit that you will reference in your listing, you must obtain advance written consent for the solicitation from the nonprofit and include a scanned picture of this written consent in your listing.
After the listing ends
After your item sells, collect payment from the buyer as usual. MissionFish will send you an email notification that includes the exact donation amount due and payment instructions. A credit card is the fastest and easiest way to pay your donation; however, MissionFish also accepts payments by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and bank-certified checks for donations greater than $1,000.
If you do not fulfill your commitment by the second Monday after your listing ends, MissionFish will charge your credit card. MissionFish then forwards the gift (minus a small deduction to cover processing costs) to the designated nonprofit on the 20th of the second month after your listing has ended and issues you a tax receipt.
Regards,
Griff
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