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Selling to benefit nonprofit organizations
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About selling to benefit nonprofit organizations

eBay Giving Works is the program that helps sellers list items on eBay to benefit nonprofit organizations. Any eBay seller who has an account in good standing can create an eBay Giving Works listing. The program is administered by MissionFish, the nonprofit organization selected by eBay to administer the eBay Giving Works program.

Because charitable fundraising is a highly regulated area subject to numerous state and federal laws, eBay has created very specific guidelines for allowing charitable solicitations. Learn more about our charity and fundraising policy.

eBay Giving Works listings stand out with a nonprofit icon . The nonprofit is also described in the listing. Nonprofit listings receive additional visibility through specialized search functionality.

There are two ways to sell on eBay to benefit a nonprofit: Community Selling and Nonprofit Direct Selling. If you choose Nonprofit Direct Selling, you need to register with MissionFish to link your eBay user ID to a nonprofit before you create your listing.

Restrictions

For eBay Giving Works listings you can’t list:

  • In the Real Estate Classified Ads format

  • In Adult Only categories

  • Raffle or lottery tickets

For a complete list of restricted categories, see our list of prohibited and restricted items.

The nonprofit's logo appears in your listing. Therefore the nonprofit you select is able to control this implicit endorsement of you as a seller and of your products. When you create a listing that benefits a nonprofit, that organization is automatically notified. The nonprofit can ask us to cancel your listing. If this happens, we'll credit your insertion fee and you'll receive a brief explanation of why the listing was canceled. You can relist this item for another nonprofit, or list it outside of the eBay Giving Works program (that is, not benefiting any nonprofit).

Because charitable fundraising is a highly regulated area, we’ve created a charity and fundraising policy with specific guidelines for charitable activity.

Paying your donations

If your eBay Giving Works listing is the first eBay listing you’ve created, you'll be asked to designate a method of payment for your eBay fees and eBay Giving Works donations when you are completing the listing form. You can change your donation payment method at any time. If you have overdue donations, or if your donation payment method has expired, you won't be able to create new eBay Giving Works listings until you resolve these issues.

Learn more about managing your donation account.

Paying and receiving credit for eBay fees

Sellers pay standard insertion and final value fees for eBay Giving Works listings. To support your generosity, if your eBay Giving Works item sells successfully, eBay gives you a prorated fee credit. The credit is prorated according to the percentage you committed to donate. (If you use Nonprofit Direct Selling, you always receive 100% credit for these fees.)

MissionFish retains a small portion of each Community Selling donation to offset some costs of their administration services.

Your minimum donation

If your eBay Giving Works item sells, you're required to donate either the percentage of the final selling price that you selected (10% to 100% or 1% for eBay Motors), or $1, whichever is greater. The donation minimum might be different on other eBay (international) sites.

Creating an eBay Giving Works listing

To create a listing that supports a nonprofit:
  1. In the form where you create your listing, scroll to the Choose how you'd like to sell your item  section.

  2. Select a nonprofit from the options provided or click the Or, select another nonprofit you love link to search for an organization by name, keyword, state, nonprofit type (such as Education), or cause (such as Helping Animals).

  3. Select a percentage from the Donation percentage drop-down menu.

  4. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

  5. Select the check box below the terms and conditions if you’d like us to pass your contact details to the nonprofit you’ve selected. (Nonprofits are always given your full name.)

  6. Complete the listing form as instructed.

Using Turbo Lister, Blackthorne, and other selling tools

TurboLister and Blackthorne support Giving Works. If you use another selling tool, check with your selling tool provider to find out if it offers the eBay Giving Works option.

To use eBay Giving Works through a selling tool:
  1. Go to My eBay. You may be asked to sign in.

  2. Place your pointer over the Account tab, and then select Donation Account.

  3. Click the Agree to eBay Giving Works Terms & Conditions link. This will authorize the use of your eBay payment method as your donation payment method. You can change your donation payment method in the Donation Account section of My eBay.

  4. Create your eBay Giving Works listing by following the instructions from your selling tool provider.

Finding a nonprofit to support

Thousands of nonprofits are certified to benefit from eBay Giving Works listings. Find your favorite by searching our directory.

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