The eBay Giving Works team has just returned from the Cause Marketing Forum, where team members were presented with the Forum's highest honor: The Cause Marketing Golden Halo Award for Business. Each year, Cause Marketing Forum honors one business and one nonprofit organization with a Cause Marketing Golden Halo Award for overall excellence in crafting programs that pay financial and social dividends.
Cause Marketing Forum’s announcement of the award included the following citations:
“eBay, the first ecommerce company to win CMF’s highest honor, is being recognized for a program launched in 2003: eBay Giving Works. “
“Giving Works makes it convenient for people to raise money for their favorite causes on eBay through several avenues: sellers can donate a percentage of anything they sell (and get that percentage off their listing fees), buyers can add a donation to any purchase, anyone can make an immediate cash donation, and nonprofits can sell directly—with all fees waived—to raise funds. Giving Works is an outstanding example of a cause-initiative that is deeply integrated into a company’s business processes and that generates significant business and social dividends.”
Cause Marketing Forum also noted the following facts:
- eBay buyers and sellers raised $54.8 million for nonprofits in 2010 and have generated nearly $250 million in donations since the program’s inception;
- Market research indicates the program is a boon to sellers. On average, buyers pay two to six percent more for items that benefit charity as indicated by displaying the blue and yellow Giving Works ribbon;
- Cause ties have attracted many new buyers and sellers to eBay over the years.
eBay Inc.’s Senior Director of Citizenship Amy Skeeters-Behrens also provided a video interview about the award, available here.