May 2, 2011; Source: TechCrunch | The popular auction website, eBay, announced today that it has acquired MissionFish, the nonprofit behind eBay’s Giving Works program, which allows sellers to donate items and proceeds from sales to charitable causes and enables buyers to donate to these causes.
MissionFish screens nonprofits that want to become members, and processes the millions of dollars in donations that result through eBay Giving Works, according to TechCrunch. The platform is a collaboration of the Points of Light Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts, and The Case Foundation.
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If you weren’t convinced of the potential power of online giving platforms, check out these numbers: Giving Works has raised $250 million over the last eight years for U.S. and U.K. nonprofits. The program raises $91 every minute at a rate of one donation every 24 seconds.
eBay plans to create a separate nonprofit organization that will eventually be directly responsible for the collection and distribution of funds, using MissionFish’s technology, according to TechCrunch.—Aaron Lester
