eBay for Charity UK raised £22.5 million in 2018

From eBay ‘celebrity’ carrot auctions in partnership with Aldi, sales of exclusive merchandise to celebrate Pride, zoo signs for the Chester Zoo’s animal conservation efforts, to being voted the third-party site of choice by charity shops – 2018 was a big year for eBay for Charity UK.

Running since 2005 and now the second largest charity programme for eBay globally, the initiative prides itself on connecting eBay users with the causes they care about. eBay for Charity UK’s Year in Review reveals 17 facts on how Brits donated and fundraised in 2018 with a few things to expect for 2019 too.

1. Despite Brits worrying about less money in their pockets, eBay for Charity UK raised £22.5M in 2018, marking year-on-year growth in the programme of 13%
2. On average, eBay for Charity raised £60k every single day last year, that’s £2,500 per hour
3. Cancer, children, animals and military veterans are the causes eBay shoppers donate to most frequently at the online checkout with January being the month that raised the most
4. Back in January, Condé Nast partnered with Time’s Up and eBay to auction off gowns and tuxedos worn by celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Street, SJP and Emma Watson at the 2018 Golden Globes. The move was praised by Anna Wintour while proceeds benefitting the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund—an organisation that helps individuals who’ve experienced sexual misconduct find legal representation
5. In July, for the second year running, eBay.co.uk supported The Albert Kennedy Trust, the UK’s leading LGBT youth homelessness charity, in celebration of Pride. This time, with exclusive merchandise designed by Henry Holland as well as adidas Samba trainers customised by the likes of David Beckham, Elton John and Marc Jacobs for the adidas ‘Prouder’ campaign and young beneficiaries of The Trust’s work, as well as two specially designed pins by PINTRILL featured on a dedicated hub www.ebay.co.uk/pride
6. The above activities raised £40,000 for the Albert Kennedy Trust during Pride
7. In October and with NFL fever taking over London, eBay.co.uk auctioned two exclusive tickets to the sold-out Jaguars vs Eagles game as well as a meet and greet with commentator Vernon Kay, all to benefit The Prince’s Trust.
8. The UK’s much-loved TV personalities, sports stars, actors and chefs, including Phillip Schofield, Emma Willis and Tim Henman supported eBay.co.uk’s first ever “Give Day” on 9th October with exclusive auctions. A 5p donation was made for every item shoppers put in their baskets with over £105K going to The Prince’s Trust
9. In terms of third-party websites, the definitive Charity Shops Survey 2018 (out in October) cited eBay as the charity retailers’ preferred choice this year with 74% of respondents saying they use it to sell their donated goods
10. Indeed, 90% of eBay for Charity’s funds were raised by over 3,300 charities selling directly on site as traditional charity shops embrace online marketplaces as an additional sales channel
11. However, it seems November was the month of giving, as eBay.co.uk saw an increase in sales by charities, as part of its eBay for Charity program. Cancer Research UK grew at 530% YOY in November, while Sue Ryder Hospice saw an average 203% YoY increase in sales
12. And the giving continued, as to celebrate the release of The Prodigy’s new album, ‘No Tourists’, eBay.co.uk hosted an exclusive charity auction in aid of the band’s chosen charity, Myeloma UK which saw the world’s only double platinum disc of ‘Fat Of The Land’ and ‘Music For The Jilted Generation’, signed personally by all three band members sold off on the site. The auction raised over £6k
13. And BBC Children in Need saw £15k raised on site when it lit up our small screens
14. In the run up to the Festive period, eBay.co.uk launched the Prince’s Trust’s Tomorrow’s Store. All products in the store are created by budding entrepreneurs who have been supported by The Trust’s Enterprise programme. From October until December eBay for Charity donated £5 for every purchase from the store to benefit young people who are looking to kick-start their businesses via training, mentoring, funding and resources.
15. Even the Christmas ads had ‘carrot topping’ results for charity last year. With shoppers storming stores to get hold of limited-edition Kevin The Carrot merchandise, Aldi teamed up with eBay to maximise funds raised for The Teenage Cancer Trust with a winning bid of £510 received for a limited-edition plush toy with an original price tag of just £3.99
16. The most expensive / unusual item sold on eBay for charity last year was a one of a kind Felipe Pantone bike which sold for £15,200 to benefit World Bicycle Relief UK.
17. In 2019, look out for some standout activity for International Women’s Day and Pride

“Connecting non-profits with our big-hearted eBay users has paid dividends for both charities and our community in 2018. The growth in the eBay for Charity program in the UK demonstrates the benefits for both charities seeking to reach new audiences and diversify their traditional charity shop model by tapping in to our trusted marketplace model and for shoppers seeking the gifts and experiences that will give back. 2019 is already shaping up to be exciting for us as we look to reach £150M in funds raised by the end of the year”.
– Murray Lambell, Head of Trading, eBay UK