eBay revamped its Gifts that Give Back program (GTGB) that helps charities raise funds by utilizing “symbolic” gift listings. eBay described in a blog post on Friday how one of its employees was able to scale the program, which now serves over 54,000 charities.
eBay for Charity launched GTGB as a pilot program in 2016, but participating charities had to rely on eBay to create and manage their gift listings – and the process could take weeks.
Earlier this year, eBay software engineer Ethan Rubinson secured funding through eBay’s Innovation Programs to revamp the GTGB program, enabling it to scale for the global market.
eBay explained how Make-A-Wish UK used the program to raise funds:
“An example we’re extremely proud of, is a recent campaign by Make-A-Wish UK, in partnership with Disney and DanTDM. The campaign used the flexibility of GTGB to create an innovative way to raise additional funds through a virtual gift concept. The campaign team created a £1 listing, with the proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish UK and the buyer of the listing being entitled to receive video credit in one of DanTDM’s video. In less than a week, over 1,400 donations were made and the resulting credits can be viewed on DanTDM’s YouTube video.”
The revamped GTGB program features a new gift creation experience for charities, allowing them to create gift listings in just a few minutes. Charities registered as Direct Sellers on the eBay platform can specify what a gift is for, its price, how many are available, and a short description of how raised funds will benefit the cause. They can also automate the delivery of tax receipts and donation certificates to individuals who purchase one of their symbolic gifts.
You can read more about the program on the eBay corporate blog.
