eBay’s Big Charity Sell launches to help charities raise vital funds and combat waste

● eBay for Charity launches “eBay’s Big Charity Sell” to support charities raise vital funds ● The campaign is calling on the nation to declutter and sell their unwanted items on the online marketplace, opting for up to 100% of the proceeds to be donated directly to a charity of their choice ● An estimated £51m worth of unwanted items have been thrown away during lockdown, with research revealing that 1 in 5 people admit to fly-tipping outside closed charity shops in a bid to declutter ● eBay for Charity is calling on charities to get their supporters involved, with more than 8,000 charities registered on site. To support charities across the UK, “eBay’s Big Charity Sell” launches today - calling for the nation to sell their unwanted items on eBay and donate up to 100% of the proceeds to a charity of their choice, helping to raise vital funds for good causes and reducing waste. With charity shops across the UK forced to close, and major fundraising events postponed or cancelled, eBay is calling on charities to encourage their supporters to De-clutter, Donate and Nominate. eBay’s Big Charity Sell has been created to help tackle some of the issues charity retailers are facing, including a lack of access to inventory, fly-tipping outside high street shops and an inability to fundraise via other traditional means. Meanwhile, households across the country are using the lockdown to clear out their cupboards, and new data released today reveals that the garage that holds the most high-value items for sale, including kids’ bicycles, camping tents, skis and more. However, almost half (48%) of people admitted to binning items they no longer need, with a further 1 in 5 openly admitting to resorting to fly-tipping in a bid to rid their homes of clutter. Eight in 10 claimed to know of no other alternative to taking items to a physical charity shop and further data reveals that the average UK home is sitting on 42 unwanted items worth an estimated £500.     Robin Osterley, Chief Executive of the Charity Retail Association, says: “It’s brilliant that eBay are encouraging their customers to donate the proceeds of their sales to charity. Charities are undergoing an unprecedented loss of income as a result of COVID-19, partly caused by the closure of their shops, and anything the public can do to help plug that gap will be most gratefully received. Whilst charity shops are closed, selling goods for the benefit of charities is a great option; we hope that the process of taking donations to charity shops will restart soon and people can have the satisfaction of donating directly as well as the usual opportunity to buy great items at bargain prices.” Julie Byard, director of Trading at Cancer Research UK, said: “Like so many dedicated charity teams across the country, the staff and volunteers that run our shops are immensely proud of the amount they usually raise to support good causes. Due to Covid 19, we can’t open our shop doors at the moment which means we’re not raising money to beat cancer. “The global pandemic is going to cause huge strain on charities in the coming months. Now more than ever, we need support. eBay’s Big Charity Sell is a fantastic and fun way for people to help charities from the comfort of their homes so please do declutter, donate and nominate a loved one to do the same.” Last year, eBay’s buyers and sellers raised more than £27 million for charity organisations - an increase of 17% compared to 2018, and the online marketplace aims for its new campaign to spark ever greater fundraising efforts this year. Charities are not charged any eBay fees on eBay for Charity when they sell or receive funds, allowing more money to be raised for good causes. Supporters wishing to sell for their favourite charity can donate from 10-100% of their sale and will receive the equivalent percentage reduction in fees. Sellers simply check the box that says “Donate a portion to charity” and select the donation percentage when listing their item. For more information on how your charity can get involved in eBay’s Big Charity Sell or to sign your charity up for the eBay for Charity platform, get in touch on ukcharity@ebay.com.

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/2TqJcEQ