How have charity auctions changed?

[cjturtle]

I was thinking about running some charity auctions on eBay and was wondering if anyone knows about changes they have made to charity auctions in the past few years?

Or are there any rules that someone needs to be aware of before listing?

I haven't ran charity auctions in a very long time, but I want to help my niece reach her goal. See this thread towards the bottom:

http://community.inkfrog.com/index.php?action=vthread&forum=6&topic=14 316 (http://community.inkfrog.com/index.php?action=vthread&forum=6&topic=14316)

I don't want to break any of the thousands of rules so if you have any advice about charity auctions, please post!

Thank you!

Disclaimer: This is id (cjturtle) is not my eBay id. Someone else on eBay already had this id. My eBay id is not even close to this one.

[allabouthorses]

Ebay has really cracked down on the charity and fundraising listings.

If the charity isn't a 501c3, then forget about it as there is no way you can do it.

Now you either list through MissionFish and follow their rules, or have the 501c3 charity you are listing for give you a letter (with lots of details needed) on their letterhead that you must display in each listing.

The simple mention of the word "charity" or "fundraiser" in a listing can get it pulled in a blink.

I can see why they are doing this because there were so many people running listings saying money going to this and money going to that with no way to prove it really was donated.

Go to Ebay Help and search charity and the rules are pretty clear.

You can never have too many Jack Russell Terriers.

[cjturtle]

Thanks for the information! http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/up.gif http://www.buildaforum.com/inkforums/img/smilies/up.gif

Sounds like it would just be easier to run auctions like normal and just donate the profits myself without mentioning it within the Auction.

Disclaimer: This is id (cjturtle) is not my eBay id. Someone else on eBay already had this id. My eBay id is not even close to this one.

[allabouthorses]

That is what I do. Some of the things I sell are donated items for our local spay/neuter program. I don't even mention it is for charity. I just sell it and then donate the proceeds.

You MIGHT be able to mention something on your About Me page and then refer people to your About Me page, but I'm not sure that would even get past the charity-police.

It used to be you could just get a blanket letter from the 501c3 and then use it in all of your listings. Now I think you have to mention more specifics and a timeframe of the listing in each letter. I guess that was to keep people from reusing the same letter for stuff they were not donating the proceeds from.

You can never have too many Jack Russell Terriers.