Question
First I want to say thank you for your help and suggestions regarding my Katrina Bumper Sticker project. The final versions are now listed in the OCM and are much improved from my first concepts.
I've also learned a lot about listing for charity on eBay and the best I can say is that it is a confusing maze.
I'll share what I know at this point but I'm still on a learning curve and hope others will share their experiences and correct me where I'm wrong.
eBay has a very structured set of regulations to control "charity" listings. Understandably they want to prevent fraud and, in doing so, place a lot a restriction on any form of charity fundraising listings.
If you are a nonprofit with your 501(c)3 approval you can list on your own.
Individuals can list on behave of a qualified nonprofit but you must get written permission from them and show a scan of the permission letter in your description for each item.
Other than the above approaches you need to work through MissionFish or your listing will be canceled if seen by eBay(and many are being canceled).
MissionFish requires sellers to register with them. Then listings come under the cover of MF and are monitored for the contribution actually being made.
You can contribute part or all of the purchase price, using auctions or fixed price formats.
Whatever the final price, MissionFish require a minimum contribution of $10. per sale for each charity auction and you will be billed for that minimum amount even if the final price and/or the percentage you are contributing is a dollar amount less than ten dollars.
If, for example, you sell an item for $5.00 with 100% contributed to charity you will be billed for the minimum of $10.
So structure your offering so that they start at $9.99 or higher (or certainly end above $10.00) otherwise you might be paying money out of your pocket in addition to contributing the item, sales price and fees.
To restate, you list the item, pay all fees, and contribute part or all of the final price, as you choose, with a minimum of $10. per sale (not per listing so be careful of multi quantity fixed priced offerings and/or Dutch auction listings)
It does not appear that you can use anything but the basic eBay Listing Form to launch charity auctions and have them receive the MissionFish icons and intergration into the approved charity program of Giving Works.
There is more and you should carefully read the Giving Works (eBay's general program) and MissionFish (an outside of eBay nonprofit contracted by eBay to oversee the charity contributions for an administrative fee paid out of your contribution) pages on eBay.
Hopefully others will be able to add insights and personal experiences to this thread.
http://givingworks.ebay.com/
Answer
Then why is this on the pages?
Note: When a nonprofit is selling an item on its own behalf ("Direct Selling"), it collects funds directly from the buyer. MissionFish does not process the donation, and there are subsequently no deductions.
If I am on the fundraising committee for a 501(c)3, I don't need to go through Missionfish to list (provide all documentation needed to prove I am with X organization)
But if I'm Joe Blow and I am SAYING the $ is going to X organization -- who's to say it really gets there. Therefore MissionFish is a necessity to list.
They also have the MissionFish deduction being $3.00 before CC fees.
Perhaps the best way to charity fundraise would be to be part of the charity itself, rather than just a third party throwing occassional $ at it.
Those are just general thoughts.
BTW, nice job on the bumper stickers! Saw them earlier.
Answer
Charities can't actually sell for themselves outside of mission fish. There is no ebay mechanism for that (and they don't WANT such a mechanism - they want everything under the mission fish umbrella - just haven't quite figured out how to demand it).
We have to include in our auctions a letter from ourselves to ourselves saying we have given ourselves permission to sell on behalf of ourselves.
Got that? I spent one long labor day weekend editing that d***mmm letter into over 200 listings.
When misison fish came along, most charities did not jump; they just started putting "charity" in the auction title. Ebay really wanted to force everyone into mission fish but decided to settle for the letter in the listing routine.
Occasionally a buyer asks us why we aren't under mission fish and when we explain it all to them (higher fees, etc), they universally have no problem with us not going that route.
Maryanne Dubbs, Cat Rescue of Maryland
Answer
My FEMA bumper sticker listings under MF were canceled by eBay at, accordingly to the email, the request of the Red Cross.
I guess, and can well understand, that the Red Cross does not want to seem to be endorsing my political point of view.
The MF system is to put a large section right into your listing about the charity and it well might appear to some that the charity was more involved than just receiving the money.
They missed the Bush failed.... listing, now ended, but I accept their point of view and won't relist them.
The "Thank You Katrina Relief Workers" stickers seem to present no problem.
My Congressman, a Democrat, is coming to our community for a "Meet & Greet" tomorrow. I may ask his staff for suggestions but I'm uncomfortable wandering so deep on to the "Dark Side".