'Auction for America' Raised $10 Million
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}About $10 million was raised for Sept. 11 relief efforts through eBay's "Auction for America" program, which let people earmark certain items for charity, the Internet trading site announced Friday.
EBay had hoped the program, which ran from Sept. 17 through Dec. 25, would generate $100 million in its 100 days. Although it fell well short of that goal, eBay Inc. chief executive Meg Whitman said she was proud of the program.
"Given the massive outpouring of support that occurred following Sept. 11, I'm pleased with what we achieved," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 100,000 people participated in Auction for America, with celebrities, politicians and large companies among the donors.
EBay waived its fees for items sold through the program and created a way for payments to be made directly to designated charities. The San Jose-based company plans to install an upgraded version of that feature this spring to encourage more charitable donations through the site.