Foundation HistoryI n a letter posted to the eBay community in July 1998, Pierre Omidyar, company founder, said, "Personally, I have always believed in helping people to become the best they can be." All of us at eBay share this belief as we strive to create a place where people are not only empowered to do business in a trusting environment, but are also respected for what they contribute to the community. Now, the people of the eBay community are able to contribute to an even larger community. In June 1998, we established a charitable fund known as the eBay Foundation, which was funded through a donation of 107,250 shares of eBay's Common Stock to Community Foundation Silicon Valley (CFSV), a tax-exempt public charity whose mission is to promote philanthropy and build a strong community. CFSV helps donors make effective charitable gifts and makes grants to a wide range of nonprofit organizations nationally. In November 1998, the governance committee was established. The committee is staffed by several eBay employees who volunteer a significant amount of their time each week. Since then, the committee has defined the eBay Foundation's charter and developed a grant nomination process. Please continue sending your suggestions to foundation@ebay.com. After all, the eBay Foundation provides a way for the collective eBay community to enrich the other communities where we all live, work, and play. |
Foundation History |