eBay Foundation Hits $100M Milestone In Grantmaking, Announces New Board Chairperson

eBay Foundation Hits $100M Milestone In Grantmaking, Announces New Board Chairperson

eBay Foundation Team

eBay Foundation is excited to announce we've given more than $100 million to our nonprofit partners since our creation in 1998. This milestone arrives in tandem with the announcement of our new Foundation Board Chairperson, Julie Loeger.

The Foundation's $100 million grant milestone is the result of our intentional growth strategy: over the last three years, we significantly ramped up our contributions, granting nearly $23 million in 2022 alone.

Welcoming New Leadership

eBay Foundation is gaining further momentum in 2023 under the leadership of the new eBay Foundation Board Chairperson, Julie Loeger. Julie, who is eBay's SVP and Chief Growth Officer, has been passionate about philanthropy and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) throughout her career in marketing, strategy and financial services.

During her time at Discover Financial Services, Julie served as co-chair of Discover's DE&I program and worked to create more inclusive financial wellness programs that expanded financial services and tools to underserved groups. Many of the innovations launched under her leadership helped educate people about financial wellness and empower them with tools to take greater control over their financial future and wellness. Through her participation in The Chicago Network, she has supported gender equity and leadership opportunities for women.

Julie has also been a champion for the philanthropic community and advocate for greater equity and inclusion through her leadership roles at The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Country, The Haven, and Beacon Place. At eBay, Julie is executive co-sponsor of the Black Employees at eBay and Women@eBay Communities of Inclusion and has been a strong advocate for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the company and across the tech sector more broadly.

"I'm thrilled to join the eBay Foundation board, because I believe that removing barriers to entrepreneurship for women, people of color, and other groups who have historically been excluded, is a critical component of building thriving communities," said Julie. "eBay Foundation's work is an important part of advancing eBay's purpose to create economic opportunity for all."

Under her leadership, eBay Foundation remains committed to equitable entrepreneurship and continues to lean into a model of trust-based philanthropy: a movement focused on the culture, structure and practices needed to address the inherent power imbalance between foundations and nonprofits.

A Strategic Focus

While it's possible for anyone to start a business, not all business owners receive the same opportunities. The Federal Reserve System's 2022 Report on Firms Owned by People of Color found that small business owned by people of color continue to report lower approval rates than their white-owned counterparts. Owners are the group most likely to experience difficulty accessing credit, and in general, businesses owned by people of color in the United States experience more financial hardship than white-owned businesses.

eBay Foundation strategically partners with nonprofits like ICA, Kiva and Native Women Lead, who support inclusive entrepreneurship by removing barriers that many entrepreneurs face. More than 1,800 nonprofit organizations have received funding from eBay Foundation.

While our recent grant milestone is worth celebrating, eBay Foundation is by no means slowing down on its journey.

"I'm excited about this role and eBay's Foundation's growth in 2023," Julie said. "We're just getting started."

Topics:Announcements, Leadership

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