Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

EBay Founder Re-Commits to Strengthening

Nov 08, 2001

The September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City
and Washington, D.C., reinforced the commitment of
Pierre Omidyar, founder of online auction site eBay
( http://www.ebay.com/ ), and his wife Pam to donate
most of their considerable personal fortune to
organizations and programs that work to strengthen
communities around the country, the Wall Street Journal
reports.

The Omidyars, whose 24 percent stake in eBay is estimated
to be worth about $3.75 billion, plan to give away as much
of their fortune as possible to nonprofits that foster
community building through education and active citizenship.
To that end, the couple established the Omidyar Foundation
with a $50 million gift last year and gave $10 million to
Tufts University ( http://www.tufts.edu/ ), their alma
mater, to help launch the school's College of Citizenship
and Public Service.

Pierre Omidyar's strong belief in the power of community
stems from his experience building eBay, which he started
as a weekend project in 1995. One of Omidyar's first moves
at the fledgling company was to create a feedback forum,
because, as he told the Journal, he was tired of dealing
with complaints from buyers and sellers. But Omidyar
soon learned "that [encouraging feedback] became more about
creating standards for a way a community operated." Omidyar
has said previously that he believes the sense of community
and shared responsibility has been lost in America, and he
and his wife want to do what they can to restore it.

"One of the good things to come out of [September 11]
is that everyone can now see the potential strength
of community," Omidyar told the Journal. "There is a real
thirst...[among] people out there to connect."

Swisher, Kara. "EBay Founder Puts Profits to Use To Help
'Rediscover Community.'" Wall Street Journal 10/29/01.

http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=200011