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Angel Acres Horse Haven
- Jo Deibel has loved horses since she was a little girl. In March 2003 she decided to adopt a mare from a group that rescues healthy, young American horses who would otherwise be sold for slaughter for human consumption in Europe and Asia. The next year, she started her own horse rescue, assistance and adoption organization, Angel Acres Horse Haven, at her Pennsylvania farm.
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Getting Started
- Not long after starting Angel Acres, “I saw an ad for helping charities on eBay,” she says, “And I thought, ‘Wow! We could do that!’ We knew eBay would be an amazing place to get the word out about our horse rescue.” Deibel had been an eBay buyer and seller since 1998 so she easily recognized the opportunity the program presented. Angel Acres began selling various items - from antiques and collectibles to donated items that couldn’t be used at the facility. By the end of 2009, Angel Acres had raised more than $22,000 – $16,000 in 2009 alone!
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"As Easy As It Gets!"
- Jo likes Direct Selling because she can see the buyer feedback. “In my feedback, lots of people tell me that they bid higher than they would have if it had been a regular auction,” Jo says. Her buyers also visit the Angel Acres website and sign up for the newsletter. “I bet we get 25 signups per listing,” she says. “I think lots of people shopping to help animal causes find us via the eBay Giving Works home page, too,” she notes.
- But to Jo and Angel Acres, the best part of eBay Giving Works is the ability to allow the eBay Community to help them help their horses. “It allows people who really want to help but are unable to due to location, time constraints, or financial reasons to support us by donating a portion of an item they were going to list anyway…and the donation can be as little as 5% or $1. That’s as easy as it gets! We couldn’t do what we do without Community support,” she says.
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Say Thank You
- Whether Direct Selling or working with Community Sellers, “saying thank you is the key to success on eBay Giving Works!” Jo stresses. She sends notes and ecards to her regular Community Sellers. And when she’s Direct Selling, she focuses on being polite to buyers, answering emails promptly, shipping quickly after receiving payment, and making sure that each buyer knows how much she appreciates their purchase and the impact it will have. This way “they can tell a friend or remember you if they want to donate to a charity in the future.”
- Angel Acres eBay Giving Works page
