1.16.2007 - 11:22am ET

(CSRwire) CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2007--What do George Clooney's Academy Award Gift Bag, a customized Saturn SKY Roadster, lunch with Grey's Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo, and a Cuisinart coffee maker all have in common? They were among the hottest items featured last year on cMarket.com and its newest destination, BiddingForGood.com where non-profit groups working to feed hungry kids, save coral reefs, ensure quality educations - and more - host online fundraising auctions. Today, cMarket, the leading cause-based marketplace supporting non-profit groups, reveals what was hot among online auction goods in 2006 and what drives consumer bidding behavior.

The new cMarket survey of over 1,000 online auction participants, shows online fundraising auctions are hotter than ever. The data reveals what participants are thinking, what motivates them, their characteristics, and what non-profit organizations can learn from it to increase their fundraising success in 2007. The survey also identifies patterns of the highly coveted "Big Spender," and his parsimonious opposite.

Highlights include:

-- Travel, sports and entertainment are the three hottest item categories, generating the most bid activity and largest net revenue to the charity.

-- Celebrities are hot! For example, George Clooney's Academy Award gift bag sold for $45,000, with proceeds benefiting the United Way while Matthew McConaughey's self-designed UGG boots commanded a $9728 bid in the UGG Art and Sole auction that benefited the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

-- Women are the vast majority of bidders for online fundraising auctions, making up 71 percent of the total.

-- Men dominate the "Big Spender" category with an average bid of $933 per item (vs. the average online bid of $259).

"This survey shows that online auctions are - and should be - an indispensable part of the fundraising arsenal for any non-profit organization," said cMarket CEO Jon Carson. "Going online allows non-profits to both expand the footprint of their event and to broaden their communities by attracting new supporters and members. This is another way to build donor community while tapping the power of the internet to appeal to a broad range of participants across geography and time constraints. Plus it's fun!"

The Bidder's Profile:

The survey classifies "Big Spenders" as making up only 15 percent of the online auction bidding universe, yet those of the people who make the highest bids. The "Big Spender" bids an average $933 per item. "Big Spenders" are also more apt to be men even though the survey finds that 71 percent of all bidders are women. What are they spending on? Travel and art. The study signals that online auctions are an excellent way to reach the female demographic - an important segment for non-profit auction fundraisers.

Meanwhile, his counterpoint, who bids low dollar amounts and is looking for bargains, represents 12 percent of online bidders. The average value of items for this bidder is $131. She is more likely to bid because she "needs/wants an item" and is "looking for a deal."
Rather than be motivated by the charitable beneficiary, she is more influenced than others with ease of use and acquiring "great products" - such as dining and entertainment.

The survey further notes that while the average time online bidders spend in general online on a daily basis is 49 minutes; the respondent to the cMarket study spend over one third (33.7%) of that time - 16.5 minutes - on a typical online auction visit.

For more detail on the survey and its results, please contact Christen Graham or Cathleen Porter of Warner Communications at 978-526-1960.

About cMarket, Inc.

cMarket is the leading on-demand, online auction platform solely for organizations engaged in fundraising for non-profit causes. With more than 1,500 customers, online auctions powered by cMarket.com have generated funding successes by allowing organizations, both large and small, to identify new sources of income and, at the same time, build mission awareness and heightened caring for the cause. cMarket services national non-profit organizations such as United Way, JCC Association, Junior Achievement, Catholic Charities, The PTA, and the American Red Cross. cMarket also works with companies including Ford, Deloitte & Touche, Kimberly-Clark and General Electric to raise funds for their non-profit causes. In 2006 the company launched BiddingForGood.com which enables non-profit organizations to reach the broadest possible audience by featuring their auctions and items on this leading global exchange for goods and services. cMarket, which was founded in 2003, has headquarters in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, visit www.cmarket.com.



Copyright Business Wire 2007

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