Where do you get your items for auction?

All items are donated by musicians, and various other individuals involved in the entertainment industry. Musicians have made donations because they realize the positive impact they can have on research and relief.

How do you choose your causes, and how can I be sure my donation is going to an organization that will best use my donation?

While it’s true that any donation made out of charity is in fact a good cause, Riffs for Change closely examines all the organizations they choose to receive their donations and only supports those with the highest percentage of their funding directly used for relief or research. If you’re ever interested in looking up the information yourself, a great website is www.charitynavigator.org. After all, isn’t better to know that ninety cents on every dollar goes to research and relief rather than sixty? Makes you wonder where the remaining thirty cents goes doesn’t it?

How can I donate an item for auction to Riffs for Change?

Please contact us at info@riffsforchange.org to receive further information on items you’d like to donate.

How does Riffs for Change differ from other charitable donation sites?

Riffs for Change is entirely, one hundred and ten percent (yes that means we lose money) not for profit. Consider us the middle man between your artist memorabilia and experiences and your charitable donations – the only difference is, we don’t get paid and our most sincere intentions are to help out those in need.

Why are you willing to go to such extremes to help out?

This is an interesting question, and the truth is that while we support extreme music, there is nothing extreme about what we are doing. You may have read or heard bands say a thousand times, “I want to make a difference on somebody’s life.” This is all well and good, but it got us to thinking, is there a way to benefit many people rather than benfiting individual people? Yes there is. And let’s be honest too, we’ve all heard the saying everyone giving a little is better than few people giving a lot. Well it’s true. And while our own individual donations may seem small, the contributions of the entire music community can make a world of difference.

How is Riffs for Change able to stay true to its mission while keeping their own costs to a minimum?

Our costs are “virtually” nonexistent. Every item we auction or sell has been donated to us to be auctioned or sold. At this point we only have items available on Ebay, which negates the need for a storefront and unnecessary costs. Further, all purchases are made through Ebay and paid using PayPal – essentially no money changing hands.

Do 100% of profits really go to charity?

The quick and easy answer is yes it does. But in the spirit of open and honest communication, this is how it breaks down. It is clearly stated on the individual auction listings the cause and percentage of the donation given. When a bid is finalized, payment is made to our PayPal account. PayPal first takes their small percentage of the sale, and then, Mission Fish, a company used by Ebay to handle all not for profit auctions, removes the appropriate amount from the PayPal account and passes it on to the named charity. Of course, this isn’t free, and Mission Fish charges a small percentage do what they do.

How can I purchase an item?

All items need to be purchased through PayPal. Depending on the item it may be in the form of an auction, or a Buy It Now sale. Shipping costs? Shipping costs will vary based on the item purchased and all shipping costs will be kept as close to the actual shipping charge as possible.

If I request an item can you get it?

This is an interesting topic we’ve been asked numerous times. Requests can always be made to info@riffsforchange.org but that does not guarantee we will be able to receive the item. We will always go through the proper channels and try to have the specific item or experience donated, but keep in mind it will never be sold privately. Every item for sale will be made available to the public. Any auction will be available for a minimum of one week unless there is a Buy It Now feature utilized. If you have any other questions you would like answered, please feel free to contact us at the above information.