eBay is touting that its buyers and sellers donated a record $54.8 million to U.S. and U.K. Nonprofit organizations in 2010.

 A donation was made every 24 seconds via eBay Giving Works, the company’s nonprofit fundraising program in the U.S., raising more than $91 a minute for nonprofits. Overall, donations were up 7 percent last year, compared to 2009, and nearly 9 million items were listed for sale, with all or a portion of the sale price donated to a nonprofit, more than double the items listed in 2009.

“Through Giving Works, eBay continues to drive innovation in online philanthropy, enabling millions of people to easily donate to organizations they care about and support people and communities in need,” said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe.

“eBay Giving Works shows that when you give people the platform and tools to make a difference, they do. People care, and they are willing to give whatever they can to help. Fifty-five million dollars is a lot of money. But what’s most impressive is that in a tough economy, people gave what they could.”

Since the eBay Giving Works program was created in 2003, eBay buyers and sellers have raised $230 million for U.S. and U.K charities—with an average donation of $4.01—and currently lists more than 650,000 charity items on the marketplace, all designated with a blue and yellow ribbon.