Goodwill Industries International is one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Goodwill operates as a network of 184 independent organizations in the U.S., Canada and 14 other countries. In 2007, Goodwills collectively earned more than $3.16 billion, and used 84 percent of that revenue to provide employment and training services to more than 1,113,000 individuals.

Goodwill's logo is a stylized letter "g" that resembles a smiling face.

Operations

The clothing and household goods donated to Goodwill are sold in over 2,200 Goodwill retail stores and on its Internet auction site, The revenues fund job training and other services to prepare people for job success. Goodwill also generates income helping businesses and the federal government fill gaps caused by labor shortages, time constraints and limited space or equipment. Local Goodwill branches train and employ contract workers to fill outsourced needs for document management, assembly, mailing, custodial work, groundskeeping and more. Goodwill claims that more than 84 percent of its total revenue is used to fund education and career services and other critical community programs.

History

Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston by Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired those who were poor to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them.

Today Goodwill has become a $3.16 billion nonprofit organization. Helms described Goodwill as an "industrial program as well as a social service enterprise...a provider of employment, training and rehabilitation for people of limited employability, and a source of temporary assistance for individuals whose resources were depleted."

Donation policies

Goodwill has various policies on donations, including items that they can and cannot accept. Broadly speaking, Goodwill will accept items that they can resell, either in the retail stores, or as bulk lots. Goodwill generally will not accept donations of auto parts, non-working electronics, furniture showing signs of damage, or exercise equipment. For liability reasons, Goodwill generally will not accept baby cribs. Some branches do not accept computers, which may contain sensitive data, and also have a high incidence of non-usability, which results in expensive disposal costs. Sanitary regulations prohibit Goodwill from accepting mattress donations (although most Goodwill retail stores do sell new mattresses and box-springs at reasonable prices). Recently, due to safety concerns (in particular, concerns over lead content), Goodwill will not accept many toys, particularly those made in China.

Goodwill will generally always accept donations of clothing, shoes, books, accessories (handbags, belts), and consumer electronics. Even if they are deemed unfit to be sold in Goodwill's retail stores, these items can be sold as bulk lots, and thus can still generate income.

Depending on regional laws, the value of the goods donated can be used as a tax deduction.

References

External links

• Main website
• Goodwill leader is building hope with business acumen San Antonio Business Journal