Your Journey to a Brighter Career Starts Here

Each regional Goodwill organization has different initiatives designed to meet the needs of its local communities. In general, Goodwill organizations are nonprofit workforce development providers. The money raised in our stores is invested in Goodwill programs and services to help people learn new skills and begin sustainable careers. These services are free and designed to help our community members navigate life’s challenges to reach employment and long-term success.

Goodwill programs and services are unique to the communities they serve based on the immediate needs of the local job market for both job seekers and employers. If you’d like to find out more about what your local Goodwill is doing, you can find the Goodwill career center closest to you and view their website using our career center locator.

You can also read the stories of individuals who changed their own lives with support from Goodwill.

For more details on the impact of the greater Goodwill network, view our annual report.

The president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International (GII) is Steve Preston. In addition, each regional Goodwill organization is autonomous from GII and other Goodwill organizations. Each local Goodwill headquarters has its own leadership team and CEO. GII exists to support those local Goodwill organizations. You can look up your local store and view the website to find your area’s CEO on our store locator.

While it can be easy to think of Goodwill as a large international nonprofit with thousands of Goodwill stores in the U.S. and Canada alone, that is not the case. In fact, the stores, donation centers and career centers near you are run by a regional Goodwill with its own CEO and board of directors. Each Goodwill organization has its own leadership, policies and programs to serve the unique needs of its community.

Because of this structure, shopping at your local Goodwill supports programs that people in your community use to improve their lives.

You can find the store closest to you and view its website with our store locator to learn more about your local Goodwill organization.

This number can vary depending on your particular regional Goodwill organization. You’ll want to reach out to your local Goodwill directly for details.

In 1902, Reverend Dr. Edgar J. Helms began a movement in the south end of Boston, MA, that would later be named Goodwill Industries. Helms, a Methodist minister, early social innovator and entrepreneur, collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city. Then, he hired and trained people living in poverty – most of whom were new immigrants to America who did not have English skills – to mend and repair the goods. The items were then resold or given to the people who repaired them. Thus, the Goodwill philosophy of “a hand up, not a handout” was born.

All of our retail employees make minimum wage or higher depending on the store and position.

It will depend on which Goodwill organization you’re donating to and what kind of furniture you’re donating. For instance, many Goodwill organizations do not accept mattresses. Contact your local Goodwill to find out what their policies are for furniture donations.

Most Goodwill organizations make house calls for furniture or other large items that are difficult to transport. Contact your local Goodwill to find out whether a pick-up service is available in your community.

Goodwill bins are a great way to find unique deals. You’ll want to look for Goodwill outlets in your area to shop the bins.

Each Goodwill store is operated by a local Goodwill organization. This means prices can vary from region to region depending on that organization’s policies, the economic market in that area and more. Of course, there may also be differences from store to store depending on the management team and any specific policies in place for pricing.

While we always strive to be an affordable option for those who need it, we’re also a nonprofit that uses the revenue from our stores to provide free resources to people with challenges to employment to ensure they’re able to find a career and thrive.

Yes, there are a few different options for shopping Goodwill online. You can visit shopgoodwill.com or GoodwillBooks.com to search for Goodwill treasures online or some local Goodwill organizations also have their own online presence or sell through third-party sites like Amazon or eBay.

Yes, you’ll want to ask the attendant who handled your donation for a receipt you can use on your taxes.

You can use our store locator to find a Goodwill location near you.

There are a variety of ways you can provide support for the Goodwill mission. Those include, but are not limited to:

• Donating your used goods to your local Goodwill.
• Shopping at your local Goodwill.
• Making a financial donation to Goodwill Industries International or a local Goodwill.
• Connecting people who may need Goodwill services to our career centers.’
• Telling friends and family about the Goodwill mission on social media. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest to interact with our content.

There may also be volunteer opportunities at your local Goodwill. You can find the contact information for a Goodwill near you on our store locator.

Yes, financial gifts make a huge difference in ensuring we can connect more people to the resources they need to get on the path to a thriving life and sustaining employment. Find out more about financial donations to Goodwill.

For people with significant disabilities, the U.S. government created a Special Minimum Wage Certificate that allows employers to hire people who need substantial support at a wage below the minimum wage. The majority of our more than 150 local Goodwill organizations do not use the special minimum wage certificate, but as of March 2024, nine do.

We believe the responsible approach to eliminating the use of the certificate is to transition people with disabilities employed under the certificate into competitive integrated employment. Such a transition should honor individual choices and include the support, resources and assistance needed to succeed in those jobs.

If you’d like to speak with someone at your local Goodwill organization to see if it’s using this certificate and to share any concerns, you can find the location closest to you and view its website with our store locator.