Goodwill Lifts Up Communities through Thrift Shops

Since 1902, Goodwill Industries International, Inc. has sought to help people reach their potential. The organization provides people with the opportunity to learn and find meaningful work in order to achieve their goals. In support of that mission, Goodwill oversees a network of thrift shops, with upwards of 3,300 stores nationwide managed through local affiliates. 

Regional Affiliates

The retail locations operate under the guidance of 156 regional affiliates, each of which manages its own independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The regional affiliates also maintain a certain amount of autonomy with their own board, and pay a membership fee to the international organization to continue functioning under the name of Goodwill.  

Thrift Store Operations

The thrift stores generate funding for training and job placement programs by selling items donated locally. Each location accepts clothing, furniture, and other gently used household goods. In turn, the money raised through sales goes toward programs for the local community served by the store’s regional affiliate. Every time a Goodwill store sells an item, it sets aside upwards of 90 percent of that sale for local programs. 

Shopping Online for Goodwill

The same is true of the organization’s online store, ShopGoodwill.com. This e-commerce site began in 1999 as an extension of Goodwill of Orange County, when the local organization chose to sell items from its stores online and drive more funding for programs in the Orange County area. Today, the online store represents 129 Goodwill thrift stores located all over the country.

As thrifting and resale become more popular with a younger generation, Goodwill thrift stores are growing in popularity. They continue to drive revenue that can be reinvested into their surrounding communities every day.