Goodwill Location Finder

The mission of Goodwill is to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. When you come to their web site, you immediately see how they translate their mission into an amazing web experience. Of course, that isn’t always easy to do but they have the vision to focus on making it happen.

I live in the Dallas area and when I came to the Goodwill web site, I immediately saw people from my area who benefit from Goodwill’s great work. I must say that it really drew me into the Goodwill mission.

When I hovered over a photo on the map, I could also click and hear the story of the individual in their own words. Very powerful.

None of this surprising. It is, of course, is very intentional. The Goodwill mission is all about strengthening communities. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Jim Gibbons, the Goodwill CEO. Jim has a great sense of how to use the power of digital solutions to drive commitment to the Goodwill cause and connect constituents in a genuine way.  This is all reflected on their web site, social media and mobile applications.

The history of Goodwill is all about creating a social enterprise. Our focus is on the constituent and we use the power of the internet to connect our donors with those who benefit from our services. — Jim Gibbons, President and CEO, Goodwill, Inc.

Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston by Rev. 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. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of “a hand up, not a hand out” was born.

Dr. Helms’ vision set an early course for what today has become a $4 billion nonprofit organization. Helms described Goodwill Industries 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.”

Times have changed, but Helms’ vision remains constant: “We have courage and are unafraid. With the prayerful cooperation of millions of our bag contributors and of our workers, we will press on till the curse of poverty and exploitation is banished from mankind.”

Goodwill is a shining example of how to use the power of the web, social media and mobile applications to achieve an important community mission.