What Goodwill Industries International does

Goodwill Industries International (GII) is the 501(c)(3) supporting organization for a federated network of 150 independent local Goodwill organizations operating across the United States, Canada, and parts of Brazil, Finland, Italy, and South Korea. Founded in 1902 by Reverend Dr. Edgar J. Helms, GII provides brand licensing, operational standards, training curriculum, and shared services to its member organizations, which in turn deliver workforce development, job placement, and career coaching services to approximately 2.1 million people annually. The organization's product surface is a portfolio rather than a single platform: it spans more than 3,000 physical thrift stores, two e-commerce properties (ShopGoodwill.com for unique donated goods and GoodwillBooks.com with 1.5 million+ SKUs), an internal Liferay-based staff portal called Goodwill Exchange, and a growing suite of workforce training programs including the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator (GDCA), the Clean Tech Accelerator, the Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate on Coursera, and Google AI Essentials training delivered under the Google.org AI Opportunity Fund.

The revenue engine is retail-led: $7 billion in network revenue was reported for 2025, generated almost entirely from the sale of donated goods across thrift stores and online channels, supplemented by financial donations, planned giving through the Helms Legacy Society, corporate and foundation sponsorships (Ballmer Group, Truist Foundation, Ascendium), and government workforce development grants and contracts. Core career services are provided free of charge to job seekers, while premium credentialing (e.g., the Coursera certificate) introduces modest per-learner revenue. Goodwill's underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: it relies on Google Analytics for web behavior, Liferay for internal staff workflows, and partner platforms (Coursera, Google) for credentialing and AI training delivery, rather than proprietary software products.

The strategic posture in 2024–2026 is one of mission-aligned expansion into adjacent verticals and regulatory frameworks: Goodwill has aligned itself with California's Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (the first U.S. textile EPR law), partnered with Reju for industrial-scale textile-to-textile circular processing, opened a 5,000-person Career & Services Campus in St. Paul with Easter Seals Minnesota in late 2025, and scaled its Google.org AI training initiative to target 200,000 additional learners in 2025. These moves diversify the organization beyond pure thrift retail into higher-value reuse, recycling, and credentialed training while leveraging its unmatched community distribution advantage.

Name

Goodwill Industries International

Legal name

Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

Website

https://goodwill.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Goodwill Industries International is the 501(c)(3) supporting organization for 150 independent local Goodwill nonprofits delivering free workforce development, job training, and career services to 2.1 million people annually, funded by a $7B thrift retail network and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (56132), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination (HSAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Laundry & Textile Waste Services (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAI), Communication, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution Skills (EDAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Thrift retail operations
• Job training programs
• Donated goods resale
• Nonprofit employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (Thrift Stores): Local Goodwill organizations generate revenue through the sale of donated goods in retail thrift stores. Revenue funds workforce training programs and community services. Goodwill posted $7 billion in revenue for 2025 from this retail operation.
2. Donated Goods Processing: Goodwill collects donated clothing, furniture, electronics, and household items. Items not sold in stores are recycled or processed, with 4.4 billion pounds of goods recovered to fund the mission.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: National Strategic Partners like Ballmer Group and corporate sponsors provide financial support to expand workforce development programs.
4. E-commerce Platforms: Online sales through ShopGoodwill.com featuring hundreds of thousands of unique items, and GoodwillBooks.com with over 1.5 million products. Supports the mission while extending reach beyond physical store locations.
5. Financial Donations: Individual donors can make financial contributions through the Helms Legacy Society (planned giving) or direct donations to support Goodwill's workforce mission.
6. Government Grants and Contracts: Workforce development programs are partially funded through government grants and employment training contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Goodwill Industries International operates the brand and support infrastructure for a network of 150+ local Goodwill organizations that deliver free workforce development services — including career coaching, job placement, resume help, interview prep, and skills training — funded by retail sales of donated goods through thrift stores and online marketplaces (ShopGoodwill.com, GoodwillBooks.com). The organization also runs specialized training programs such as the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator, the Clean Tech Accelerator, and Google AI Essentials training.

Product overview

Goodwill Industries International operates a network of 150 local community-based organizations. Its offering is not a unified software platform but a portfolio of programs and retail channels united by a workforce development mission. The portfolio comprises physical and online retail operations (Goodwill Retail Stores, ShopGoodwill.com, GoodwillBooks.com) that generate revenue to fund mission activities, alongside career services including the Career & Services Campus, the Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate (hosted on Coursera), the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator (GDCA), the Clean Tech Accelerator, and the Google AI Essentials Training partnership. An internal Goodwill Exchange portal (built on Liferay) supports staff operations. Together these products span retail, workforce training, digital skills, and career coaching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShopGoodwill.com: Online auction platform featuring hundreds of thousands of unique items including art, books, vinyl records, clothing, home décor, jewelry, musical instruments, sports, toys, and more.
• GoodwillBooks.com
• Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator (GDCA)
• Clean Tech Accelerator
• Goodwill Exchange

Products and services

• Goodwill Thrift Retail Stores Over 3,000 brick-and-mortar thrift retail locations across the US and Canada selling donated goods; revenue funds the workforce development mission.
• ShopGoodwill.com Online auction marketplace featuring hundreds of thousands of unique donated items including art, books, vinyl records, clothing, home décor, jewelry, musical instruments, sports, and toys; aggregates inventory from 150+ local Goodwill organizations.
• GoodwillBooks.com Online marketplace offering over 1.5 million products consisting of books, movies, music, and games from local Goodwill organizations across the United States, with free shipping on every order.
• Free Career Support and Workforce Development Services Free one-on-one job assistance, career coaching, resume writing help, interview preparation, job placement support, and ongoing career support delivered through Goodwill's network of community career centers; serves approximately 2 million people annually.
• Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator (GDCA) Program helping individuals build in-demand digital skills and career readiness from any starting point; part of Goodwill's workforce development portfolio.
• Clean Tech Accelerator Hands-on training program to help individuals earn clean energy certifications and start a clean tech career.
• Google AI Essentials Training Free AI skills training program delivered through partnership with Google.org's AI Opportunity Fund, targeting 200,000 people in the US and Canada; part of a partnership that has already placed 400,000+ Americans in jobs since 2017.
• Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate Professional certificate created by Goodwill Industries International in collaboration with Coursera, equipping career coaches, navigators, and HR professionals to help people prepare for and launch careers; completable in less than 6 months for under $300 USD.
• Career & Services Campus (Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota) Physical Career & Services Campus facility providing workforce training, job placement support, and career services; the St. Paul, Minnesota campus serves over 5,000 Minnesotans annually with education and career resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.1 million people accessed training and resources across 150+ Goodwill organizations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RejucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Partnership for textile collection, sorting, preparation, and circular processing at industrial scale. Reju, a textile-to-textile regeneration company, featured Goodwill's collection infrastructure in the BBC StoryWorks 'Fashion Redressed' series. The collaboration highlights the infrastructure needed to build a circular textile system, with Goodwill providing collection network and textile sorting expertise.
• Easter Seals MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota opened a new Career & Services Campus in St. Paul on November 4, 2025, to expand workforce training and support programs. The facility was built to serve over 5,000 Minnesotans annually with education and career resources.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025Goodwill and Google announced a joint initiative to provide free AI skills training to 200,000 people in the United States and Canada through Google.org's AI Opportunity Fund. The program offers Google's AI Essentials course at no cost. The partnership has already helped over 400,000 Americans secure jobs since 2017. Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google, noted that through Google.org's support, more than 300,000 Americans have been placed into Digital Economy jobs.
• California (CalRecycle)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Goodwill is supporting California's Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, the first U.S. law targeting textile recycling through extended producer responsibility. Goodwill will leverage its community collection network and expertise to help build textile reuse and recycling infrastructure in the state.
• CourseracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwill created the Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate in collaboration with Coursera. The certificate draws on Goodwill's workforce development expertise and is hosted on Coursera's platform. GII receives a percentage of fees paid for the certificate. The program can be completed in less than 6 months for under $300 USD.
• Lowe'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLowe's partners with Goodwill on workforce development, particularly in skilled trades training. Participated in Business Roundtable Skilled Trades for America Forum to discuss public-private solutions for skilled labor shortages.
• UnitedHealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnitedHealthcare partners with Goodwill to support workforce development and career services that help individuals access economic opportunities.
• WalmartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalmart supports Goodwill's mission to create pathways to employment and economic growth in local communities.
• Landbell USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandbell USA was selected as the producer responsibility organization for California's textile EPR program. Goodwill works with Landbell USA as part of the textile recycling ecosystem supporting the state program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ThredUp: Online resale platform offering consignment and resale of secondhand apparel. Direct competitor for donated inventory and resale shoppers, particularly the higher-value inventory Goodwill would prefer to capture.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Nonprofit home goods and furniture retail operation funding Habitat's housing mission. Comparable nonprofit retail-revenue-funds-mission model, though focused on furniture/home goods versus apparel/textiles.
• Salvation Army: International nonprofit operating thrift retail stores that fund social services including workforce development, addiction recovery, and emergency assistance. Closest comparable given the thrift-funded mission model and dual retail/social program structure.
• Savers / Value Village: For-profit thrift retail operator running Value Village and Savers banners with hundreds of stores across North America. Comparable secondhand retail operations and supplier relationships with donation-based nonprofits.

Regional players

• Dress for Success: Global nonprofit providing professional attire and career development services to women. Comparable career-readiness mission, though with narrower focus on women's workforce entry and clothing provision rather than thrift retail scale.

Emerging players

• The RealReal: Online luxury consignment and resale marketplace competing for high-value secondhand inventory. Smaller overlap but competes for premium donated goods that previously flowed to Goodwill.
• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit serving young adults with training and corporate placement. Comparable mission in job training and employer partnerships, though with narrower demographic focus and shorter duration programs.
• Poshmark: Peer-to-peer resale marketplace enabling individuals to sell secondhand apparel. Competes for seller-side donation behavior, though with different economics than Goodwill's retail model.
• Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing free technology training and job placement to individuals from underserved communities. Comparable workforce development mission with focus on tech/digital skills, competing for similar employer partner relationships.

Others

• Coursera: Online learning platform that hosts Goodwill's Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate. Partnership-based relationship rather than direct competition, but represents the broader digital credentialing ecosystem Goodwill participates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/GoodwillIntl
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoodwillIntl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodwill-industries-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodwillintl
• Pinterestph.pinterest.com/goodwillintl
• TikToktiktok.com/@goodwillintl
• Xx.com/goodwillintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Goodwill Industries International