Goodwill Industries of Central Florida

What Goodwill Industries of Central Florida does

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization headquartered at 7527 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL, founded in 1959 and operating across six Central Florida counties (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia). The organization runs a retail thrift platform of 30+ retail stores and 20 Donation Xpress donation centers, processing approximately 25 million pounds of donated textiles and household goods annually. Its mission — branded 'Building Lives That Work' — focuses on employment training and placement services for individuals with disabilities, veterans, at-risk youth (including Project COMPASS for non-violent offenders aged 14-18), and broader community members across Central Florida.

The organization's programs span vocational rehabilitation (delivered under vendor status with the Florida Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Division), on-the-job training, supported employment, virtual job connection (Goodwill Connects), one-on-one financial and career coaching (Prosperity Planning), employee tuition scholarships (Goodwill Scholars, covering 100% of tuition/books/fees at 11 partner Florida public colleges and universities), a veterans services line, and seven Neighborhood Centers for Families in Orange County. Distribution is primarily physical (retail stores, donation centers, neighborhood centers) augmented by the Goodwill Connects virtual channel and multi-channel social/email marketing.

The business model is a hybrid thrift-retail and social-services operation. Revenue is generated through retail thrift sales of donated goods and through donations/philanthropy, with over 90% of annual revenue channeled back into employment and training programs. The organization does not disclose specific revenue figures and operates as an independent nonprofit with no parent company, no subsidiaries, no patents, and no disclosed M&A activity. Ed Durkee serves as President and CEO.

Name

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida

Legal name

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, Inc.

Website

https://goodwillcfl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Nonprofit social services organization operating 30+ thrift retail stores and 20 donation centers across six Central Florida counties, employing 1,200+ people, delivering job training, vocational rehabilitation, and financial coaching to individuals with disabilities, veterans, and youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Workforce Development & Thrift Retail

NAICS

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

Textile & Apparel Sorting/Recovery Facilities (EUAIADAJ), Asset Recovery, Surplus & Decommissioning Services (EUAIANAD)

Keywords

• Thrift retail stores
• Workforce development services
• Vocational rehabilitation programs
• Donation collection centers
• Financial coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Thrift Store Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of donated clothing, shoes, household items, electronics, furniture, and other gently used goods at retail thrift stores and outlet centers throughout Central Florida.
2. Donation Processing: Receiving donated items from the community which are then sold in retail stores, with a portion of proceeds funding employment and training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida is a nonprofit that operates 30+ thrift retail/outlet stores and 20+ Donation Xpress centers across six Central Florida counties, using donated-goods revenue to fund employment training, vocational rehabilitation, financial coaching, and family/community services for individuals facing barriers to work.

Product overview

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida operates as a unified social services organization offering a portfolio of interconnected employment, training, and retail services. The core offerings include retail thrift stores and Donation Xpress Centers for secondhand goods, alongside comprehensive workforce development programs. The employment services division provides virtual assistance through Goodwill Connects, vocational rehabilitation through Community Employment and Training, and specialized job placement services. Career advancement is supported through Job Skills & Programs, the Goodwill Scholars tuition scholarship, and Prosperity Planning financial coaching. Additional services include Project COMPASS for at-risk youth, Veterans Services, the LIFT Orlando financial wellbeing center partnership, and Neighborhood Centers for Families. The organization serves Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties in Central Florida, operating approximately 30 retail/outlet stores and 20 Donation Xpress locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Goodwill Scholars: Employee tuition scholarship program enabling part-time and full-time employees to pursue higher education via Florida-state public universities, colleges, or accredited technical colleges and trade schools without upfront costs of tuition, books, and fees.
• Prosperity Planning
• Goodwill Connects

Products and services

• Goodwill Thrift Retail and Outlet Stores More than 30 company-owned thrift retail and outlet stores across Central Florida selling donated clothing, household goods, and other items at low prices to consumers, with revenue funding the nonprofit's workforce-development mission.
• Donation Xpress Centers More than 20 Donation Xpress drop-off locations across Central Florida where individuals and households can donate used clothing and household goods to support Goodwill's mission and retail/resale pipeline.
• Goodwill Connects Virtual job connection center that links job seekers with employment opportunities, training resources, and support services across Central Florida.
• Community Employment and Training Community-based employment and skills-training program for Central Florida residents facing barriers to work.
• Job Skills and Programs Skills-training and job-readiness programming supporting participants seeking employment in Central Florida.
• Prosperity Planning Financial coaching and planning service that helps participants build financial stability as part of their pathway to employment.
• Goodwill Scholars Scholarship program supporting participants pursuing education and credentials linked to workforce outcomes.
• Project COMPASS Targeted Goodwill program serving a specific population segment within the organization's workforce-development portfolio.
• LIFT Orlando Partnership Partnership-based program with LIFT Orlando supporting workforce and community-development outcomes in target Orlando neighborhoods.
• Neighborhood Centers for Families Network of community-based centers providing family-support services that complement Goodwill's employment and training programs across Central Florida.
• Veterans Services Workforce-development and support services tailored to veterans in Central Florida.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3,000 Central Floridians provided employment training services in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwill Industries of Central Florida assists the Florida Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Division as a vendor. VR is a federal-state program that assists individuals with physical or mental disabilities obtain and maintain employment. Goodwill provides pre-placement training, on-the-job training, employment services, and supported employment as part of this partnership.
• LIFT OrlandocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwill Industries of Central Florida and LIFT Orlando partnered to establish a Financial Wellbeing Center in the heart of the West Lakes community (zip code 32805). Services include financial wellbeing messaging, financial literacy classes, and one-on-one financial counseling.
• Brevard County Public SchoolsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program, enabling employees to pursue higher education at Florida-state public universities, colleges, or accredited technical colleges and trade schools.
• Daytona State CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Eastern Florida State CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Florida State University (FSU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Lake Sumter State CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Lake Technical CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Orange Technical CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Osceola Technical CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Seminole State CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• University of Central Florida (UCF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Valencia CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for Goodwill Scholars employee tuition scholarship program.
• Orange County Neighborhood Centers for FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwill collaborates with other community-based organizations at Neighborhood Centers throughout Orange County, providing education and resources to local residents including employability skills training.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• thredUP: Online resale marketplace competing for the same pool of donated and secondhand apparel. Represents the digital channel that is reshaping donation patterns and pricing in the broader thrift ecosystem.
• The RealReal: Online luxury consignment platform pulling higher-value apparel out of the donation supply chain. A structural threat to thrift retail average ticket prices and to Goodwill's donation mix.

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit: Another regional Goodwill affiliate operating thrift retail stores and employment services for people with barriers to work. Highly comparable in mission, business model (donations fund mission programs), and product/service mix.
• Salvation Army Family Stores: Operates thrift retail stores and donation centers nationwide, with proceeds funding social programs including workforce development and community services. Closest direct competitor in the donation-funded nonprofit thrift retail model.
• Goodwill Industries of Southern California: Large regional Goodwill affiliate combining retail thrift, donation processing, and workforce development. Operates a similar dual mission model at significantly larger scale, making it a useful benchmark for growth trajectory.

Regional players

• United Way of Central Florida: Regional umbrella nonprofit funding workforce, education, and financial stability programs across the same six-county footprint. Competes for corporate donor dollars and community grant funding in Central Florida.
• Catholic Charities of Central Florida: Regional social-services nonprofit offering workforce development, housing support, and community programs in Central Florida. Competes for the same grant funding, government contracts, and donor dollars.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit focused on workforce development and economic mobility for underserved populations. Comparable in mission and target population, with deeper policy and federal-funder relationships.
• Savers / Value Village: Large for-profit thrift retailer operating Value Village and Savers banners across North America, sourcing from nonprofit donation partners. Closest for-profit analog and direct retail competitor in secondhand goods.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Nonprofit home-furnishing thrift stores operated by Habitat for Humanity affiliates, including in Florida. Comparable retail-donation-funded nonprofit model but focused on furniture and home goods rather than apparel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodwillcfl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@goodwillcentralfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/gwcfl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodwill-industries-of-central-florida-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodwillcentralfl
• Pinterestpinterest.com/GoodwillCFL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 of Central Florida