What Goodwill Industries of Alberta does

Goodwill Industries of Alberta is a non-profit charitable social enterprise founded in 1963 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. The organization operates an integrated retail-and-mission platform that converts donated goods into employment outcomes for Albertans with disabilities. Its retail layer consists of 15 thrift stores, 37 donation centres, an online thrift store with pickup, and an Impact Centre outlet store with bulk Big Box sales, all powered by donated inventory and served by a workforce of approximately 750 employees of which 30% have self-disclosed disabilities.

Revenue is generated primarily through tax-free thrift retail sales, with secondary streams from e-commerce, bulk/wholesale Big Box sales at $250 per category box, upcycled furniture sales via the Repair for GOOD program, and light commercial packaging and assembly services. The organization reports that 89-93% of revenues are reinvested into programs. Its mission layer comprises Career Connections (employment coaching), the Employer Inclusion Accelerator Program (employer-side inclusion coaching), Goodwill Warehouse Academy, Youth @ Work, Goodwill Connect, and the Volunteer Hub.

Operationally, the organization processed more than 1 million donations in 2025 and diverts 16-21 million kg of items annually from Alberta landfills. Strategic partnerships with ATB Financial, Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta, United Way, and Call2Recycle Canada extend its circular-economy positioning. Leadership rests with President and CEO Dale Monaghan under the governance of a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Kevin MacDonald.

Name

Goodwill Industries of Alberta

Legal name

Goodwill Industries of Alberta

Website

https://goodwill.ab.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Goodwill Industries of Alberta is a non-profit social enterprise operating 15 thrift stores, 37 donation centres, and an online thrift store across Alberta, funding employment programs for Albertans with disabilities through donated-goods retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Thrift Retail and Disability Employment Services

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (4595), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110)

SIC

Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination (HSAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste) (BPALADAL), Donation, Resale & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAAAK)

Keywords

• Thrift retail operations
• Disability employment services
• Donation centre management
• Sustainable textile recycling
• Social enterprise programing

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Thrift Store Retail Sales: Revenue from selling donated gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, and other items in 15 physical thrift stores and online. Approximately 93% of every dollar earned goes directly to programs helping people with disabilities.
2. Online Thrift Store: E-commerce sales of thrift items through Goodwill's online store with pickup at designated locations.
3. Donation Processing: Acceptance and processing of donated items from the public; items are sorted, priced, and either sold in stores or recycled/upcycled.
4. Big Box Program: Sale of bulk boxes containing items from single retail categories (shoes, accessories, toys, kitchenware, CDs/DVDs, books) at outlet stores for $250 per box with $34 refundable deposit for pallet/container return.
5. Repair for GOOD Upcycled Furniture: Refurbished and upcycled furniture sold at premium prices in select Goodwill locations, with proceeds supporting employment programs.
6. Commercial Services: Packaging, assembly, and light manufacturing services provided to businesses, creating inclusive employment for people with disabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Goodwill Industries of Alberta sells donated, gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, books, and toys through a network of 15 thrift stores, an online thrift storefront, and Impact Centre outlet stores across Alberta, with all purchases tax-free as a registered non-profit. Proceeds from retail, bulk Big Box sales, Repair for GOOD upcycled furniture, and commercial packaging/assembly services fund employment and training mission programs for Albertans with disabilities.

Product overview

Goodwill Industries of Alberta is a non-profit social enterprise operating a network of 15 thrift stores and 37 donation centres across Alberta. The organization functions as a unified retail-and-employment platform with two core divisions: (1) Thrift Retail Operations encompassing physical stores, an online thrift store, an Impact Centre/Outlet store, and donation services; and (2) Mission Programs including Career Connections, the Employer Inclusion Accelerator Program, Goodwill Warehouse Academy, Youth @ Work, Goodwill Connect, and the Volunteer Hub. Additional programs include Repair for GOOD (furniture upcycling), You Can Ride 2, the Thrifting Hall of Fame awards, Scholarship for GOOD, and Round Up donations. The organization diverts over 16 million kg of items from landfills annually and employs approximately 750 people, with 30% having self-disclosed disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Career Connections: Employment coaching, job search assistance, and training program for Albertans with disabilities.
• Power of Work
• Employer Inclusion Accelerator Program
• Repair for GOOD
• Goodwill Connect
• Goodwill Youth @ Work
• Goodwill Warehouse Academy
• Thrifting Hall of Fame

Products and services

• Goodwill Thrift Stores 15 physical retail thrift stores across Alberta selling donated, gently used clothing, household goods, furniture, books, and toys at tax-free prices with 93% of revenues supporting disability employment programs.
• Goodwill Donation Centres 37 donation centre locations across Alberta accepting gently used clothing, household goods, and furniture for sorting, pricing, retail sale, or recycling/upcycling into the mission supply chain.
• Online Thrift Store
• Impact Centre Outlet Store and Big Box Program Outlet store in Edmonton (with Calgary operations) offering discounted items, pound-store pricing, and Big Box bulk sales by retail category at $250 per box, with a $34 refundable pallet/deposit.
• Repair for GOOD Furniture Upcycling Award-winning furniture refurbishment and upcycling program that takes broken or discarded furniture donations and transforms them into one-of-a-kind pieces using environmentally friendly paint and supplies, sold at select Goodwill locations in Edmonton and Calgary with proceeds supporting employment programs.
• Career Connections Employment Program Employment assistance program helping Albertans with disabilities obtain and maintain meaningful employment through skills building, job coaching, employment preparation, and job placement services.
• Employer Inclusion Accelerator Program Free program providing Alberta employers with job posting assistance, advertising, interviews, selection, onboarding, orientation, and ongoing coaching services to help them hire and retain employees with disabilities.
• Goodwill Warehouse Academy Job training program providing warehouse and industrial skills development and hands-on training opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
• Goodwill Youth @ Work Youth employment program helping young people with disabilities gain work experience and career readiness skills.
• Goodwill Connect Community Program Community connection program supporting individuals with disabilities in finding employment and community integration.
• Goodwill Commercial Services (Packaging, Assembly, Light Manufacturing) Contract packaging, assembly, and light manufacturing services provided to businesses using an inclusive workforce of people with disabilities.
• Scholarship for GOOD $2,500 scholarship award, delivered in partnership with YCONIC/StudentAwards.com, open to Alberta students aged 14 and older with no minimum GPA or essays required.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of every dollar earned goes directly to programs helping people with disabilities
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ATB FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch furniture refurbishment program. ATB Financial provides support through donations of supplies, referring volunteers, and purchasing upcycled furniture pieces created through the Repair for GOOD program.
• Habitat for Humanity Southern AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing, mission-aligned partnership between Goodwill Industries of Alberta and Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta to drive greater impact together through combined sustainability and housing initiatives.
• Call2Recycle CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBattery collection and recycling partnership with containers placed in 14 Goodwill thrift stores and donation centres across Alberta to keep waste out of landfills.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create kits for disadvantaged people in the community during pandemic. The Volunteer Hub assembles children's literacy kits, senior activity kits, pencil case kits, and thank you cards to frontline workers.
• YCONIC/StudentAwards.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScholarship partnership offering $2,500 scholarship for GOOD open to all Alberta students 14+ to support post-secondary education. No minimum GPA or essays required.
• Kello InclusiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInclusive talent agency representing disabled and visibly different talent. Partnership for fashion show models celebrating disabilities and diversity at Goodwill on Whyte Fashion Show.
• BollywheelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInclusive Bollywood-style dance troupe performing at Goodwill on Whyte Fashion Show 2024 event celebrating diversity and community inclusion.
• CTV (Josh Classen)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal CTV meteorologist serving as featured emcee for Goodwill on Whyte Fashion Show 2024 event.
• SixoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability partnership focused on environmental initiatives and waste reduction programs.
• True North Environmental SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental services partner for disinfecting and sanitizing all donations upon arrival during COVID-19 and ongoing operations.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Habitat for Humanity ReStores: Non-profit home furnishings resale stores that already partner with Goodwill Alberta. Operates in adjacent donated-goods retail space (furniture/household goods) with a different mission (housing).
• Value Village (Savers): For-profit thrift chain with stores across Canada. Directly competes for thrift shoppers and donor supply in Alberta with similar donated-goods retail model, but lacks Goodwill's disability employment mission.
• Salvation Army Thrift Stores: Charity-affiliated thrift chain operating across Canada with a similar donation-to-retail model supporting social programs. Competes for both donors and value-conscious shoppers in Alberta markets.
• Goodwill Industries International (US affiliates): The international Goodwill federation operates the same non-profit thrift store and employment services model in the US. Most directly comparable as a mission-aligned sister organization with identical retail, donation, and workforce inclusion programs.

Broad incumbents

• Plato's Closet: Franchised for-profit chain buying and reselling used clothing, especially youth-focused. Competes for a similar budget-conscious clothing shopper in Alberta malls and shopping centres.
• Talize: Canadian for-profit thrift chain with strong physical footprint. Competes for secondhand shoppers with broader assortment and more standardized retail formats than Goodwill.

Others

• March of Dimes Canada: Canadian non-profit providing employment services and programs for people with disabilities. Comparable mission overlap (disability employment) but does not operate thrift retail; potential program partnership peer.
• Disabled & Neurodivergent People's Association: Alberta-based non-profit advocating for disability inclusion. Thematically aligned peer in the disability-employment ecosystem but does not operate retail; useful as a community/mission adjacency.

Emerging players

• WIN Recycling (Work Integration Networks): Western Canadian social enterprise providing employment to people with barriers through recycling and textile sorting operations. Partial overlap with Goodwill's textile recycling and workforce inclusion mandate.

Regional players

• Goodwill British Columbia: BC-based Goodwill affiliate operating thrift stores and employment programs in a different province. Operates the same model regionally without direct Alberta overlap, useful as a comparable organizational template.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/goodwillab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/GoodwillAlberta
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoodwillAB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goodwill-industries-of-alberta
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodwill_ab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Alberta