The Goodwill Industries International is a non-profit organization that helps people from underprivileged classes of society. It helps people who are uneducated, jobless and penniless, to be self-sufficient and live a decent life.

The organization is instrumental in providing education, job training, and placements for the needy. This kind of services make these people feel respected, valued, successful and dignified. The Goodwill Industries International is funded by a network of small countless thrift shops.

The Goodwill Industries International network has its presence in 16 countries around the world including the United States and Canada. In United States and Canada, the Goodwill Industries International network comprises of over 184 independent, community based organization known as "Goodwills".

Goodwill has around 74 million donors in United States and Canada and earns its income from the donations made by the people. The donations can be made in any form such as clothes, books, household items (in usable condition). Goodwill sells these donated items in its stores. Even if there are some items that the Goodwill stores cannot sell, they are somehow sold off in bulk to generate income.

Over 80 percent of the revenue that is earned by Goodwill Industries International is put into training, employment and placements. Since its inception, over 2.5 million people have benefited by the Goodwill Industries International. The organization has taken up a resolution to try and change the lives of 20 million people by the year 2020.

Goodwill Industries International works on the self-sustainability model where by it works with local stakeholders to build social enterprises. This leads to opportunities where these less privileged people can be trained and employed. This model has been followed by the Goodwill organization right from the time it came into existence.

The logo of Goodwill Industries International is a partial "g" styled in the corner of a box to form a smiling face. This signifies the purpose of the organization. This logo was designed by Joseph Selame.

Purpose

The mission of the Goodwill Industries International is to help people achieve their fullest potential in life through work. The goal is to ensure that every person finds a meaning, purpose and value in life. This will bring about the change in not only the person but the family and community at large.

Goodwill Industries International functions by taking the donations from people in the form of anything that is in good condition and is re-sellable. It then sells these things to generate money. The same money is used to train people and equip them to stand on their own feat. This will enable people to put into practice their skills and potential. This potential will boost the morale of the person and thereby make the person self-sufficient.

Ever since its establishment over a hundred years ago, Goodwill has worked only towards the objective of abolishing poverty by developing skilled resources. With the way Goodwill's service has changed the lives of millions, it has won the trust and confidence of many people and organizations. They in turn show their support to Goodwill by contributing money and time.

The expansion of Goodwill into the other parts of the world itself is an evidence of the tremendous work that the organization is doing good work. They follow the policies, strategies, technologies and techniques that can be adapted by a person of any generation to develop various skills. Their values include treating people with dignity and respect, honoring a person's heritage by being financially and socially responsible, striving to meet highest ethical standards, striving for excellence and embracing continuous improvement, change and creativity.

Till date, Goodwill has changed the lives (for the better) of millions of people in the United States and Canada alone, by creating numerous opportunities. Its objective is to spread this Goodwill to millions of people more in the next decade.

History

In 1902, Reverend Edgar J Helms a Methodist minister in Boston Massachusetts, brought into practice the collection of old items that was collected as contributions of the congregation. He then trained people who were unemployed on how to clean and mend these old items.

These items were then redistributed or given to the needy. These needy people either used the items as they were or repaired and resold them. This formed the Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores Inc. which flourished on this innovative principle of business.

Helms' idea was to form an industrial cum social service program that could provide training and employment for those who are under privileged. This could serve as a temporary source of help for those, whose resources were lost or used up. It is the reformed version of Helm's idea that has become the Vision of Goodwill Industries International.

By 1915, Helms invited a group of representatives to visit Morgan Memorial. This visit resulted in the Brooklyn representatives ready to adopt, adapt and incorporate the Morgan Memorial's innovative methodology.

The Brooklyn representatives decided to reform the name of Morgan Memorial and added the "Goodwill Industries" to the name. This was the beginning of the Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries. It was also the Brooklyn representatives' objective to take this mission to an international level.

Ever since the foundation, the growth of Goodwill Industries International has been phenomenal. It has not only changed the lives of millions of people, but has also won the hearts of many others. Today the presence of Goodwill Industries is throughout the world. Many nations are cooperating with Goodwill to bring a difference in the lives of people.

Today, after more than hundred years gone by, Goodwill Industries International has grown into a massive, famous not-for-profit organization which is getting richer by the billions. However, it still abides by what its founder thought of during its inception.