As a provider of nonprofit job training programs in the U.S. and Canada, Goodwill sees a growing demand across industries like clean technology and AI-enabled roles. Yet, too many individuals remain disconnected from these roles. Goodwill is meeting people where they are and equipping them with the skills, confidence and support for today’s labor market.

Last year (2025), over 142,000 people secured employment with support from Goodwill career centers — both within Goodwill and with other employers.

The Goodwill network is united by a shared mission: to provide more people with the tools they need for economic mobility and independence. At the center of this network, GII serves as a catalyst, supporting local Goodwill organizations with innovative programs, national partnerships and the tools needed to turn community insight into lasting impact.

The Goodwill approach is practical and designed for today’s challenges: we help people secure jobs that meet immediate financial needs while creating pathways to higher wages and long-term career stability. By investing in people and aligning training with real-world opportunities, we are building a workforce ready for the jobs of today and the future.

Some local Goodwill organizations use the Goodwill Opportunity Accelerator® (OA), a training and employment framework designed by GII that gives local Goodwill organizations the tools and structure to support the unique needs of every individual who engages with our career navigators.

The OA focuses on stabilization first, connecting people to essential resources like housing, language services, childcare and healthcare. From there, participants are guided toward employment aligned with their skills, interests and local job demands.

Hear from Mohammed, our 2025 Graduate of the Year, to learn more about how Goodwill helps people find jobs.

Thanks to the unmatched reach of Goodwill and our partners, over 142,000 people secured employment in 2025 with support from Goodwill career centers — both within Goodwill and with other employers. From workforce innovation and digital transformation to partnerships that open doors to emerging industries, GII ensures local organizations are equipped to respond to today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.

The Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator™ is one way Goodwill connects job training graduates directly to local employers. This paid training program offered the best of both worlds: an opportunity to learn a skilled trade without having to sacrifice a stable paycheck. Here’s how the program performed in 2025:

• 94% graduation rate
• $21.94/hr average earnings for those placed in clean tech roles after graduation

Goodwill partnerships with General Motors and the Lowe’s Foundation also supported those interested in skilled trades through credentials and employment.

Goodwill provides free career coaching. Every local Goodwill organization is operated independently, so the programs available will vary based on your region. You can find out more about free career coaching at Goodwill and locate the career center nearest to you here.

To successfully support everyone who comes through our doors, we need a skilled team of career navigators at every level. A few years ago, we launched the Goodwill Career Coach and Navigator Professional Certificate as an online course offered through Coursera.

The certificate is offered to anyone interested in supporting job seekers; they don’t have to be part of the Goodwill team. In 2025, more than 30,000 learners were engaged worldwide.

Goodwill offers free digital skills and computer training. That could be computer basics like email or in-depth training in IT and cybersecurity for those interested in finding a job or advancing their career. Specific programs vary depending on what your local Goodwill organization offers. You can find out more by visiting your local Goodwill organization’s website.

It can be a challenge for job seekers to prove their skills without a traditional degree. At the same time, many employers know that to fill open positions, they need to expand their pool of candidates. To help bridge this gap, GII partnered with the Digital Credentials Consortium in 2025 to implement the Learner Credential Wallet. This open-source digital wallet lets job seekers collect and display their verified certificates and certifications so employers can feel confident in their skills.

To ensure this new technology works seamlessly, Goodwill piloted it with Walmart in Arkansas. The Goodwill digital badges will also be aligned directly to roles to test how those credentials inform hiring, advancement and skills-based decisions.

Through our second chance programs, Goodwill helps people rebuild their lives after involvement with the justice system, connecting them with job training, employment and support when it matters most. In fact, only 3% of those participating in a Goodwill reentry grant program returned to the justice system, compared to a national average of 46%.

Hear from Ryan, our 2025 Achiever of the Year, about how he changed his life with support from Goodwill.

Goodwill is a nonprofit that offers programs that support veterans in the search for civilian jobs. Specific programs vary depending on what your local Goodwill organization offers. You can find out more by visiting your local Goodwill organization’s website.

Hear from Marcus, our 2025 Carol and Tommy Moore Veteran of the Year, about how he changed his life with support from Goodwill.

Goodwill is a nonprofit that helps young adults launch careers without a degree. Youth and young adults are entering the workforce at a time of real strain and uncertainty. Goodwill provides what young people need during a time of uncertainty: accessible training, practical experience and clear connections to careers.

According to the 2024 McKinsey American Opportunity Survey, conducted in collaboration with GII, young people (ages 18–24) face unemployment rates two to seven times higher than other age groups, and nearly half worry about job stability.

Many feel unprepared for today’s labor market, citing a lack of experience, credentials and clear entry‑level pathways, along with barriers such as transportation, mental health and financial insecurity.

Goodwill is one of the biggest promoters of reuse, and our entire model is based on preventing products from going to waste. To do that, we sort donations intensively and route them to their highest and best use, whether it is resale through one of our retail channels, repair, remanufacturing or recycling.

We work with thousands of local, regional and global partners who provide solutions for post-retail goods. And we do this at scale through nearly 4,500 collection points across the U.S. and Canada. Last year alone, we kept over 4.6 billion pounds of donated goods in circulation, turning that into opportunity for 1.9 million people. Our vision is to help set the global standard for product stewardship by providing measurable positive impact on people, planet and prosperity.

Goodwill is one of the biggest promoters of reuse, and our entire model is based on preventing products from going to waste. To do that, we sort donations intensively and route them to their highest and best use, whether it is resale through one of our retail channels, repair, remanufacturing or recycling.

Across the network, we are scaling up viable solutions for textiles, including reuse, repair, recycling and more. For textiles that cannot be reused, we are building the capabilities to supply feedstock to the growing textile-to-textile recycling industry. We are also exploring the next generation of sorting infrastructure and automated material identification to streamline how we sort textiles by fiber type.

GII is working with major textile recyclers to advance domestic textile supply chains. One project includes a partnership between WM and the textile recycler Reju. Together, we are collaborating to build a circular textile ecosystem that includes pilots to collect, sort and grade discarded textiles for resale and recycling.

Goodwill has nearly 125 years of experience developing programs for donated goods that contribute to the economic health of communities, preserve resources and protect our environment. Goodwill works with thousands of local, regional and global partners who provide solutions for post-retail goods. And we do this at scale through nearly 4,500 collection points across the U.S. and Canada.

Last year alone, we kept over 4.6 billion pounds of donated goods in circulation, turning that into opportunity for 1.9 million people. Our vision is to help set the global standard for product stewardship by providing measurable positive impact on people, planet and prosperity.

Many of the donations Goodwill receives are brought to us in plastic bags, presenting another opportunity for responsible diversion. Nearly 20 local Goodwill organizations have partnered with Trex’s NexTrex Recycling Program to transform plastic film and bags into composite decking products.

Local Goodwill organizations are also working with a variety of partners to repurpose glass. Goodwill Industries of West Michigan (Muskegon, MI) is leading multiple programs to upcycle glass that isn’t sold within Goodwill retail stores into new products. Introduced in 2023, the Good Glass program takes unsold colored glass and tumbles it into artisanal sea glass of various sizes and colors, which can be used for craft and DIY projects.

Goodwill plays a crucial role in recovering consumer electronics in the U.S. and Canada. For more than 20 years, we’ve partnered with Dell to collect and recycle electronics through the Dell Reconnect program. To date, 660 million lbs. of computer and IT-related equipment have been recycled as part of this partnership, with 15.4 million lbs. of electronics recycled in 2025.

While nearly half of all local Goodwill organizations work with Dell Reconnect, more than a quarter of the Goodwill network works with either a state-run program or a recycler certified by the Responsible Recycling (R2) Standard for Electronics Recyclers, ensuring non-usable donated electronics are properly managed and recycled.

You can find your closest Goodwill organization to drop off a donation of electronics here.

Donating to Goodwill kept over 4.6 billion pounds of donated goods in circulation in 2025, turning that into opportunity for 1.9 million people through nonprofit career training and educational programs. You can find your closest Goodwill organization to drop off a donation of clothes or goods here.

Goodwill Industries International (GII) collaborates with like-minded partners to enhance people’s economic opportunity by helping job seekers build skills and reach their full potential through learning and the power of work, while sustaining our environment by keeping millions of usable items out of landfills.

Find out more about our corporate partners here.

“We support Goodwill because we know exactly how our gift is being used. We personally knew someone who benefited from Goodwill services and saw how it transformed their life. We genuinely believe in the Goodwill mission and can say with absolute certainty that there is no better nonprofit organization deserving of my donation. Goodwill knows that when we invest in people, we strengthen our whole community.” – Tommy and Carol Moore