About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (2024)

About Goodwill

Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey

Our Mission: Goodwill Industries empowers individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work.

HISTORY

The first Goodwill in the New York City Metropolitan area originated in Brooklyn on February 13, 1915. Our organization was started by two clergymen, one from the Brooklyn City Mission and Tract Society and the other from Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, who were inspired by the work in Boston of national Goodwill founder Rev. Dr. Edgar J. Helms. Our founders wanted to help persons with disabilities and disadvantages achieve self-sufficiency. Instead of receiving charity, people in need earned a living collecting and selling donated clothes and household goods, giving birth locally to the philosophy of retail stores funding services for the community.

Goodwill Industries of Brooklyn incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1920 to buy the building that contained its store and workrooms. In 1922, a Manhattan Goodwill was started through the New York Protestant Missionary Society. The Brooklyn and Manhattan Goodwills merged in 1962 to form Goodwill Industries of Greater New York.

Goodwill Industries of New Jersey was founded in Jersey City in 1919 by St. Paul’s Community House. The Brooklyn Goodwill merged with Manhattan Goodwill in 1962 and with Northern New Jersey Goodwill in 1999 to form Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey (Goodwill NYNJ).

Today, our Northern NJ Services central office is located in Newark, NJ. More than 100 years after our founding, Goodwill NYNJ’s double impact of sustainable fashion and power of work continues to ensure a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse workforce, and a greener world for all!

"The stigma of mental illness is a barrier for us to achieve our social, financial, educational, or vocational goals."

"Citiview gave me the skills I needed and helped me find my first job."
"The training helped me improve my self-confidence. I can now speak in front of an audience, handle customer service issues, control my voice, and deal with difficult customers."
"Josue performs all the core functions of his job without supervision, despite his disability, and has a positive attitude."
"I have learned many jobs here at Goodwill and I can earn money to pay my bills and buy the things I want, like a new cell phone. Now I can talk with my friends!"
"My life has changed for the better since I’ve started coming to Goodwill!"
"I like working at Goodwill because I can bring extra income to my household and I get to meet new people."

LEADERSHIP STAFF

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (1)

Katy Gaul-Stigge

President & CEO

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (2)

Derick Bowers

EVP, Business Services & Executive Director, GoodTemps

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (3)

Lisa Goldey

Executive Vice President of People

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (4)

Dr. Joanna Kibel-Gagne

Executive Vice President, Mission

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (5)

Ilana Zimmerman

Executive Vice President, Donated Goods Retail

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (6)

Scott Zucker

CFO & Executive Vice President, Finance

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Donald Huber

Board Chair

Andrew Baehr, CFA

Secretary

David Belkin, CPA

Treasurer

Ana Buitrago

Director

Atul Dalmia

Director

Beth Stankard

Director

Bobby Sharma

Director

Brian Fetherstonhaugh

Director

Carley Graham Garcia

Director

Damodaram Bashyam

Director

Deborah L. Weinswig

Director

Douglas Hand

Director

Erik Ulin

Director

Henry Gooss

Chair Emeritus

Globe

Jeffrey Oke

Director

Jonathan Sheppard

Director

Kamran Ansari

Director

Maxwell Osborne

Director

Nick Kaplan

Director

Sharon O'Sullivan

Director

Shilla Kim-Parker

Director

Stephanie Chan

Director

Todd Snyder

Director

REPORTS & COMPLIANCE

Goodwill Industries of Greater NY and Northern NJ, Inc. is committed to full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. The Compliance Program at Goodwill NYNJ creates and maintains a culture of accountability and integrity; improves efficiency; functions as a resource for staff; furthers the organization’s commitment to doing the right thing; helps to maintain job stability; monitors trends; conducts internal reviews; provides staff training; provides guidance to program management through our reviews and reports; helps the organization achieve transparency and accountability, as well as the highest legal and ethical standards while the organization meets its regulatory obligations.

Goodwill NYNJ cultivates a culture of compliance through the commitment of the management team and the Compliance Officer, in conjunction with our code of conduct, policies and procedures, training and communication. Compliance creates and maintains a culture of integrity while defining and identifying best practices.

Annual Reports

2017 Annual Report

1.08 MB

2018 Annual Report

11.3 MB

2019 Annual Report

685.19 KB

2020 Annual Report

7.02 MB

2021 Annual Report

7.02 MB

2022 Annual Report

4 MB

2023 Annual Report

1.23 MB

Financial Statements

FY2016 Audited Financial Statement

398.85KB

FY2018 Audited Financial Statement

258.65 KB

FY2019 Audited Financial Statement

298.53 KB

FY2020 Audited Financial Statement

1.09 MB

FY2021 Audited Financial Statement

489.08 KB

FY2022 Audited Financial Statement

529 KB

FY2023 Audited Financial Statement

445 KB

Financial Tax Docs

FY2016 IRS 990

6.27 MB

FY2017 IRS 990

1.38 MB

FY2018 IRS 990

351.25 KB

FY2019 IRS 990

373.42 KB

FY2020 IRS 990

950.35 KB

FY2021 IRS 990

13.8MB

Press Documents

Brand Style Guide

451.93 KB

Mission Publications

A Century of Goodwill

1.22 MB

Goodwill 2021 Strategic Plan Outline

17.4 MB

Goodwill at Work

110.9 KB

Goodwill – A Double Impact Non-Profit

756 KB

Goodwill NYNJ Bridge to Tech White Paper

10 MB

Goodwill FY25-FY29 Strategic Plan

10 MB

Retail Publications

Goodwill NYNJ Donation Guide Poster

202.91 KB

CONTACT US

NYC Main Office

Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey, Inc.

25 Elm Place, 3rd Floor,
Brooklyn, NY 11201
info@goodwillnynj.org
(718) 728-5400

About Goodwill – Goodwill NY/NJ (2024)

FAQs

Why do people shop at Goodwill? ›

When you shop at Goodwill, you're doing more than just finding a great deal. You're extending the life of used goods and keeping them out of landfills. Plus, the money you spend at Goodwill organizations funds programs dedicated to changing the lives of the people in your community.

How many goodwills are there in New York? ›

GREAT FINDS IN-STORE AND ONLINE

And, with 42 retail locations across Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, a Goodwill store is always nearby.

How does Goodwill make money? ›

Our goal is to generate money to fund Goodwill programs from every item that is donated. In most cases, we sell donated items through our retail stores. As for items that can't be sold in our stores, we have found other creative uses for them.

What items does Goodwill not accept near me? ›

Goodwill DOES NOT accept these items
  • Any item needing repair, except computers.
  • Ammunition, weapons, including replicas.
  • Automotive parts, including tires, batteries, motors.
  • Baby gear, including furniture, car seats, strollers, high chairs, etc.
  • Box springs and mattresses.
  • Bowling balls.

What is the point of goodwill? ›

Goodwill® works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

Why should you wash clothes from Goodwill? ›

Donations are typically washed before they're donated, but we still recommend giving them a good cleaning when you get home. Even if the clothes are washed before they hit the thrift store floor, people will have since touched them. The same can be said even if you were buying new.

What is the thrifting capital of the United States? ›

Standout stats. New York shops to 1st place overall, where Big Apple thrifters enjoy the highest number of both flea markets, 37, and thrift stores, 91, in our ranking — 33 more than in Houston (No. 3), with the 2nd-highest. NYC also claims the most clothing swap groups — tied with Los Angeles (No.

Where is the biggest Goodwill in the United States? ›

Did you know that the largest Goodwill thrift store in the world is located in Seattle? During the 1950s, Evergreen Goodwill's flagship store location expanded into the iconic store that remains today at 1400 South Lane Street in Seattle.

Is Goodwill an ethical company? ›

Goodwill's reputation is built upon the principles of fair dealing and ethical conduct. While the strict observance of all applicable laws and regulations, the agency also expects high standards of conduct and personal integrity.

Is the CEO of goodwill a billionaire? ›

Myth: Goodwill is owned by Mark Curran who makes millions of dollars in salary each year. This graphic circulates a lot on social media. This is not true.

How much of every dollar to goodwill goes to charity? ›

We want you to be assured that your donations are being used wisely, so here are the facts about Goodwill: Across the country, Goodwill spends about 82 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need.

What is the goodwill slogan? ›

Not Charity, But a Chance

Is goodwill only in Canada? ›

Goodwill Industries International (GII) is based in Rockville, MD, outside of Washington, D.C. The Goodwill enterprise is a network of more than 150 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in several other countries, including Brazil, Finland, Italy and more.

What is the best charity to donate used items to? ›

Here is a list of organizations and charities that will pick up your donations at no cost to you:
  • The Salvation Army.
  • Habitat for Humanity.
  • Goodwill.
  • Vietnam Veterans of America.
  • The Furniture Bank Network.
  • AMVETS National Service Foundation.
  • The Arc.
  • Greendrop.

Does Goodwill accept books in PA? ›

We Accept:

Toys, games, puzzles, and sports gear. Books, records, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, cassettes. Small Furniture and area rugs (items must be small enough to fit inside our donation bins at our stores)

Why do people like thrifting so much? ›

It's fun, cheap and green as you are recycling. Many thrift shops benefit a charity or are small local businesses. They used to be where less affluent people had to shop, but a lot of people who shop at them now can afford to buy new, but they like vintage finds and supporting local or charity businesses.

Why do companies use goodwill? ›

Goodwill as an asset is an invaluable component of any business. Customer and employee relations, brand recognition, as well as overall reputation and future growth opportunities, all account for a significant portion of a company's total value.

Why is everyone thrifting now? ›

As secondhand shoppers feel like they're saving something from ending up in a landfill, buying used clothing is no longer viewed as inferior to buying new. Thrifting today is "not only not a stigma," Craig said, "it's a badge of honor."

Why do you need goodwill? ›

Goodwill represents a value that can give the acquiring company a competitive advantage. It's one of the reasons that one company may pay a premium for another.

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