Maybe you own some things from Goodwill or at least have donated unwanted items to them. But when you think of Goodwill, what comes to your mind?

Maybe you think it’s just a chain of thrift stores selling used goods. Turns out, not true. Goodwill is actually a nonprofit organization focused on helping the homeless and others experiencing hard times. And it just turns out that the charity happens to fund its good work for the less fortunate via a chain of used goods stores at which you’ve probably shopped.

In other words, the public-facing stores you see all the time are just the revenue-generating engine for this charity to do its good deeds.

It’s a fascinating business model, and on this episode we’ve got Goodwill exec Lori Dearwester to tell us how it all works. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you donate a bag of goods to Goodwill, what happens to the things that don’t sell, and what happens if you try to reclaim a donated item, this episode will answer all your questions.

Discuss in this episode

Goodwill’s online store.
Lori recommends Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Past episodes with Wild Earth CEO Ryan Bethencourt, Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey, and TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky.
Eddie the Pittie’s IG account!

Ep. 46 And You Thought Goodwill Was Just a Used Goods Store. Lori Dearwester Shares the Charity’s Story

Business for Good Podcast