Donation Guidelines & FAQ
A lot of people want to know what we do with the millions of pounds of donated goods we receive every year. We sort, price and sell them in our retail stores to help fund the employment, job training and placement programs we provide to area residents with disabilities and disadvantages.
But there are some donations we simply can't accept because they are soiled, in disrepair, have no resale value, or have been recalled due to product safety problems. Safety is extremely important to us, so we encourage everyone to be aware of potential product safety hazards before they donate. If you own any merchandise that may have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, please dispose of it properly. If you are unsure, please visit www.cpsc.gov for further information.
Thanks for checking this list before donating. If you have any questions about what may or may not be accepted, please call (202) 715-2633. Together, we can ensure a pleasant donation and safe shopping experience for everyone.
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR GOODWILL DONATIONS?
WASHINGTON – Most people know that the donation of used goods to Goodwill Industries is a great way to earn charitable tax deductions off their itemized returns. But despite being a 102-year-old organization, a lot of people still don’t know what happens to their donations after Goodwill receives them and exactly how these donations help our community.
Attached is a simple Q&A that you might find interesting because most people probably don’t know what happens to their merchandise after they drop it off at Goodwill. They probably don’t know how it is used, where the money goes or who benefits from the resale of that merchandise. Many people who donate to Goodwill may not even be familiar with the mission of Goodwill. This is what we hope to change.
Q. What happens to items that are donated to Goodwill?
A. Donations go immediately to a processing center where they are sorted by category (electronics, women’s clothing, men’s clothing, toys, etc.), then priced based on a good, better or best quality scale. All items are marked very inexpensively so that people of all income levels can easily afford them. At times, we also sell excess donations to other Goodwill organizations and salvage dealers, with the money generated staying locally to help Washington area residents get jobs.
Q. Are your valuable donations also sold in your stores?
A. Sometimes, and that’s what makes shopping at Goodwill an everyday adventure. Can you imagine the thrill of finding a valuable item in the mix of our very inexpensively marked merchandise? Normally, valuable items such as furs, jewelry, art and antiques are placed on Goodwill’s e-commerce site, www.shopgoodwill.org, an online auction site that operates similarly to eBay. Other items are often saved and auctioned off at fundraisers throughout the year. Several such items will be auctioned off at the Washington Business Journal’s “Book of Lists” party in March.
Q. Does Goodwill accept everything?
A. Except for hazardous material, CPSC-recalled items, large appliances, and used mattresses and box springs, we accept almost everything provided it’s not soiled, broken or missing pieces. We advise customers to apply the “Mom Test” before donating. If the item is something you would give to your mother, then we would gladly accept it. A more detail list of items we don’t accept can be located on our web site at www.dcgoodwill.org.
Q. When donating computers, Should donors purge the operating system and other software?
A. To protect your privacy, Goodwill of Greater Washington recommends that you back up any necessary data and remove all data from your hard drives before donating your computer(s) with the exception of your operating system . You are responsible for all confidential data that may be stored on your computer(s) or on any other storage devices with or on all products you donate. You bear sole responsibility for removing or securing such data, or for transferring it to a medium under your continuing control. If available, please include your original operating system software CD(s) or diskette(s).
If you'd like additional information on how to safely donate a computer, please click here. Also, if you'd like to download free software to aid in purging your computer, please refer to the folowing links.
Freeware Windows Disk Cleaning Software (available at Download.com )
Macintosh Disk Cleaning Software
Q. What happens to items that are broken or cannot be sold?
A. Goodwill’s policy is not to accept items that are soiled or in disrepair because most go directly into our dumpster. We do, however, attempt to sell broken items for scrap to lessen our disposal costs. Three years ago our trash bill was almost $500,000. Today, it’s around $100,000. That’s a significant improvement, but when you’re in business to help others get jobs, that money could be much better spent instead of taking out other people’s trash.
Q. When does Goodwill need donations the most?
A. Goodwill always needs donations of all kinds — cash, cars, clothing, furniture and housewares — because our mission to help others never ends. December is always the busiest donation month as customers seek to make a last-minute donation before the end of the tax year. The slowest time of year is historically the first quarter of the new year when donors are focused more on paying their taxes than on next year’s deductions.
Q. Does Goodwill generate money through other means?
A. Yes, we have a custodial contracts business that cleans almost eight million square feet of government and commercial office space every day, as well as provides pest control, landscaping and mailroom services. We also accept cash as well as automobile donations. In fact, in 1978, our Goodwill became the first nonprofit organization in the nation to accept auto donations as a method to raise money, a program now emulated by hundreds of other nonprofits across the country. Finally, Goodwill of Greater Washington raises additional dollars through special events and on-line auctions.
Q. What is Goodwill’s mission?
A. Goodwill of Greater Washington’s mission is to educate, train, employ and place people with disadvantages and disabilities, creating dignity, a stronger workforce, and a more vital community.
Q. What exactly are disadvantages and disabilities?
A. A person with a disadvantage is someone who has a disadvantaging condition towards employment, such as prior history of substance abuse or incarceration, being a long-term welfare recipient, possessing little or no marketable job skills, or having poor English or math skills. A disability is either mental or physical as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act and as diagnosed by a qualified physician. Goodwill’s mission is to help these people get a job by offering them a hand up, not a handout.
Q. What happens to the money earned from your different lines of business?
A. More than 75 cents out of every dollar goes towards the funding of Goodwill’s mission. As good as that number is, we expect it to improve as we continue to improve the way we do business.
Q. How is the money used towards fulfilling the Goodwill mission?
A. Our Department of Training and Employment Services provides a variety of services to those who need them. They include:
Assessment & Evaluation
For most people, understanding their skills, abilities and interests is the first step to finding employment. Clients work with our workforce development staff to determine their career training and employment options using a combination of proven methods and current technology to measure the person’s education level, work stamina and motor skills. To help increase the aptitude of identified clients, GED and ESL classes are also offered to increase basic skill levels. Furthermore, evaluations are conducted to benchmark clients’ success as well as to provide a quality and assurance tool for services that they receive.
Career & Life Skills Training
Clients entering our programs work with workforce development professionals to identify their experiences, aspirations, and develop an individual employment plan designed to encourage their personal and professional growth. Career skills training, also known as job readiness training, helps clients understand workplace etiquette and employer expectations. Clients also learn how to conduct an effective job search and develop the skills required in their respective career fields.
Life skills training helps clients to maintain a positive outlook and build successful workplace relationships. Studies reveal that companies are more willing to hire and train employees who understand basic concepts such as time management, dependability, problem-solving and customer service. Through the use of “Goodwill Works” and other field-tested resources, clients can develop the behavior, life management and interpersonal skills that enable them to become a confident and productive members of our community.
Occupational Skills Training
We work closely with local employers to develop in-depth programs that prepare people for jobs in specific industries such as information technology, health care, banking, building maintenance and environmental services, and a variety of other manufacturing and related industries. Clients interested in clerical and administrative positions may take office skills training to learn how to use the Internet and popular word processing applications, e-mail or other computer software. In addition to formal classroom training, we often prepare clients for permanent jobs through a combination of supported, temporary or transitional employment at a Goodwill facility or in the community.
Job Placement & Retention
When individuals are ready to apply for jobs, we provide resources to help them conduct job searches, write resumes and practice their interviewing skills. After clients find employment, our workforce development specialists regularly consult with them to assess their progress and determine the need for additional services. In some cases, we may provide intensive services such as on-site job coaching to help clients adjust to their new work environment.
Support Services
Learning how to balance a career and everyday life can be overwhelming to individual’s first entering or readjusting to the workplace. Goodwill of Greater Washington’s workforce development staff is also available to help clients seek out additional support services such as childcare, transportation or counseling from other community partners.
Click here for information on items Goodwill can & cannot accept. |
