Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Goodwill's Global Initiative to Provide Career Services, Repurpose Used Goods Recognized by StayClassy

The Donate Movement, a public awareness campaign powered by Goodwill®, has been nominated for a CLASSY Award in the "Most Effective Awareness Campaign By A Charity" category. StayClassy presents the CLASSY awards — the largest philanthropic awards contest in the country — to recognize the most outstanding philanthropic achievements by nonprofits, businesses and individuals nationwide. From now until August 26, public voting is open at http://classyawards.org for each of the 12 categories, and there are 25 finalists in each of those categories; six of those categories are strictly for nonprofits.

This is the third year that the CLASSY Awards will be presented by StayClassy, an on-demand social fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations that enables nonprofits to receive online donations, organize fundraising even and campaigns, manage donors across social media, and access real-time reporting and analytics.

In June 2010, Goodwill Industries International launched the Donate Movement to raise awareness about the importance of donating gently used items to reputable organizations like Goodwill, and the positive impact those items can have on both people and the planet. The Goodwill Industries® mission is to provide job and support services as well as employment placement to people in need in local communities. To do this, Goodwill collects used goods and sells them in its more than 2,500 stores across the United States and Canada. In just one year, the global initiative has increased donations to Goodwill and traffic to the Donate Movement microsite, http://donate.goodwill.org, and spurred numerous partnerships with leading corporate brands, including Family Circle® Gap, Hanes®, Levi's® and Planet Green™. In addition, Certified Professional Organizer® and best-selling author Lorie Marrero joined forces with Goodwill to encourage donations. Marrero, creator and author of The Clutter Diet signed on as the spokesperson and ambassador for the Donate Movement and has educated the public about the movement and Goodwill's mission through her website, interviews and public service announcements.

To spread the word about the Donate Movement, Goodwill launched the Donation Impact Calculator (patent pending), a first-of-its-kind online tool allowing consumers to learn how much impact their donated clothing, electronics, and other household items are making in people's lives. For example, one working computer can provide eight hours of on-the-job counseling to someone in your neighborhood. Goodwill also leveraged its online presence and unveiled a new "Donate" icon comparable to the recycling symbol.

"Goodwill's Donate Movement serves as an education tool, introducing consumers to the concept of a conscious donation and informing them of the value of donations," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "The Donate Movement stood out as one of the most inspiring campaigns out of hundred of qualifiers to reach the third stage of judging. We encourage everyone to vote to help make the Donate Movement 'The Most Effective Charity' by the CLASSY Awards."

Visit http://classyawards.org, click "vote", find the "Most Effective" category and cast your ballot!

View the Donate Movement entry on the StayClassy site.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based, independent agencies in the United Statevand Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of the nation's top five most valuable andvrecognized nonprofit brands as well as a leading social services enterprise (Source: Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, 2009). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,500 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue including packaging and assembly, food service preparation and document imaging and shredding. In 2010, more than 2.4 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 84 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find your local Goodwill, use the online locator at http://goodwill.org or call (800) 741-0186. Facebook: GoodwillIntl Twitter: @GoodwillIntl

Contact:

Charlene Sarmiento

Goodwill Industries International

Phone: (240) 333-5590

Email: charlene.sarmiento@goodwill.org