Goodwill Week: How Your ShopGoodwill Bids Make a Difference
If you love scoring unique treasures all while giving back to your community, you’re definitely in the right place. And Goodwill Week provides the perfect opportunity to see your online bids at work. Ready to get in on the action? This year, Goodwill Week will be observed May 4–10, making this the perfect time to shop and celebrate with us. Learn more about how your purchases truly make a big difference and treat yourself to some new secondhand favorites while you’re at it.
What Is Goodwill Week?
Taking place during the first full week of May each year, Goodwill Week is an exciting (and super fun) occasion designed to honor Goodwill’s mission of transforming lives through the power of work. Locations across the country host empowering events, like job fairs and store promotions, all to raise awareness and highlight these one-of-a-kind philanthropic efforts.
While attending these events and shopping in person are both awesome ways to help out, you can show your support without ever having to leave your couch. ShopGoodwill.com is the digital engine that fuels all these amazing local missions. And when you buy that perfect piece, you’re contributing to a larger social ecosystem.
ShopGoodwill bidding funds life-changing community programs, helping us continue to provide employment services, educational advancement, and more for those who need it most.
The Lifecycle of a Bid: From Click to Community
Place a winning bid? You’ve scored in more ways than one. Whether you’re in the market for vintage clothing or unique collectibles, at ShopGoodwill.com, your personal style is part of a powerful movement—and a loop of impact.
Every winning bid is transformed into resources that give your neighbors a helping hand. Plus, when you thrift with us, you’re contributing to a more sustainable future, too.
From Auction Wins to Life Wins
Learn more about all the good that happens after you’ve scored your secondhand find through one of our auctions.
1. Beyond the Win: Your Bid as a Mission Catalyst
So, you’ve come out on top. While you’re getting the item of your dreams, you’re also helping someone else’s dream become a reality, funding change one ShopGoodwill bid at a time.
During Goodwill Week, we’re celebrating more than sales—we’re celebrating the opening of doors. And while it’s fun to put on your thrifting hat and hunt for deals, every higher bid online means more resources for someone who needs them.
2. Powering the "Power of Work" During Goodwill Week
As a national tribute to the dignity of work, Goodwill Week is all about the power of learning and compassion. For over 120 years, Goodwill has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for those in local communities. They work to help individuals having difficulty finding employment reach their full potential through one-on-one support, assisting with job applications, resume building, interview prep, and more. In 1999, ShopGoodwill.com launched to further this mission and help find even more secondhand items new homes.
3. Bridging the Gap: Turning Donations into Careers
Since launching, our online platform has worked to maximize the value of a donation. A single bid can turn into hours of job training, with Goodwill providing certifications in high-growth industries (think IT and healthcare)—all through auction sales. And over 140,000 people landed employment with Goodwill’s support last year alone.
Where Your ShopGoodwill Bidding Dollars Go
Our goal is to put as much money back into our communities as possible, and we simply couldn’t do that without you. See how we’re putting your bids to good use.
1. The Local Loop: How Your Purchase Stays Home
While more than 135 Goodwill organizations from the U.S. and Canada list donated items from their local stores on our site, the revenue from each specific item goes directly back to the Goodwill location that listed it—and directly into local services, from vocational training to financial literacy support.
The purchases made on ShopGoodwill.com have helped support more than 7.5 million individuals in their search for employment, with that number rising each day.
2. The Sustainable Cycle: Giving Goods a Second Life
At ShopGoodwill.com, we’re also passionate about helping create a more circular economy, ensuring items stay in use (and out of landfills) as long as possible. That means the lifecycle of your item doesn’t end once it reaches your mailbox. The original donor gets to give back, you get a unique find, and the community gets support, making your bid part of a bigger mission-driven transaction.
3. The 85-Cent Standard: Efficiency in Action
We’re also all about transparency, so you can feel good about your purchase knowing exactly where your hard-earned money is going. An average of 85¢ of every $1 goes directly back to local Goodwill agencies to support their community programs.
Honoring Goodwill Week With Purposeful Online Bidding
Feeling inspired? Here’s how you can give your thrifting game a boost and contribute to the greater good in the process.
1. Shopping With Intention: Finding Your Mission Match
Love the thrill of the search? Make your shopping experience even more fun by finding items that tell a story. Whether you’re gifting something or treating yourself, each vintage handbag, rare comic book, or baseball card signifies your choice to buy secondhand and support the Goodwill mission.
2. Spreading the Word: Your Story Is Our Mission
Find something truly special? Share your winning bid on social media or spread the word within your friend group. Raising awareness about the employment services funded by your purchases is actually just as valuable as the bid itself. Encourage your community to get in on the action and see what the buzz is all about.
3. The Ripple Effect: Small Bids, Big Changes
When it comes to shopping with us, it’s important to keep in mind that you don’t need to win a high-ticket item to contribute to real change. Come back and bid on pieces you’re drawn to, both big and small. Smaller, frequent purchases bring consistent funding into local community programs, and the benefits of thrifting can be seen through every bid, no matter the size.
4. Beyond the Auction: Becoming a Year-Round Advocate
While Goodwill Week is super fun to celebrate and one of our personal favorites, it’s just the tip of the thrifting iceberg. Job training and career coaching are needed year-round, so using this occasion as a starting point for long-term advocacy is a great way to keep the momentum going far beyond this honorary week.
Why Your Trust Matters
We invite you to celebrate the power of work with us, this week—and beyond. Every time you bid on ShopGoodwill.com, you’re giving someone a second chance and an item a second life, supporting your community (and the planet) with every purchase.
Ready to find your next brag-worthy treasure and do a little buying that gives back? Do a bit of online bidding to support the Goodwill mission and employment services that truly matter. Happy thrifting!
FAQs
Where does the money from your online bid go?
When you make a winning bid on a one-of-a-kind item, the majority of the proceeds go directly back to the local Goodwill that listed the item (and back to local community programs). This includes job placement services, vocational training, educational advancement, financial literacy, childcare, and self-advocacy programs that benefit those facing barriers to employment.
Is Goodwill a nonprofit company?
Yes! Goodwill is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with about 85 cents of every dollar earned on ShopGoodwill.com being put directly back into a variety of employment services.
Sources:
1. Goodwill Industries International. (n.d.). How we work with you. https://www.goodwill.org/how-we-work-with-you/
2. Goodwill Industries International. (n.d.). Your impact. https://www.goodwill.org/your-impact/
