Goodwill and GreatNonprofits Launch Campaign to Gather Stakeholder Feedback

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill® and GreatNonprofits announce a new campaign to gather feedback from donors, volunteers, consumers and other stakeholders in the 165 local Goodwill® agencies operated in the United States and Canada.

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The campaign, which will run throughout the month of October, will also promote Goodwill's Donate Movement, which encourages people to "reduce, reuse and repurpose" donated goods to help provide opportunities for others while diverting usable items from landfills.

The initiative by Goodwill encourages members of the public to review any one of its local agencies and marks the first time that one of the country's leading nonprofit organizations has committed to promote transparency by soliciting the feedback of its stakeholders. 

All Goodwill agencies that receive ten or more favorable reviews during October will be featured in the Top-Rated Goodwill Agencies List, which will be published at the conclusion of the campaign.

"Through GreatNonprofits, Goodwill is educating the public on the power of their donations and how donated goods have the power to make a difference in people's lives, strengthen communities and create a healthier environment," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "When people think twice about what they donate, where they donate and how their donations affect others – and when they donate to reputable organizations – that can have a powerful impact on our world."

GreatNonprofits is the leading source of reviews about nonprofits, and currently hosts some 40,000 reviews written by donors, volunteers, board members, and others who have worked closely with nonprofit organizations.

"We are thrilled to be working with Goodwill, which for over 100 years has been a leader in the nonprofit world," said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits. "Goodwill's commitment to amplify the constituent voice represents a turning point in the broad movement to bring greater transparency to the nonprofit sector."

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of North America's top five most valuable and recognized 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 nearly 2,500 retail stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2009, nearly 2 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org, or call (800) 741-0186. Twitter: @GoodwillIntl. Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

About the Donate Movement

The Donate Movement is a global public awareness movement powered by Goodwill®. Goodwill is reminding the public of the positive impact donating gently used clothing and household goods can have on local communities and the planet.

Goodwill's mission is fulfilled through the collection and sale of donated goods, which fund these critical programs. When you donate the items you no longer need to Goodwill, they have the potential to help someone find a job, strengthen the community and preserve the planet. The donations also help the environment by allowing other people to repurpose these items so they can be diverted from landfills.

As part of the Donate Movement, Goodwill has introduced a new Donate icon. Goodwill's vision for the new Donate icon is that it will become a universally recognized symbol stamped on donateable items — comparable to the recycling symbol.  Businesses have partnered with Goodwill to show their support of the goal of the Donate Movement — to impact positive social change and environmental sustainability in communities everywhere. To learn more about the Donate Movement, visit donate.goodwill.org.

About GreatNonprofits

GreatNonprofits is the leading developer of tools that allow people to find, review, and share information about great -- and perhaps not yet great -- nonprofits. In this era of social media, millions of people already have discovered that a review by someone who has gone to a restaurant or tried out a doctor is a useful way to evaluate the suitability of those services for themselves. Similarly, if a person has direct experience with a charitable organization, GreatNonprofits makes it easier for him or her to share that knowledge so that other people can discover that group as well.

At GreatNonprofits, we do not write the reviews ourselves. Rather, like at Amazon or at consumer review sites like Epinions, Zagats, or TripAdvisor, the reviews and ratings are posted by people who have been touched by a nonprofit and want to share their story about it. Therefore, on our site you'll discover stories of people who have volunteered or donated to nonprofits, as well as stories of people who have benefited from their services.

Since its founding in 2007, GreatNonprofits has quickly grown into the leading provider of reviews and ratings of nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. To learn more about GreatNonprofits, visit www.greatnonprofits.org. Facebook: GreatNonprofits. Twitter: @GreatNonprofits.

Visit http://greatnonprofits.org/Goodwill to write a review and learn more.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International