Goodwill – Making 2012 Count

It’s that time of year again, time to reflect back at the last twelve months and take a big picture view of what lies ahead, in 2013. There were lots of great numbers in 2012: 

• First up – donations! BetterWorld passed $90K in donated goods and services for nonprofits through our VoIP service and donation program with TechSoup Global. We are thrilled to have passed this important milestone, making telecom easy and accessible for nonprofits of all kinds, who are working to make the world a better place.
  • Next, further evidence of the ever exploding mobile trend and impending transformation of the workplace: According to IDC, an global provider of IT market research, mobile workers will make up more than a third of the work force by the end of 2012.
  • And lastly, proof that VoIP is transforming into a well-known and used tool: According to a survey by Rebtel, 35% of adults have a VoIP app on their smartphones or tablets.

But there is one customer of ours in particular that deserves highlighting for their accomplishments in the past year.

Goodwill has been making radical, positive change in the areas of job training, reuse and waste diversion, and economic renewal for the last century.

In the Bay Area specifically, Goodwill has bucked the trend of the economic downturn and continues to have double digit growth. 2012 was a year for fine-tuning Goodwill’s appeal for fashion oriented shoppers and was highlighted by the opening of an upscale and trendy new store in Pacifica.

Founded in 1902, Goodwill has steadily grown to a $4 billion non-profit organization with over 2,600 stores across the U.S.

Goodwill is unique in that is an organization driven by purpose, solving a multitude of unique societal challenges with a single business operation. They are not only creating jobs, providing routes to employment for those with barriers, and advancing sustainability, but also infusing our larger culture with a norm of donating unneeded items and an expectation of shopping for reused items as a positive and adventurous experience.

They are also not legacy nonprofit sitting back on their reputation either, but actively evolving and moving along with the rest of the retail industry, expanding their operations to include a comprehensive online presence and optimizing their stores to reach a more discerning audience.

We’ve been a proud supporter of Goodwill for some time now, as a preferred purchasing partner for Goodwill Industries International and are happy to support their mission with a donation of 3% back for all revenues from our Goodwill customers back to Goodwill Industries.

What about you? With tax season fast approaching, why not consider donating some of your unneeded items to Goodwill in 2013 – or even dropping by your local Goodwill for a day of shopping?

Either way, please join us in giving a salute to Goodwill for making their numbers count  in 2012!