Our Mission

FAQ

AGENCY AND MISSION

What is Goodwill’s mission?
We sell donated goods. The proceeds from those sales fund employment and training opportunities for people who have disabilities and others who have trouble finding and keeping jobs.

Who does Goodwill help?
Goodwill helps individuals who face various obstacles to employment including a lack of work history, illiteracy, physical, mental and emotional disabilities, language barriers, criminal background, dependency on public assistance, corporate downsizing and other barriers.

What are Career Services Centers?
Each Career Services Center is staffed with career counselors who offer one-on-one sessions to help clients meet their individual career goals and to provide assistance with job searches, resumes, job applications and interviewing skills. In addition, Goodwill also offers various classes and programs, including Life Skills, GED classes, and certain certifications. For more information about Career Solutions programs call 501-372-5100.

DONATIONS

Why should I donate to Goodwill?
Those donations put people to work! From the point of drop-off at a Donations Center, to the sales floor in one of our retail stores, everyone who processes that donation is employed thanks to your generosity. We use the majority of the revenue from the sale of your donations to fund employment and training programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

What happens to items that are donated to Goodwill?
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 Arkansas area residents get jobs.

Does Goodwill accept everything?
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. For a more detailed list of items we do and do not accept, click here.

When donating computers, Should donors purge the operating system and other software?
To protect your privacy, Goodwill Industries of Arkansas 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).

Will I receive a receipt?
Yes. It is our policy to provide every donor with a receipt to confirm their donation amount. In the unlikely event that you have made a donation and have not received your receipt, or if you've lost your receipt, please call 501-372-5100. Please be sure to reference the date that you submitted your cash donation, as well as the method of payment.

How do I assess a value for each item I donated?
Goodwill has a suggested value list for each item you donate. Please refer to it when you assign a value to your donations.

How do I leave Goodwill in my will?
Every gift Goodwill Industries of Arkansas receives helps us continue our mission to build dignity through work for the disadvantaged and disabled right here in our own community. We realize that it takes very special donors to confirm their enduring belief in our mission and remember Goodwill in their will. To learn more about how to leave Goodwill Industries of Arkansas in your will, please visit our planned giving and bequest page. Your legacy gift to Goodwill Industries of Arkansas will provide hope, independence, and dignity for people in need!

If I give to Goodwill, will my personal information be shared with other organizations?
No, Goodwill does not sell, rent, barter or otherwise share the personal information of its donors with any outside organizations.