Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc.
Not charity, but a chance.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Since its founding in 1895, Goodwill has worked to help individuals lift themselves and their families out of poverty by finding jobs and advancing. Many people who want to work have difficulty securing employment due to barriers they face including developmental and physical disabilities, low educational attainment, histories of domestic violence and incarceration, limited English, and more. Goodwill’s mission services help individuals prepare for, secure, and retain employment – critical steps for economic self-sufficiency and mobility. Almost all participants are very low income and the majority are from communities of color. Goodwill targets communities in Massachusetts with high rates of poverty and unemployment where the need is greatest. Goodwill offers programs at its headquarters located in Roxbury, the heart of the lowest-income communities in Boston, and at job training centers in Salem and Springfield. It also provides on-the-job training at multiple locations.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Career Services – MassHire Boston Career Center
MassHire Boston Career Center, the one-stop career center Goodwill operates, is located at Goodwill’s headquarters in Roxbury at the heart of Boston’s most under-resourced communities. It provides career counseling services, career resources, training referrals, labor market information, access to employers, and other services to job seekers. It also offers intensive services to targeted job seekers in particular need of assistance including mature workers, young adults entering the workforce, and citizens returning from corrections.
MassHire is also a resource for employers and offers job postings, candidate referrals, hiring events, and more. Through these services, MassHire connects employers to qualified, pre-screened job seekers. MassHire also offers employers labor market data, information on grants, and assistance exploring business incentive programs including tax credits. MassHire is chartered by the Boston Workforce Investment Board and is part of the statewide system.
Workforce Development Job Training Program
Goodwill's workforce development job-training program provides a comprehensive array of services to help each individual get on a path to a job and self-sufficiency: case management, job skills and work readiness training, internships, job placement, and post-placement supports. The majority of those enrolled face barriers, ranging from domestic violence to reliance on government benefits to limited work histories. Goodwill engages employers to provide opportunities for individuals. Businesses participate in the development of training curricula, present in classes, offer mock interview opportunities, and hire graduates.
The program is offered at Goodwill’s job training centers in Boston and Springfield, and includes a combination of in-person and virtual services. Goodwill offers classroom training in job readiness and skills training for entry-level positions in the human services field; this is is offered in close collaboration with thirteen employers.
Developmental Services Job Training Program
For individuals with development disabilities, Goodwill operates the Employment Supports Program at its job training centers in Boston, Salem, and Springfield. Participants with developmental disabilities are able to prepare for work, engage in on-the-job training, and transition over time to community-based jobs. Services include case management, work readiness training, job coaching, travel training, placement assistance, and ongoing post placement supports.
Goodwill operates multiple mobile work crews at various locations, including A & J King Artisan Bakers, American Surgical Company, and Salem Five. Goodwill also offers school to work services to public school students with special needs in Boston, Chicopee, and Springfield. In addition, the organization has day programs for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Social Enterprises
Goodwill operates three social enterprises: AbilityOne, the retail enterprise, and the computer recycling program. Through AbilityOne, participants with significant disabilities provide housekeeping and janitorial services at federal buildings in order to maintain 7 million square feet of federal government properties.
The retail enterprise offers access to clothes and household goods at affordable prices. It creates economic vitality for the communities where stores are located and provides a vehicle for recycling. It also creates job training opportunities; participants are involved in on-the-job training and earn a paycheck.
Goodwill’s computer recycling program with Dell Reconnect creates job opportunities and gives donors an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of old computer equipment. Goodwill refurbishes donated computers to sell in its stores and to loan to participants without computers at home to allow them to attend classes and search for jobs online.
Where we work
Accreditations
CARF International 2023
Awards
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2014
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2015
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
John Gould Award for Education and Workforce Development 2016
Associated Industries of Massachusetts
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2016
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2017
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2018
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Innovations in Public Safety Partnership Award 2019
Massachusetts Department of Correction
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2019
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2020
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2021
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2021
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2022
The Boston Globe Magazine and The Commonwealth Institute
Affiliations & memberships
Goodwill Industries International 2023
Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers 2023
Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers 2023
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Unemployed people, Economically disadvantaged people, People with disabilities, People of African descent, People of Latin American descent
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number served dropped in 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic and has steadily rebounded since that time.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Goodwill's mission is to help individuals with barriers to self-sufficiency to achieve independence and dignity through work. Not charity, but a chance.
Goodwill sets measurable objectives at the organizational level each year and carefully tracks progress against goals to ensure the best possible outcomes and advance the organization’s mission. Each year’s goals also reflect the changing needs of the organization, the staff, the program participants, and local communities where Goodwill is located. Goodwill reviews progress on a regular basis and makes adjustments as needed. This includes monthly review of data by each department and a quarterly report on progress to the Board of Directors.
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, the organization set the following primary objectives:
1. Achieve targets for the delivery of mission services.
- Serve 5,000 and document 500 placements through MassHire Boston Career Center, the one-stop career center Goodwill operates.
- Engage 75 employers with 120 virtual and onsite recruitment events and 4 job fairs.
- Serve 90 and place 45 in the workforce development job-training program.
- Serve 342 and place 15 in the developmental services job-training program and day services for individuals with disabilities.
2. Reimagine mission services to leverage new capabilities and respond to the changing labor market while increasing the number of individuals and communities served.
- Reassess the MassHire Boston Career Center model and secure a charter extension for FY25 and beyond.
- Reinvigorate MassHire’s outreach to employers and job seekers in need of support.
- Re-establish onsite components of Workforce Development including internships.
- For Developmental Services, develop and implement a plan for curriculum-based on-site services and expanded community-based programming including work crews.
- Revitalize the AbilityOne trainee pipeline and reset the model for trainee support.
3. Leverage the existing retail stores and workforce and expand to new sites and communities. Goodwill’s retail social enterprise is a key part of its service delivery model. It provides on-the-job training opportunities to program participants; access to high-quality clothing and household goods at low prices for individuals and families looking to stretch their budgets; and jobs and economic vitality to the communities where the stores and operations are located.
Goodwill also set administrative, marketing, and fundraising goals, including raising the profile of Goodwill and strengthening the fundraising program; assuring that Goodwill has the leadership and talent necessary to continue to grow and thrive; investing in infrastructure to make operations more effective; and operating on budget.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Goodwill is focused on strengthening its programs and responding to increasing community need in the wake of the pandemic. There are three key strategies:
1. Continue the expansion and reconfiguration of mission services in a way that responds to the uncertainty in the economy, the changing nature of work and worker expectations, and the shift in the labor market opportunities for the individuals it serves. This strategy also encompasses reconfiguring services to take into account opportunities for remote and online delivery of services while, at the same time, recognizing that many of those most in need of services do not have adequate access to technology and prefer face-to-face communication.
2. Grow retail revenue in existing stores by increasing allocation, hours, and days of operation; assure donations are available to support the growth; and, also, search for new store locations where there is a need for access to high-quality goods at affordable prices and the economic vitality a Goodwill store brings.
3. Invest in infrastructure in terms of capital, systems, and processes in order to support current needs and be prepared for future growth in the demand for services. Goodwill has already made significant investments in the technology required for career services, job training, and social enterprises. Another investment is in a significant project to upgrade the headquarters parking lot, truck lot, wastewater drainage system, and other exterior features.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Goodwill has a long track record of successfully meeting goals and advancing the mission of the organization. This has been possible due to the strong leadership of the organization; the skills and diversity of the staff; the effective operating practices, policies, and procedures in place; and the strong financial position of the organization.
Goodwill has strong leadership committed to ensuring that the mission remains the central focus and that the organization comes together to achieve the goals set forth. Joanne K. Hilferty has been President and CEO of Goodwill since 1995. She works in partnership with a diverse and committed Board of Directors with members who possess expertise in areas such as business, human resources, public relations, retail, accounting, and law. The skilled and capable executive team oversees mission services, retail enterprise, operations, human resources, marketing, development, and finance.
The executive team manages a diverse and talented Goodwill staff, many of whom are multi-lingual and/or multi-cultural, positioning the organization to respond to the needs of the communities it serves. Goodwill also engages more than 120 volunteers from the community each year.
Goodwill has made significant investments in order to assure that it is operating effectively and consistent with best practices. The organization is fully accredited by CARF, the national accrediting organization for rehabilitation programs, which sets standards for management as well as program operation. The organization regularly invests in its operating infrastructure, from assuring that the technology is available to meet the needs of program participants to upgrading the financial management system.
Finally, Goodwill is financially strong, operating to assure that available resources are expended judiciously and that there are sufficient funds available to weather any challenges. One indicator of financial strength is that the organization was able to manage through the pandemic without needing to access its line of credit.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Goodwill makes significant progress every year, helping people with barriers to employment find and keep jobs. In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, Goodwill had the following outcomes:
1. Goodwill delivered mission services effectively.
- At MassHire Boston Career Center, the one-stop career center the organization operates, Goodwill served 4,224 people and documented 471 job placements.
- The organization engaged 91 employers through three job fairs and 97 other virtual and on-site recruitment events.
- Goodwill served 55 and placed 31 in workforce development programs, with 294 served and 15 placed through the developmental services job training program.
2. The organization maintained program capabilities, brought services and participants back on site, and recalibrated the balance between on-site and online programs. The objective was to respond to evolving needs of the individuals served as well as the changing requirements of funders.
- Set a new balance of in-person and remote training for HELP and First Step work readiness and job training programs.
- Brought the human services job training program (HELP) to Springfield, leveraging remote tools and local resources.
- Returned all participants in Boston and Salem employment programs on-site and continued to bring individuals back to day services in Boston and Springfield. Began to add new participants in all sites.
- Re-established all mobile work crew sites on the North Shore, established two work crews in Boston, and assessed potential new work sites in the Pioneer Valley.
3. Goodwill continued to grow sales in same stores, maximize sales per labor hour, and plan for expansion.
The organization also had success in its administrative, marketing and fundraising goals, including raising the profile of Goodwill and strengthening the fundraising program; assuring that Goodwill has the leadership and talent necessary to continue to grow and thrive; addressing the infrastructure needs of the organization; and operating on budget.
This year, Goodwill was accredited after a successful review by from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), with significant commendations. CARF accreditation reflects the high quality of Goodwill’s programs.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 12/21/2023
Ms. Sally Mason Boemer
Massachusetts General Hospital
Term: 2023 - 2024
Robert Diestel
The TJX Companies, Inc.
Joanne Hilferty
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries
Paul Andrew
Harvard University
John Doucette
M&T Bank
Paul Francisco
State Street Corporation
Kathleen Murphy
Amherst Regional Public Schools
David Orr Jr.
Smash My Trash
Maria Harris
Rockland Trust
Linda Williams
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Jimmy Nguyen
SparkCharge
Mary Wadlinger
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/03/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.