FAQs
You have questions and we have the answers. Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions (FAQs). If you don’t see your question listed, submit it below.
Goodwill’s mission is to help people overcome challenges to employment. Whether the challenge is lack of work history, physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, limited education, language barriers, criminal history, or any other type of challenge, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma is here to help those people find jobs. We believe the power of work can change lives. We see it happen every single day!
Every day! We receive thousands of donations per week, and our team does an excellent job of updating inventory consistently throughout the day. Every time you come into a Goodwill thrift store, you are bound to find something new!
Everyone shops at Goodwill! Our thrift stores are great for finding something unique, families shopping on a budget, college students, and more!
When you donate at a Goodwill Attended Donation Center, our attendant will help you empty your vehicle, provide you with a donation receipt and thanks you for your donation. Boxes fill up quickly and limit the number of donations that can be made. But most importantly, boxes don’t provide jobs, donation centers do. Our mission is to create jobs!
Many people are under the impression that our stores are just places to sell used items to people with low incomes. While we are happy we can provide affordable goods, our customers are diverse and our stores do so much more! Money raised in our stores supports the many programs and services we provide in our community. Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma operates 24 retail stores and 1 outlet store.
Because Goodwill is widely known as a retail entity, there is a lot of misinformation and misrepresentations about our brand. In particular, there is a rumor that has been circulating for more than 15 years that insinuates we have an owner by the name of “Mark Curran.” As a nonprofit, Goodwill does not have an owner and no one by that name as ever been affiliated with the Goodwill network. Like other non-profits, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma is managed by respected business leaders and a volunteer board of directors who provide guidance to our leadership staff. For more information on this topic, read about internet rumors on Goodwill International’s website.
To read more about how nonprofit CEO’s are paid nationwide, visit Charity Navigator’s website.
When you shop at Goodwill or donate to us, your donation funds our programs and operational costs for our services. Nationwide, Goodwill is rated an “A” grade by Charity Watch and was named one of the country’s “20 Most Inspiring Companies” by Forbes Magazine. You can rest assured that your donations to Goodwill are hard at work helping people within our community.
When donors give to Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma they entrust us to get a fair value for their goods to help others within the community – not just for today – but to provide them with lasting opportunities through sustainable employment. We give a hand up, not a handout. We take this responsibility very seriously and work diligently to fulfill the promise we make when we accept our community’s donations.
Locating a Goodwill store at home or when you are traveling is simple! Visit the App Store on your smartphone or tablet to download Goodwill’s FREE Locator app. Or visit our locations page.
