Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston, Mass. by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms created the Goodwill philosophy of “not a charity, but a chance” when he collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired people who were poor to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then sold or given to the people who repaired them. 120 years later, Goodwill remains a household name and leading nonprofit provider of educational and workforce-related services.

Since 1971, Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin has been an independent member of the international Goodwill network, serving our 14-county region with programs and services tailored to the needs of our community. Our local mission is to help people in our community to live, work and thrive through housing, employment and supportive services.

We are a 501(c)(3) organization and employ more than 450 team members in our 14-county region. 13 retail locations, one attended donation center and our online e-commerce operations help to fund our good work. When you shop and donate at Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin, you help us do more GOOD in our local community.