This document discusses programs and services from the Good Ideas/Great Practices Library that other Goodwill organizations can learn from. It profiles three examples: 1) Goodwill of North Georgia's community-based workforce development services that are tailored to local job markets through business advisory councils; 2) Goodwill of Central Illinois' collaborative budgeting process between mission and accounting staff; 3) Goodwill of Northwest North Carolina's longstanding community college partnership that provides educational opportunities on-site. The document encourages sharing additional best practices and profiles through the library.

1. By Koppany Jordan,GIIStrategy and AdvancementSummerIntern
Going back to school means getting organized. What are you doing to get ready for the fall? Are
you thinking about planning new programs? Are you looking for some innovation ideas to
improve your services? Have you considered browsing the Good Ideas/Great Practices Library
to learn about what’s working at other Goodwills?
Below, you will find some profiles from the library. I’d love to hear what’s working well at your
Goodwill. Do you have a good idea to share? Email me and we can get your profile added to
the library so that others can learn from you! Note that in order to view the full profiles, you’ll
need to log into MyGoodwill.
COMMUNITY-BASED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
After fully decentralizing its operations over 15 years ago, Goodwill of North Georgia set out to
ensure that all of its programming had components of community-based transitional jobs and
services. While similar elements exist across the Goodwill, programming at each location takes
on the flavor of its community. One way the Goodwill incorporates community-based services is
through its business advisory councils. By operating both geographically-focused councils and
industry-specific councils, the Goodwill is able to better understand the local job market and
tailor programs accordingly.
Having evolved over time, employment skills training programs are now regionalized. This has
been made possible through the integration of skills training programs and traditional
workforce development program staff, along with the CollegeCareerCatalyst program co-
enrollment model, modelled after GII’s C4 initiative (Community College Career Collaboration).
For more information, click here for the full profile.
COLLABORATIVE BUDGETING PROCESS BETWEEN MISSION AND ACCOUNTING STAFF
In many nonprofit organizations, finance operates independently of mission services. They must
work together to allocate funding, but all too often there a disconnect between the two
departments. In 2009, the new director of finance at Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois’
(Peoria) came from the corporate sector and wanted to gain a better understanding of grant-

2. funded programs, including reporting requirements and the importance of properly allocating
funds.
By opening the lines of communication and truly seeing how the programs operate and how
their funds are used, the director of finance saw how he could serve as a resource and create
tools to help them develop and manage their budgets. From the program staff perspective,
they could more confidently allocate, and re-allocate, their funds because they understood the
process of estimating what they might need and how the pieces of the budget fit together. The
process does not require extensive financial knowledge — just a willingness to learn and share
on both sides. For more information, click here for the full profile.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE PARTNERSHIP
More than 25 years ago, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina (Winston-Salem)
partnered with Forsyth Technical Community College to offer college courses on site at the
Goodwill’s facilities. What began as a way to provide Goodwill participants with the job
readiness training they needed has transformed into partnerships with seven community
colleges that offer a variety of educational opportunities to anyone in the community.
The Goodwill provides classroomspace, support staff, some of the necessary equipment, and
job placement services. In turn, the college provides the instructor, curriculum and
supplemental equipment. Students choose to take classes at the Goodwill’s facilities rather
than on campus for a number of reasons: some have been out of school for years and are
hesitant to jump back into the college environment, while others choose Goodwill locations
because they are more convenient than the college campus. For students who are currently
employed and wanting to upgrade their skills or change markets, this program provides a cost-
effective option. For more information, click here for the full profile.
What’s next?
We want to help you be aware of the great content that’s in the library, so we’ll be sending out
this Share What Works! newsletter with new profiles each month. Keep an eye out for our next
edition in September!
If you have any questions about the library or profiles, please contact
alysse.henkel@goodwill.org.
Koppany Jordan
Strategy and Advancement Intern
Goodwill Industries International
301-530-6500
www.goodwill.org

3. Alysse Henkel
Impact Analytics Program Manager
Goodwill Industries International
(240) 333-5425
www.goodwill.org
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