Goodwill Receives Largest Investment in its 118-Year History to Help Americans Get Back to Work

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago announced a significant donation of $15 million from MacKenzie Scott today as part of a historic gift presented to Goodwill Industries International (GII) and 45 other local Goodwill organizations. This investment comes at a time when more than 10 million Americans are unemployed and urgently need help finding their next jobs. This gift will enable Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago to expand its direct efforts and deliver its mission locally to equip Americans with the skills they need to get back to work and onto sustainable career paths.

As the country’s largest nonprofit workforce development provider and the largest of more than 156 Goodwill organizations in the world, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago is dedicated to closing the skills gap and eliminating the associated challenges created by inequities. Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago is already creating impact in its local communities responding to people’s most pressing needs. This gift will be deployed to help those who need it the most, including people of color, low-wage workers, workers with low educational attainment, people with disabilities, and people impacted by the criminal justice system, among others.

“We are uniquely positioned to lead the way in ensuring that every individual, regardless of challenges and backgrounds, has access to the skills and services they need to face today’s economic situation,” said Jackie Hallberg, president and CEO, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago. “We are humbled, grateful and overwhelmed by MacKenzie Scott’s transformative contribution, which will address the growing need for skills training for job seekers and help them move onto career paths, while building access to opportunity and equitable hiring nationwide as millions of community members continue to face historic hardships during this pandemic.”

In addition to the investment with 46 local Goodwills, Scott announced a $20 million gift to Goodwill Industries International (GII) which will be used to accelerate its plan to address growing workforce needs as demands for targeted skills in the labor market increase, which make it difficult for many people to compete for new jobs. GII will become better equipped to provide and deploy essential supports and tools to Goodwill organizations on the ground.

“When people have a chance to invest in themselves, they open doors to a different kind of future for themselves and their families, and they help transform their communities. At Goodwill, we believe that everyone deserves that chance,” said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.

Goodwill’s mission-based model is proven. All of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago’s business operations, including its high-profile Goodwill Store & Donation Centers, full service staffing and recruitment firm, commercial laundry, and a variety of enterprises support our mission two ways: through the revenue they generate and the job opportunities they create. These enable a breadth of services that range from job readiness and placement, skills training, financial empowerment and a variety of supportive services.