Doing Good as a Core Business

Case application 1: Goodwill Industries International1

A case study presentation and discussion in class: use this sample to analyze, interpret and discuss the case study. Case study Methodology to be used

1. Introduction: Identify case study problem and list assertions (solutions to the problem) (3-6) that can be verified with evidence (Outcomes of solutions’ implementation). 2. Describe and analyze how the solution is implemented and the problem is solved. 3. Discuss and interpret the solution implemented. 4. Conclude with remarks and insights for similar problems/solutions.2

Case study topic: Doing Good as a Core Business Strategy.

Goodwill Industries International (a nonprofit organization) has been an advocate of diversity for over 100 years. In 1902, in Boston, Massachusetts, a young missionary set up a small operation enlisting struggling immigrants in his parish to clean and repair clothing and goods to later sell. This provided workers with the opportunity for basic education and language training. His philosophy was to provide a “hand up,” not a “hand out.” Although today you can find retail stores in over 2,300 locations worldwide, and in 2009 more than 64 million people in the United States and Canada donated to Goodwill, the organization has maintained its core mission to respect the dignity of individuals by eliminating barriers to opportunity through the power of work. Goodwill accomplishes this goal, in part, by putting 84% of its revenue back into programs to provide employment, which in 2008 amounted to $3.23 billion. As a result of these programs, every 42 seconds of every business day, someone gets a job and is one step closer to achieving economic stability. Goodwill is a pioneer of social enterprise and has managed to build a culture of respect through its diversity programs. If you walk into a local Goodwill retail store you are likely to see employees from all walks of life, including differences in gender and race, physical ability,...