Goodwill NYNJ FAQs
Curious about where your donations go, how our stores work, why prices vary or what’s changing with Goodwill Insider? You’re in the right place.
Here are answers to the questions we hear most from shoppers, donors and community partners.
Mission, Money & Myths
Is Goodwill really a nonprofit?
Yes.
Goodwill NYNJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We don’t have owners or shareholders taking profits from the business.
Revenue from our stores supports our operations and our mission: helping people build skills, find jobs and advance in their careers.
Our stores operate like retail thrift stores, but the purpose behind them is different.
Why does Goodwill charge for things that were donated?
Our retail stores operate through a resale model rather than a direct distribution model.
We sell donated goods, and that revenue helps fund employment and career services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. At Goodwill NYNJ we help our neighbors find and keep jobs at the MTA, hospitals, and restaurants.
It also supports the work that happens behind the scenes: receiving donations, sorting merchandise, driving trucks, stocking racks, running registers and keeping our stores and donation centers operating.
We create paid jobs. Donated goods may come to us at no cost, but processing, transporting and selling them does not. We do not use volunteers in the store operations.
So when you buy a jacket, lamp or very specific ceramic rooster, you’re also helping fund our mission and real jobs.
What does shopping at Goodwill actually accomplish?
Quite a lot.
Your purchase helps fund employment and career services, supports paid jobs within Goodwill, keeps our stores and donation centers operating. Plus wearing and buying second-hand helps keep millions of pounds of reusable goods in circulation. We have generations of clothing already made – lets use it!
You may walk out with a great jacket. Someone else may walk into a new opportunity.
That’s the bigger picture.
Where does the money from my purchase go?
It stays connected to the work Goodwill NYNJ does here in New York and Northern New Jersey.
Revenue supports our employment and career programs, our stores and donation centers, the people who work in them and the systems that help move donated goods back into use.
Your purchase goes beyond the register. You get a great find, and your community gets something back, too.
Are all Goodwill stores across the country run by one company?
No.
Goodwill is a network of independently operated nonprofit organizations.
Goodwill NYNJ serves New York and Northern New Jersey and has its own leadership, board, programs, stores and local priorities. In fact, we are not a company at all – no owner or shareholders.
That’s why pricing, promotions, donation policies and store experiences can differ from one Goodwill organization to another.
Something you saw at a Goodwill in Arizona may not be how we do things in Brooklyn.
Are donated items ever given directly to people who need them or other non-profits?
Sometimes.
Our primary model is resale. We sell donated goods and use the proceeds to fund employment and career services.
We may also provide merchandise at no cost through community partnerships or in response to specific community needs. Work with your local elected officials to connect if interested.
So one donated coat can do a few different jobs. It can be reused, help fund our mission or, in some cases, go directly to someone who needs it.
We’ve done this in Brooklyn, for example, partnering with Council Member Lincoln Restler’s office in District 33 on events welcoming new neighbors from a shelter on Atlantic Avenue.
If there’s a real community need, reach out. We’re always interested in finding thoughtful ways to put donated goods to good use.
Not bad for one donated coat.
Pricing & the Treasure Hunt
Why do some prices seem higher than they used to be?
We hear this one a lot.
Affordability still matters to us. Across Goodwill NYNJ stores, the average item is below $6, and a pair of jeans starts below $10.
At the same time, not every donated item is the same. Pricing can vary based on condition, quality, category, brand and demand.
The secondhand market has changed, too. Online resale, vintage marketplaces and shifting demand have changed how people think about the value of used goods.
Our goal is to keep offering real value while making each donation work as hard as it can for our mission.
Why is something sometimes priced close to what it costs new?
Because secondhand does not always mean low-value.
A brand-new item, premium brand or something in especially high demand may be priced differently from a more typical donated item.
We encourage shoppers to look at the condition, quality and price and decide what works for them.
The good news is that inventory changes constantly, so the next rack may be a completely different story.
Why do two similar items sometimes have different prices?
Because “looks similar” and “is the same” are not always the same thing.
Every donated item is unique. Brand, condition, age, quality, size, features and demand can all influence the price. Two pairs of jeans may be hanging side by side, but differences in brand, condition or style can mean different price tags.
That variety is part of secondhand shopping. No two racks, and no two finds, are exactly alike.
Will prices go down now that Color of the Week is ending?
Not necessarily.
Promotions and base pricing are separate decisions.
The move to Goodwill Insider is about changing how customers earn rewards. It does not automatically mean prices are going up or down.
Do resellers get special deals or first access?
No.
Professional resellers, vintage sellers, collectors and online sellers shop the same sales floors and Outlet bins as everyone else.
No secret back room. No reseller-only price list. Same treasure hunt.
And if you’re filming a thrift haul, tag us. We like seeing where the finds end up.
How much of what’s donated goes to resellers?
We don’t track what percentage of merchandise is ultimately purchased by professional resellers.
What we do know is that vintage sellers, online resellers, flea-market vendors, collectors and other small businesses are a regular part of our customer base. We enjoy them as we see them so often 🙂
They shop alongside everyone else and pay the same prices.
And if you’re filming a thrift haul, tag us. We like seeing where the finds end up.
Where Your Donations Go
Do you send all the best stuff to ShopGoodwill?
No. There is not a secret truck whisking away every great find.
Our stores still get plenty of name-brand, vintage, collectible, high-quality and one-of-a-kind merchandise.
Only a small percentage of donated merchandise is sent to our e-commerce channel.
Sometimes an item makes more sense online because it can reach a bigger audience of people specifically looking for it. Plenty of great finds stay right where you like them: on the racks and shelves.
Why not keep every donated item in the community where it was donated?
For the most part, we do.
Approximately 90% of donated items are sold in the same stores where they were donated. Only a small percentage is sent to e-commerce or moved to another location.
Why move anything at all? Sometimes an item simply has a better chance of finding the right buyer somewhere else.
Using a mix of local stores and online resale helps us keep more goods in circulation, reduce waste and generate more support for our employment and community programs.
The goal is to keep donated goods doing useful things, not gathering dust.
Does selling some items online mean there’s less good merchandise in stores?
Not really.
Local stores still receive the vast majority of donated merchandise, including quality, name-brand and unique items.
We’ve also worked to get more merchandise onto our sales floors, including more shoes, accessories and household goods, while creating more room for clothing.
Donations come in every day, inventory moves fast and no two visits are exactly the same.
That’s part of the treasure hunt.
Does selling some items online mean there’s less good merchandise in stores?
Not really.
Local stores still receive the vast majority of donated merchandise, including quality, name-brand and unique items.
We’ve also worked to get more merchandise onto our sales floors, including more shoes, accessories and household goods, while creating more room for clothing.
Donations come in every day, inventory moves fast and no two visits are exactly the same.
That’s part of the treasure hunt.
How do you decide what gets sold online?
Usually, it’s an item that may have a better chance of finding the right buyer through a broader online audience.
That can include specialized, collectible, rare or high-demand items.
Only a small portion of donated goods goes to e-commerce. The overwhelming majority stays in our stores.
The treasure hunt is still very much alive.
Does shopping secondhand really make an environmental difference?
Yes.
Every item reused is one less item that needs to be manufactured new and one more item kept in circulation longer.
Goodwill NYNJ works to give donated goods multiple opportunities for reuse through our stores, Outlets and responsible recycling channels. We’re also exploring new solutions for textiles that can no longer be resold, including partnerships that can help turn old textiles into new materials.
Goodwill NYNJ diverts tens of millions of pounds of clothing and household goods from the waste stream each year.
Your closet clean-out and your thrift haul are part of the same circular system.
Why does Goodwill want the stuff I don’t want anymore?
Because your closet clean-out is basically our raw material.
The things you donate become merchandise for another shopper, create work for the people who process and sell those goods, help fund employment services and keep usable products out of the waste stream.
One person’s “I’m never wearing this again” can become somebody else’s “Where did you get that?”
That’s circularity in action.
Donating Made Easy
What can I donate?
We welcome many kinds of gently used goods, including clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, books and working small electronics.
Donation guidelines can vary based on safety, condition and what we are able to resell or recycle, so check our current donation guidelines before making a trip – we do not take furniture.
One person’s “I’m never wearing this again” can become somebody else’s “Where did you get that?”
That’s circularity in action.
Will I get a tax receipt for my donation?
Yes.
Ask the donation attendant for a receipt when you drop off your goods and hold onto it for your records.
Goodwill provides the receipt, but we don’t determine the value of your donation. Donors are responsible for estimating the fair market value of the items they give.
We recommend keeping a list of what you donated and completing your receipt while the details are still fresh. For questions about tax deductions or documentation, check current IRS guidance or speak with a tax professional.
How do I donate if I don’t have a car?
A very New York question.
You can bring donations to one of our donation locations, and pickup options may also be available through Goodwill NYNJ partners such as ReSupply.
For larger donations, or when getting across town with three bags of clothing is simply not happening, check our website for current pickup options. Uber Courier is a great one.
Need Help?
I had a bad experience in a store. What should I do?
Tell us.
That’s not the experience we want for our customers.
You can speak with the store manager or contact our customer service team through the information on our website or contact dgrcustomerservice@GoodwillNY.org.
The more specific you can be about the location, date and what happened, the better we can follow up.
The store looked messy or disorganized. What’s going on?
We hear you.
Donation volume can be high, customers are constantly shopping the racks and our teams are putting fresh merchandise out throughout the day. Sometimes the treasure hunt gets a little too literal.
That said, store conditions matter.
If something needs attention, let a manager or team member know. Feedback helps us address it faster.