Six Strategic Initiatives Guide the Social Enterprise into its 100th Year and Beyond
IRVINE, Calif. – March 21, 2023 – Goodwill of Orange County (Goodwill OC), after a year-long planning process, today unveiled its Strategic Plan to an audience of Orange County’s top philanthropy, nonprofit and business leaders at The Cove at UC Irvine. As the organization approaches its 100th anniversary in 2024, the Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for reaching Goodwill OC’s bold goal of doubling its retail footprint and workforce development impact in Orange County over the next ten years. Goodwill OC also unveiled a refreshed logo and mission and vision statements that are reflective of where the organization is today and where it is headed in the next century of service to the community.
“Goodwill of Orange County is most known for its thrift stores and donation sites throughout the county, but we are most proud of the work we do to positively impact lives through person-centered workforce development programs,” said Nicole Suydam, President and CEO of Goodwill OC. “As we look ahead to the next century of serving our diverse community, we envision a caring and connected community where everyone has access to meaningful career opportunities. Our new Strategic Plan outlines exactly how we will accomplish that.”
Goodwill OC provides myriad workforce development services and programs to individuals in the Orange County community, including job coaching, personalized career development, work experience, veterans’ services, and more. In the last 20 years alone, Goodwill OC has served more than 238,000 individuals through its workforce development services. Additionally, as a result of its nearly 4 million hours of job coaching and support services, the nonprofit has placed 15,217 community members into sustainable employment right here in Orange County.
Goodwill OC’s 2023-2025 Strategic Plan – Guided by Six Strategic Initiatives:
1) Deepen Career Development Focus: Goodwill OC will implement a robust, person-centered career development program that applies a tailored, innovative approach to career pathing for team members and the wider community.
2) Create a Best Place to Work for Team Members: Goodwill OC will work to become an employer of choice for the Orange County community, offering the best in culture, benefits, personalized support, learning academies, and much more.
3) Grow Mission Understanding in Our Community: Goodwill OC will continue its branding efforts and align its messaging to tell the Goodwill OC story.
4) Expand Retail Footprint and Mission Impact: Goodwill OC will open new stores and add more jobs to its social enterprise which, in turn, will transform more lives in the Orange County community.
5) Strengthen ShopGoodwill.com to Support the Goodwill Network: ShopGoodwill.com is the largest e-commerce platform for Goodwill OC and more than 130 other Goodwill organizations across the country. As a major mission driver and revenue stream for the network, Goodwill OC will continue to modernize and elevate the e-commerce experience.
6) Innovate and Be Accountable to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Best Practices: In 2022, the nonprofit diverted more than 57 million pounds of goods from the landfill as a result of its donation and retail operations. Goodwill OC will continue to focus on its sustainability practices and lead the way for other organizations in Orange County and beyond.
“Through this process, we’ve been able to refine our focus and goals as an organization. Simply put, we aim to serve the community as a collaborative leader in workforce development, build career pathways and 21st century skills, support team member growth, and expand our Nonprofit Employment Social Enterprise,” said Suydam.
Goodwill OC’s new Strategic Plan and vision are the result of a nearly year-long collaborative process. The process included primary research, a comprehensive community needs assessment, stakeholder interviews, input from current and potential Goodwill OC partners, and a thorough brand exploration and refinement. The input received from that process was integral in steering and solidifying the Plan’s goals and direction.
“We know that we cannot meet our workforce development goals alone. Achieving goals of this magnitude require a collective effort of collaboration. We look forward to cultivating that spirit of partnership among our nonprofit peers, partners, colleagues, and allies to maximize workforce development efforts and impact across Orange County,” said Suydam.
About Goodwill of Orange County
Goodwill of Orange County helps people achieve their goals through a journey of personal support, work experience and career development. Since its inception in 1924, Goodwill has connected hundreds of thousands of individuals to opportunity through quality training and education programs, supportive employment services for people with developmental and physical disabilities, on-site job coaching, community integration programs, veteran employment services, and more. As a nonprofit employment social enterprise, Goodwill operates a collection of 23 retail venues throughout Orange County, including five OC Goodwill Boutiques and its e-commerce platform ShopGoodwill.com, to support these transformative programs and services. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, click here to visit their website.
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