Forbes
Mar 5, 2019
Lilach Bullock, Contributor
Ranked No. 5: The Modernizer: Goodwill
Goodwill is most famous for thrift stores that bring us Halloween costumes and 90s grunge revival outfits. But they do so much more than that: they also bring employment opportunities for at-risk individuals, job training and other community-based programs to help the people who are somehow prevented from getting a job.
When brick-and-mortar retail was hammered by recessions in the new millennium, Goodwill adapted, making a successful transition to e-commerce in 2007 in order to avoid dying out simply because people moved from brick-and-mortar to online shopping. Now, you can hunt for vintage gold jewelry, designer handbags or mid-century musical instruments on shopgoodwill.com. Old school turned new school.
Conclusion
The social enterprises in this list have not only made an impact on the world and the causes they each believe in, but they also show businesses that the words “charity” and “profits” are not mutually exclusive as many of these enterprises have operated successfully for years and even dozens of years. That’s not to say that you should stop now and turn your business into a social enterprise; rather, if there’s one thing to learn is that every business has the power to change the world, however little – it’s just a question of finding the right cause for your business and sticking to your guns.