Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | Goodwill of North Georgia

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Frequently Asked Questions

Donate FAQs

We are partner with Resupply, a veteran-founded organization that works with nonprofit organizations around the country, to offer donation pickups.  ReSupply charges a fee for this service that is paid by the donor. Click here to schedule your pickup today.

When you donate, you help put people to work. How? The items you donated are sorted, priced and sold in our stores. We then use the money from the sale of these items to fund job training programs and employment services. Each year, we serve tens of thousands of individuals and help place them into good jobs. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many of your North Georgia neighbors.

We accept clothing, shoes, accessories, books, furniture, small appliances, household items, CDs/videotapes/DVDs/records, linens, and sporting equipment. While we like to say we can accept almost anything, there are a few items we cannot accept, including anything that is ripped, damaged, or broken. Click here to review a list of items we can and cannot accept.

Yes. Goodwill of North Georgia is a 501 (3)(c) nonprofit organization. According to the IRS, donated goods (in good, used condition, or better) made to us are tax-deductible. We will provide you with a receipt once you’ve made a donation to keep for your tax records.

According to IRS regulations, a non-profit organization cannot provide a donor with the dollar value of an in-kind gift. However, there are many sources available online to help you locate reasonable values for your donations.

Unfortunately, we cannot retrieve your ID number. Our system will not allow us to generate an ID number unless someone makes a donation. If you can find any additional items to donate, we encourage you to bring them to your nearest donation center and you will receive a ticket with a new ID number. You can use the new ID number to register your donation and simply consolidate the values and description of both donations.

For your convenience, all of our donation centers are open seven days a week and we only close them twice a year – Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Most donation centers are open from 9am-6pm Monday through Sunday. You can check the hours for your nearest center on our Location Finder.

We have over 100 locations across North Georgia where you can donate. Find the one nearest to you by using our Location Finder.

Absolutely. You can make monetary donations directly from our website. Financial donations are also tax deductible. Be sure to print your receipt to keep for your tax records. We appreciate your support in helping us put people to work.

No, Goodwill is not equipped to repair items. We assess the quality of donations before placing them on the selling floor. We do not sell items that are broken, torn, or soiled.

Our goal is to be good stewards of your generosity. We have recycling programs that allows us to minimize our environmental footprint. We recycle items we cannot sell through qualified salvage dealers including e-waste. In fact, Goodwill of North Georgia has redirected more than 48 million pounds from landfills – including one million pounds of e-waste – in the last fiscal year.

 

Goodwill does not accept cars as donations but contact the local United Way at 404-527-7200 to find out who does.

If you’ve got a donation, we’ve got more than 100 places to take it. Check our location finder to find an attended donation center near you. It’s as simple as driving up to one of our donor doors with your donations in tow. We’ll take care of the rest, and we’ll provide you with a ticket for logging your tax-deductible donation.

At Goodwill of North Georgia, we accept all kinds of donations, from household items to furniture, including couches, tables and chairs. To donate furniture to us, simply load the items you wish to donate into a vehicle and head to the Goodwill donation center nearest you. One of our donor greeters will take it from there. And remember, when you donate and shop at Goodwill of North Georgia, you are supporting our mission to put people to work.

Our mission is made possible by your generous donations. While there are some items we cannot accept at our donor doors, there is no limit to the number of items you can donate, as long as they are clothing and household goods we can accept and sell in our stores. Not sure if your items are right for Goodwill? Contact us at 404.420.9900.

There are many charitable organizations doing great work in North Georgia. When you donate to Goodwill of North Georgia, we sell your gently-used items to support our mission to put people to work. Our organization is one of the top providers of job training and placement services in the state, and we partner with more than 5,000 area employers each year to connect job seekers to a variety of careers. In addition to helping North Georgia job seekers and their families, when you donate to Goodwill, you help divert millions of pounds of materials from landfills every year.

A comprehensive list of items Goodwill of North Georgia does and does not accept is available here.

Goodwill of North Georgia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Revenue generated in our stores supports our mission to put people to work, including support for our 14 local career centers which are free and open to the public. Additionally, Goodwill provides job training and placement services for people with barriers to employment –such as veterans, people with disabilities and people with criminal backgrounds – as well as people looking to obtain new skills and credentials. More information on our training programs, special programs, and the success stories of those we’ve served is available under the Putting People to Work tab at the top of this page. Join us in making a difference for tens of thousands of North Georgians and their families this year by donating and shopping with us today.

Shop In-Store FAQs

Yes! You can purchase them in our stores or online and there are no service charges. The gift cards expire five years after the date of purchase and can be used at any of the Goodwill of North Georgia stores. Upon purchasing a gift card online, you  will receive your gift card in the mail within 5-7 business days.

Everyone! Treasure hunters, hobbyists, collectors, college students, people looking to save money – whatever your reason, Goodwill is good for you.

For your convenience, our stores are open seven days a week and we only close them twice a year – Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Most store locations are open from 9am-8pm Monday through Friday and from 10am-8pm on Sunday. Check the hours for your nearest store by using our Location Finder.

New merchandise is put on our sales floor every day. We receive thousands of donations every week, and we process them as quickly as possible in order to make them available for sale. No matter when you visit, Goodwill will always have something you are looking for!

Effective January 22, 2023, we will fully implement a 14-day return policy for Apparel items only. Items must be returned to the location where they were purchased within 14 days. Guests must provide original receipt and tags must still be intact. Refunds will be given in the form of a gift card. All shoes, accessories, undergarments, housewares, electronics, furniture and new goods are excluded and cannot be returned for any reason.

We also encourage you to test electronics (we have electrical sockets at the back of each store).

If you have questions about an item you have recently purchased, please see the store manager at that location.

Shop Online FAQs

The income we generate in our stores, and now online, allows us to fund our mission to put people to work. While we have many stores and plan to open more, there are an increasing number of people who prefer to shop online. Providing an online shopping option allows us to reach new shoppers while continuously funding our mission to help North Georgians find a job, better job and a career.

The in-store shopping experience has not changed. We’re still placing approximately 99% of our donations in-store.

After careful research, we’ve determined that certain specialty books are more appropriate for online sales. The majority of books we receive will still be sold in-store, meaning you can still find your favorite novels, cookbooks, children’s books and more.

Goodwill of North Georgia offers a wide selection of items on our shopgoodwill.com and eBay sites. And, thousands of great books on our Amazon site.

Please refer to the return policy on the individual Shopgoodwill.com,  eBay and our Amazon site.

Find a Career FAQs

Everyone. Goodwill helps people who face various obstacles to employment, including lack of work history; physical, mental and emotional disabilities; limited education; language barriers; criminal background; dependency on public assistance; corporate downsizing and other challenges that stand in the way to employment. Our training and placement services are available to anyone who needs them.

Goodwill operates career centers across North Georgia, some of which are conveniently located in the same space as our stores and donation centers. All career centers are open to the public and equipped with people and resources to help job seekers and micro-business owners. We have computers with internet access, fax machines, photocopiers, telephones, and just about any other resources you might need for job search or business development.

Yes, our career centers are open to anyone who needs help.

Our diverse skills training and employment services include job training and certifications, one on one coaching, and continued support even after getting hired. Our skills training focuses on some of the fastest growing industries including construction, forklift, floor technology, custodial and hospitality.

General Questions

Send an email to Career Services and one of our employment specialists will contact you within 24 hours.

Yes, Goodwill offers volunteer opportunities in its career centers. Visit our volunteer page to learn more.

Goodwill offers volunteer opportunities for groups of 25 people and smaller as well as for individuals. Large groups will be considered on a case by case basis.  Visit our volunteer page on the site to learn more.

Yes. Goodwill of North Georgia is recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service.

Goodwill provides training and employment services to help people find and keep jobs. Our mission services are funded by grants, financial donations, and revenue generated in our stores.

Yes, we encourage tours of our facility. If you’re a teacher planning a field trip or a business looking for a group volunteer project, we can plan a tour to help you learn more about our operations and mission services.  Send an email to Career Services for more information.

Yes, it is. Please call us at 404-420-9900. Any media inquiries should be directed to our public relations team.

Yes. Visit careers at Goodwill to find out which positions are currently available and to apply.

We are a non-profit organization that helps put people to work, but not a charity or a relief agency. If you or someone you know needs this type of assistance, please contact the local United Way office at 404-527-7200.

There are more than 160 Goodwill organizations in the U.S. and Canada and approximately 12 Goodwill affiliated organizations in other countries around the world. Each Goodwill organization is independent and operates its own unique set of programs. Goodwill of North Georgia operates in 45 counties in the North Georgia region.

Visit our mission for more information about our agency or call us at 404-420-9900.

Visit contact us for more information.