Alabama Goodwill Industries, based in Birmingham, turns donated goods into job training and placement across a 38-county territory in northern and central Alabama, including Birmingham, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa. The organization grew sharply over the past several years, and its revenue is about $23.8 million. It is a separate organization from the Montgomery-based Goodwill Industries of Central Alabama. Website alabamagoodwill.org.
Goodwill runs a social enterprise: people donate used clothing and household goods, Goodwill sells them in its thrift stores, and the proceeds fund job training and placement. Donating and shopping are the main ways the public supports the mission, with nearly 90 cents of every store dollar going to programs.
Alabama Goodwill Industries provides employment, job training, and community-based programs for people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others facing employment challenges across northern and central Alabama.
Over the past several years, Alabama Goodwill Industries expanded significantly. Under longtime CEO David Wells, who retired in late 2025, the organization reported a large increase in revenue since 2018, grew its workforce from about 110 to more than 500 employees, and increased job placements, reaching nearly 800 placements in 2024.
That growth made it one of the more prominent nonprofits in the Birmingham area. Following Wells's retirement, the organization conducted a national search for his successor.
Alabama Goodwill Industries serves a 38-county territory across northern and central Alabama, anchored by Birmingham and reaching cities including Huntsville and Tuscaloosa. Its revenue is about $23.8 million.
It is a separate organization from Goodwill Industries of Central Alabama, which is based in Montgomery and serves its own territory, so the two should not be confused.
Goodwill accepts clean, gently used clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, books, and many household items; check the donation guidelines before a large drop-off. Donations go to stores across the North Alabama territory.
Donations are tax-deductible, and donors should keep a receipt and an itemized list for their records. For a full breakdown, see our guide on what Goodwill accepts.
Alabama Goodwill Industries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and revenue from its stores funds its job-training and placement programs, with nearly 90 cents of every store dollar supporting the mission. Its EIN for tax-deductible cash gifts is 63-0288794.
The store-funded model means each donated item that sells helps pay for job training across the territory.
Both Goodwill and the Salvation Army run thrift stores funded by donated goods, but Goodwill focuses on job training and placement while the Salvation Army funds recovery and broad social services. For donated clothing and housewares in North Alabama, either is a strong option.
If your priority is workforce development, Alabama Goodwill Industries is the dedicated agency across northern and central Alabama; for goods better suited to direct distribution, a local shelter or reuse nonprofit may fit better.
Last updated June 2026. Alabama Goodwill Industries (Birmingham) 38-county territory, revenue (~$23.8 million), growth under CEO David Wells and his late-2025 retirement with a national search for a successor, and distinction from the Montgomery-based Goodwill Industries of Central Alabama from Alabama Goodwill (alabamagoodwill.org), the Birmingham Business Journal, and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 63-0288794). We are not affiliated with Alabama Goodwill Industries and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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