Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, based in Boston, is where the Goodwill movement began. Founded in 1895 by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, who collected and repaired used goods to employ people in need, it grew into a worldwide model. Today it funds job training and employment services for people facing barriers to self-sufficiency through 11 stores in eastern and central Massachusetts. Joanne K. Hilferty serves as president and CEO, and revenue is about $23.4 million. Website goodwillmass.org.
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries is where the entire Goodwill movement started. In 1895, Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister who had come to Boston University to train for the ministry, began collecting used and discarded household goods and clothing from wealthier parts of the city.
Helms and his congregation at the Morgan Methodist Chapel trained and hired people who were unemployed or impoverished to mend and repair those goods, then sold or gave them away. That model, a hand up through work rather than a handout, grew into Goodwill Industries, now one of the largest social enterprises in the world.
More than a century later, the model is the same: people donate used clothing and household goods, Goodwill sells them in its thrift stores, and the proceeds fund job training and employment services. Donating and shopping are the main ways the public supports the mission.
Morgan Memorial Goodwill operates 11 stores in eastern and central Massachusetts, with revenue of about $23.4 million, funding programs that help people facing barriers to self-sufficiency achieve independence and dignity through work.
Joanne K. Hilferty has served as president and CEO since 1995, expanding the organization's revenue, geographic reach, and range of programs. Its services focus on helping individuals with barriers to self-sufficiency, from job training to placement.
As the founding Goodwill, Morgan Memorial carries the legacy of Edgar Helms, who is credited as the founder of the movement that bears the Goodwill name worldwide.
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 eastern and central Massachusetts.
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.
Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries is a 501(c)(3) organization, and revenue from its stores funds its job-training and employment programs. Its EIN for tax-deductible cash gifts is 04-2106765.
The store-funded model that Edgar Helms pioneered in Boston in the 1890s still powers the organization's work today.
Both Goodwill and the Salvation Army run thrift stores funded by donated goods, but Goodwill focuses on job training and employment while the Salvation Army funds recovery and broad social services. For donated clothing and housewares in the Boston area, either is a strong option.
If you want your goods to support the original Goodwill and its job-training mission, Morgan Memorial Goodwill is the founding organization; for goods better suited to direct distribution, a local shelter or reuse nonprofit may fit better.
Last updated June 2026. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries as the birthplace of Goodwill, founded in 1895 by Rev. Edgar J. Helms (with the Morgan Memorial business in 1902), CEO Joanne K. Hilferty (since 1995), revenue (~$23.4 million), 11 stores in eastern and central Massachusetts, and Boston headquarters (1010 Harrison Avenue) from Morgan Memorial Goodwill (goodwillmass.org), Goodwill Industries history, and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 04-2106765). We are not affiliated with Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
More Massachusetts and donation resources