Improving Thrift Store Donor Experience
Client
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York & Northern New Jersey
Faculty
Erica Hamilton
Team
Harry Adler, Staphany Lu, Brian O’Neil, Liliana Sanchez Montenegro
| Goodwill Industries aims to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the dignity and power of work. The organization uses revenues generated from their thrift store sales to fund their programs and services. Facing changing trends in the donated goods space, Goodwill NYNJ enlisted a Capstone team to develop strategies to improve the donor experience. The team conducted 10 observational store visits across five diverse locations and spoke with over 50 donors. Based on their assessments, the team identified several key areas of improvement for Goodwill NYNJ and recommended the following three changes to improve the donor experience: a detailed strategic communication plan via social media and email marketing to more effectively communicate with donors throughout the donor lifecycle; a revamped Standard Operating Procedures guide to ensure a consistent and top-notch level of customer service across all store locations; and a new loyalty program to develop lifelong donors and advocates. |
Focus Areas
Capstone Year
2017-2018