Celebrating 100 Years of Working Wonders – Goodwill OC’s 100-Year Anniversary

As Goodwill Industries of Orange County (Goodwill OC) approached its 100th anniversary, it knew that sharing its story was crucial to marking this milestone as well as setting an ambitious goal to double its impact and retail presence in the next decade. 

To spotlight its century of achievements, Goodwill OC partnered with Idea Hall to create a historical timeline, launch a new website, and feature a special story in the OC Register. Behind the scenes, numerous initiatives were executed to highlight the legacy of “100 Years of Working Wonders” and invite the Orange County community to join the celebration.  

The Situation 

For a century, Goodwill OC has been a cornerstone of the community, renowned for its vast selection of secondhand goods both in-store and online. What many don’t realize is that every dollar spent at Goodwill OC supports a larger mission: 94 cents of every dollar directly funds its workforce development programs, with all funds staying local to benefit Orange County. 

 Goodwill OC runs more than 20 programs designed to develop essential job skills tailored to the needs and goals of local job seekers. Their job coaches and employment specialists create personalized pathways to independence and sustainable employment, matching participants’ passions with the right career opportunities and local businesses. 

 With this in mind, our goal was clear: to craft a comprehensive communications strategy for Goodwill OC’s 100th anniversary that would enhance its reputation as a leader and collaborator in workforce development throughout Orange County. 

Telling the Story 

To commemorate Goodwill OC’s century of service, we needed to present 100 years of history in an engaging and accessible format. Our goal was to create a platform where everyone could explore Goodwill OC’s rich history and stay updated on centennial events. 

Working closely with the Goodwill OC team, we established our objectives: to highlight the organization’s impact on workforce development, showcase its historical role in the community, and offer various ways for people to join the centennial celebrations, whether through Moments of Good, donations, or event participation. 

With these goals in mind, we focused on crafting a concise narrative that utilized existing content from the Goodwill OC website. We designed and developed a dedicated landing page that seamlessly integrated with the main site, effectively telling Goodwill OC’s story, history, and impact while positioning the organization for future growth. 

 Using a scrapbook of Goodwill OC’s pre-digital content, we collaborated closely with the team to pinpoint key milestones and images from the past century. We transformed these elements into an interactive timeline, highlighting major moments such as store openings, the evolution of Goodwill OC’s mission, Presidential visits, and the organization’s ongoing embrace of technological and innovative advancements. 

Ad Strategy & Media Buying 

To maintain a consistent drumbeat of coverage during the celebration of Goodwill OC’s 100-year anniversary, Idea Hall spotlighted various content verticals such as job placement programs, testimonials, and in-store activations. The recommendations aimed to secure news and thought leadership placements in Orange County and philanthropic publications. 

 In addition, Idea Hall recommended a new approach to Goodwill OC’s advertising resulting in achieving nearly $100,000 of “value add” insertions which gave us the opportunity to showcase Goodwill OC’s 100 years of impact more consistently and cost effectively.  

 As part of the advertising strategy and media buying, Idea Hall and Goodwill OC collaborated with the OC Register to create a “topper,” a 12-page booklet included with the print edition of a Sunday morning newspaper in May. 

 The “topper” highlighted all the impactful moments from Goodwill OC’s history and conveyed messages about Goodwill OC’s mission for the next 100 years. It also served as an excellent opportunity to showcase programs and activities that many people are unaware of. 

Local Partnerships & More

Idea Hall collaborated with the newly opened Newport Beach steakhouse, Ocean 48, to coordinate a strategic partnership for both organizations. They planned and facilitated a VIP event at the elegant, yet-to-open restaurant located in Fashion Island to host its board members and major donors. The event was a resounding success for both relationship building and $25,000 raised in donations supporting Goodwill OC. Through this relationship, Goodwill OC and Ocean 48 are now collaborating on potential job placements for Goodwill OC clients. 

It’s not too late to join in and celebrate 100 years of Goodwill OC! The yearlong celebrations will culminate with Goodwill OC’s Centennial Gala, presented by Disneyland Resort and hosted at Goodwill OC on October 5, 2024. 

Find out more about this can’t-miss celebration here. 

If you’re interested in igniting similar success for your organization, explore how your organization can partner with Idea Hall, please contact Rebecca Hall at Rebecca@ideahall.com.