Though most people would not think of Goodwill Industries right off hand when they think of the trendiest business plans out there, they certainly deserve a mention in today’s business climate. The reason for that is because Goodwill is going trendy in an effort to relate to younger potential donors. Young people are some of the people most likely to make donations, so the new Goodwill plan is making it easier for young folks to get in the act.

If you are just out of college or still in school, it’s not likely that you are going to donate your car, but that does not mean that you have to stand on the sidelines. This is why Goodwill is changing their image a little bit, in an effort to attract you even if you can’t donate your car to the charity.

Today, some of the best work goes on at the Goodwill Industries thrift stores. These places are all over the place, and they represent another revenue stream for the charity. If you can’t donate your car to the charity effort, then you can at least spend a few dollars in the stores. This is what they are hoping for out of young people, and it is why they have filled the stores with lots of really nice, attractive stuff.

The stuff that you can buy in the Goodwill Industries stores is somewhat retro right now, though. Vintage is the word that they like to describe their selection, and young folks seem to really like it. From old t-shirts to old jeans, there are some great items that might remind you of the 1980s. Even if your current situation doesn’t allow you to donate your car to charity, the stores can be a place for you to get into the act in a big way.

Goodwill Industries wants just about everyone to be involved, and because of that, they are doing more advertising of their “other” programs. Among them, the retro and vintage gear that you can buy are very important to the overall effort.

While the rest of the world is out using the internet for marketing, Goodwill Industries doesn’t want to get left behind. The net is a powerful place, especially if you are spending your time on expansive efforts aimed at young people. Whether it is something like trying to get me to donate my car to charity or advertising for another event, social marketing sites have become the order of the day. With Goodwill in Washington, this is the new direction.

Some might argue that the internet is not the best place to talk to me if you want me to donate my car to charity. But this does not have to be the case. In fact, the internet is just like any other place where companies advertise. It is the new-age media choice, similar to how magazines and newspapers used to be the media choice ten or fifteen years ago.

But it isn’t just using the internet that’s the idea for the DC Goodwill Industries chapter. On top of that, they want to go into the sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace, where more and more advertising can take place. Getting into the world of young people has helped to take Goodwill Industries from being a place where older people donated their cars to a place where young people got their start in philanthropy.

With more and more people joining the social marketing realm, and Twitter becoming the most popular outlet in this day and age, look for Goodwill Industries to step up their effort in the coming months. They want to make sure that they get the word out about the opportunities to donate and they also want to make the donation process as painless as possible for young people and old people alike.

If I were going to donate my car to charity, I want it to be as easy as possible. Goodwill Industries understands that when I choose to donate my car to charity, the internet is a great resource for making that happen. This has helped to elevate their operation to a higher level.