Goodwill of Central Arizona honored as a leading Social Enterprise

Goodwill of Central Arizona was the award recipient of Arizona Business Magazine and the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits’ first-ever Social Enterprise Award. This award was given to Goodwill on Dec. 2 as part of the inaugural Nonprofit and Corporate Responsibility Awards Campaign. The goal of this new campaign is to honor those professionals and organizations that continue to make a positive impact on the community and do so under difficult financial constraints while also recognizing the efforts of corporations, like American Express, who support nonprofits.

Goodwill had tough competition being in the same category as Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Gompers Rehabilitation Agency, but the committee voted to recognize Goodwill as the lead “nonprofit organization that demonstrates creative application of the principles of social enterprise in the operation and funding of the organization.”

“They have been marvelous in terms of changing the lives of the young mothers we serve. … They’ve had a tremendous impact not just on the generation they are serving, but the children of the young parents, breaking the generational cycle of young poverty,” said Lydia Medina, regional director, Central Arizona for Child and Family Resources, and Goodwill partner.

Goodwill was acknowledged among some of the Valley's most respected nonprofits and corporate givers -- US Airways, Arizona Women’s Education and Employment, Valley United Way, Gompers, Phoenix Children's Hospital, American Express and more.

Pictured are Tim O’Neal (center), Goodwill of Central Arizona Chief Operating Officer, accepting the Social Enterprise Award, with 3TV Anchor and emcee Olivia Fierro (right).