Evergreen Goodwill
Myth vs Truth - Social Content Pilot
Most people think Goodwill is a thrift store.
They see racks of clothes.
They don’t see classrooms.
They don’t see caseworkers.
They don’t see careers being built.
This gap is where misunderstanding lives.
What we’re trying to change
The goal of this pilot is to help more people clearly understand:
Help people clearly understand that Evergreen Goodwill is an education organization
Show that thrift stores directly fund tuition-free programs
Make visible the real human outcomes behind the mission
Because when people truly understand what Goodwill is, they’re far more likely to support it — not just with donations, but with trust, advocacy, and participation.
This work builds the understanding required for long-term impact.
(We can intentionally layer in foot-traffic-driven content once this foundation is firmly in place.)
The real challenge
How do we create enough volume to test what truly connects, without losing the honesty and humanity that makes these stories matter?
Most content systems force a tradeoff between scale and soul.
This pilot is designed to avoid that.
Our approach
We turn real, unscripted moments into a simple, repeatable format —
one that can be captured again and again, across programs and people.
This allows us to:
• learn what resonates
• adapt based on real signals
• and keep every story human and true
So we built something different
We don’t just make videos.
We build a system that learns, while protecting the integrity of the mission it represents.
What One Content Day Actually Creates
From one day with four people, here’s what we typically walk away with — structured, repeatable, and easy to use.
| Person | Story Angle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Myth | “Goodwill is just a thrift store.” |
| Teacher | Emotional | “One student I’ll never forget.” |
| Teacher | Outcome | “What changes after graduation.” |
| Teacher | Visual VO | “Where your purchase actually goes.” |
| Caseworker | Myth | “Programs are only for employees.” |
| Caseworker | Emotional | “The moment someone believed in themselves.” |
| Caseworker | Outcome | “How one-on-one support changes outcomes.” |
| Caseworker | Visual VO | “What happens behind the scenes.” |
| Former Student | Myth | “I never thought I’d qualify.” |
| Former Student | Emotional | “Why I almost gave up.” |
| Former Student | Outcome | “Where I am now.” |
| Former Student | Visual VO | “What Goodwill paid for.” |
| Store / Ops Staff | Myth | “Goodwill isn’t local.” |
| Store / Ops Staff | Emotional | “Why I do this work.” |
| Store / Ops Staff | Outcome | “How many people we serve each year.” |
| Store / Ops Staff | Visual VO | “What $20 actually funds.” |
Same calm visual style. Same simple structure. Different hooks. Enough volume to learn what resonates without adding complexity.
How These Stories Move
Once stories are captured, they are published in a steady rhythm across platforms so the message can be seen, reacted to, and learned from. The core truth stays consistent. The hook evolves based on what resonates.
The point: The story stays constant. The introduction evolves. That’s how clarity compounds without adding production lift.
How We Know What’s Working
This pilot is designed to learn in public. We publish consistently, compare formats, and let real audience behavior tell us which stories build the most understanding and trust.
1) Message Clarity
Are people actually understanding the core truths?
- Comments that repeat the message back (“I didn’t know Goodwill funded tuition”).
- Saves (signals “this is useful / worth revisiting”).
- Shares (signals “this changed how I see it”).
2) Watch Behavior
Do people stay long enough for the message to land?
- 3–5 second retention (hook strength).
- Average watch time (story strength).
- Completions (did they finish the minute?).
3) Hook Testing
Which openings pull people in without changing production?
- Myth-first (“Myth: Goodwill is just a thrift store”).
- Visual-first VO (start on store / sorting visuals, then voice).
- Emotional-first (start with a human moment).
- Outcome-first (start with a tangible result).
4) Platform Signals
We publish across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to see where the story travels best.
- IG: saves, shares, story replies.
- FB: shares, comments, community resonance.
- TikTok: retention, replays, discovery reach.
The Insight Loop: Every round of publishing teaches us what to do more of next. Same core message. Same simple format. Clearer execution over time.
How this stays true to Goodwill
This system is designed to live inside Goodwill’s real world — not on top of it.
Rather than separating “retail” from “education,” we intentionally let those two worlds exist in the same frame. Teachers, caseworkers, and former students are filmed inside Goodwill spaces — on the store floor, in donation processing, or in back-of-house areas — often with the tools of their work in hand: a laptop, a workbook, a résumé, a diploma.
That visual overlap quietly shows what words alone can’t:
that the racks, the donations, and the everyday store activity are what make the education possible.
We avoid staged classrooms and corporate backdrops. People are captured in motion, in real environments, doing real work, so the content feels alive and honest rather than posed or promotional.
Participation is always voluntary and informed. Everyone understands how their story may be used and has space to ask questions before anything is shared. Mia and Mary are involved throughout to ensure tone, messaging, and visual style stay aligned with Evergreen Goodwill’s brand and values.
The result is content that is:
• accurate
• respectful
• visually grounded
• and genuinely human
Nothing is forced. Nothing is dramatized. We simply let the right stories exist in the right places.
The Two-Month Pilot
This pilot is a focused way to turn on the Myth-vs-Truth system and see how it performs in the real world.
During the pilot, we’ll:
Spend one content day inside Goodwill
Design prompts and story angles together
Film four people across multiple short stories
Shape those into social-ready pieces
Share them across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
Track what resonates and share what we learn
Investment: $14,500
What You’ll Have at the End of the Pilot
No matter what comes next, Evergreen Goodwill will walk away with:
• A library of real, human stories from teachers, caseworkers, and former students
• A set of short, social-ready videos that can be used across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, email, and your website
• A clearer picture of which messages and voices resonate most with your audience
• A repeatable format your team can continue using or adapt in the future
In other words, this pilot leaves you with both content and clarity — something useful today, and something you can keep building on.
This pilot can move forward once timing and access are confirmed.