The Washington chapter of Goodwill Industries International has embarked on a campaign to promote its image as a source of vintage and high-end fashion, The Washington Post reports.

In an attempt to appeal to young, professional women, the organization has hired Em Hall, a fashion blogger, as the group’s retail marketing manager and to write a blog about stylish merchandise found in its stores. Goods sold in the stores finance the charity’s program to help disabled and poor people find jobs.

The Washington group does not want to alienate its core customers, but it decided to try to attract more-affluent shoppers as well after noticing the popularity of high-end vintage boutiques, said Brendan Hurley, vice president of marketing and communication for Goodwill of Greater Washington.

Mr. Hurley said his Goodwill chapter will soon begin marketing itself through social networking sites such as MySpace and YouTube.

Ms. Hall writes on her blog three days a week and features Goodwill finds on Tuesdays, which are then auctioned on Goodwill’s eBay store. Her postings receive between 600 to 800 visitors a week.

Read The Chronicle’s article about San Francisco’s Goodwill, which has received a prestigious nonprofit award for its efforts to overhaul its operations.

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