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{{short description|American nonprofit organization founded 1902}}{{About|the organization Goodwill Industries International|other uses|Goodwill (disambiguation){{!}}Goodwill}}{{Update|date=October 2023|reason=uses immaterial or inconsistent mix of financial, operating and activity information that is 3-to-13 years old}}{{copy edit|for=grammar, style, layout, cohesion, tone, spelling or inconsistent statements|date=October 2023}}

factoids

PITTS>FIRST=JONATHAN M.URL=HTTPS://WWW.BALTIMORESUN.COM/MARYLAND/BALTIMORE-CITY/BS-MD-CI-GOODWILL-100TH-20191018-UJETCJQYSVH5NAOTY2WXGSJMKY-STORY.HTMLNEWSPAPER=THE BALTIMORE SUNARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 9, 2020URL-STATUS=LIVE, Derwood, Maryland (Rockville, Maryland>Rockville mailing address) 20855United StatesHTTP://WWW.GOODWILL.ORG/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2013/04/GII-2012-990.PDF >TITLE=RETURN OF ORGANIZATION EXEMPT FROM INCOME TAX, FORM 990 PUBLISHER=GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, INC ARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 2, 2013 URL-STATUS=DEAD,

factoids

| origins = Steve Preston>Steven C. Preston {{smallTITLE=GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT AND CEOACCESS-DATE=NOVEMBER 6, 2018ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20181107010213/HTTP://WWW.GOODWILL.ORG/PRESS-RELEASES/GOODWILL-INDUSTRIES-INTERNATIONAL-ANNOUNCES-NEW-PRESIDENT-AND-CEO/, live, | area_served = 14 countries| products = RetailRehabilitation counseling>Vocational rehabilitation for disabled persons7.4 billion|link=yes}} (2022)| endowment = | num_employees = | owner = | Non-profit_slogan = | homepage = {{Official URL}}}}Goodwill Industries International Inc., simply known as Goodwill, is an American nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who face barriers in their employment.WEB, Goodwill Industries International, Inc. - GuideStar Profile,weblink 2022-01-30, www.guidestar.org, According to its annual report, Goodwill Industries also hires veterans and individuals who lack job experience, an education, or face employment challenges. The nonprofit is funded by a network of 3,200+ retail thrift stores that operate as independent nonprofits. Goodwill Industries operates as a network of independent, community-based organizations in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Finland, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela, with 165 local Goodwill retail stores in the United States and Canada.WEB, Annual Report,weblink April 17, 2024, Goodwill Industries International, en-US, August 13, 2020,weblink live, It slowly expanded from its founding in 1902 and was first called Goodwill in 1915.WEB,weblink Global - Goodwill Industries International, Inc., goodwill.org, January 1, 2019, October 7, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181007231355weblink">weblink live, In their 2018 fiscal year, Goodwill organizations generated $6.1 billion in revenue, of which $5.27 billion was spent on charitable services, and $646 million was spent on salaries and other operating expenses. Services constituted 89 percent of expenses.WEB, Goodwill Industries International,weblink December 3, 2020, Forbes, April 29, 2021,weblink live, In 2015, the group served more than 37 million people, with more than 312,000 people placed into employment.WEB,weblink About Us, 17 January 2013, Goodwill Industries International, January 12, 2017, January 29, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170129180543weblink">weblink live, Goodwill Industries' logo is a stylized letter g, resembling a smiling face, designed by Joseph Selame in 1968.NEWS, Heller, Steven, Joseph Selame, Designer of Corporate Logos, Dies at 86,weblink May 3, 2011, The New York Times, April 20, 2011, April 29, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110429200400weblink">weblink live,

Retail history

File:Goodwill Tapscott jeh.JPG|thumb|A Goodwill in BrooklynBrooklynIn 1902, the Reverend Edgar J. Helms of Morgan Methodist Chapel in Boston started Goodwill as part of his ministry.WEB,weblink Methodist Churches in Boston Since 1792 - School of Theology Library, bu.edu, January 1, 2019, December 9, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181209133152weblink">weblink live, Helms and his congregation collected used or discarded household goods and clothing from wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired the unemployed or impoverished to mend and repair them. The products were then redistributed to those in need or kept by those who helped repair them. In 1915, Helms hosted a visit to Morgan Memorial{{Clarify|date=April 2022|reason=This is the first mention of "Morgan Memorial" in the article - what is it?}} by representatives of a workshop mission in Brooklyn, NY so they could learn the innovative programs and operating techniques of the "Morgan Memorial Cooperative Industries and Stores, Inc."{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} Helms was subsequently invited to visit New York.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} Out of these exchanges came Brooklyn's willingness to adopt and adapt the Morgan Memorial's way of doing things, while Helms was persuaded that "Goodwill Industries”, the name for Brooklyn’s workshop, was preferable to the Morgan Memorial name. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries was created. Along with Brooklyn's interest and ties, this became the foundation on which Goodwill Industries was to be built as an international movement.BOOK,weblink Goodwill: for the love of people, Lewis, John Fulton, America, Goodwill Industries of, 1977, Goodwill Industries of America, en, 2018-05-17, 2021-04-29,weblink live, Goodwill has become an international nonprofit organization that, as of 2016, takes in more than $4.8 billion in annual revenue and provides more than 300,000 people with job training and community services each year.WEB,weblink Celebrating the 15th Annual National Mentoring Month, Goodwill® Looks to Engage Volunteers throughout January, 2017, Goodwill Industries, January 12, 2017, January 18, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170118095508weblink">weblink live, In 1999, George Kessinger, the head of Goodwill of Orange County during this time, started shopgoodwill.org.Lauren Debter (25 February 2021). "Goodwill’s Hidden Gem: A Growing Online Business That's Sold $1 Billion Of Used Stuff". Forbes. It is the first e-commerce auction platform created, owned, and operated by a nonprofit organization.

Operations

(File:Cornell Road Goodwill store - Beaverton, Oregon (2017).jpg|thumbnail|right|A Goodwill store in Oregon (2017))In 1999, Goodwill launched the first nonprofit internet auction site in the United States.NEWS,weblink Goodwill to Launch Auction Web Site, Hosaka, Tomoko, August 28, 1999, The Washington Post, May 18, 2018, en-US, 0190-8286, May 19, 2018,weblink live, By 2006, Goodwill Industries International had a network of 207 member organizations in the United States, Canada, and 23 other countries.NEWS,weblink Helping People to Help Themselves, Hartmann, Michael E., February 2006, Philanthropy Magazine, May 18, 2018,weblink March 14, 2013, Philanthropy Roundtable, As of July 2011, there are 164 full Goodwill members in the United States and Canada. These are each independent social enterprises that operate their own regional Goodwill retail stores and job training programs. Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Boston, is the enterprise operated in Boston, where Goodwill was founded.WEB,weblink Goodwill's History, Goodwill Industries, September 8, 2009, January 12, 2010, February 18, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100218155034weblink">weblink live, The clothing and household goods donated to Goodwill are sold in more than 3,200 Goodwill retail stores, on its Internet auction site shopgoodwill.com, and eBay by a number of its regional stores.NEWS, Rick, Gladstone, Bulletin Board; Charity in Cyberspace,weblink The New York Times, May 18, 2003, January 12, 2010, February 17, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110217042308weblink">weblink live, When merchandise cannot be sold at a normal Goodwill store, it is taken to a "Goodwill Outlet" or "Bargain Store" where items are mostly sold by weight, with prices ranging from $0.49 to $1.89 per pound, depending on the location. The wide selection and massive discounts on a variety of household goods typically attract a fervent following of regular customers, some of whom make a full-time living buying and re-selling goods. Many vendors buy this merchandise in bulk and send the merchandise to third-world countries.{{As of|2011|December}}, CharityWatch rated the Goodwill Industries an "A".Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report, Volume Number 59, December 2011In January 2016, Goodwill Industries of Toronto, Eastern, Central, and Northern Ontario closed its 16 stores and 10 donation centres after 80 years of operations, citing cash problems. The six other Canadian Goodwill Industries Branches remain operational.NEWS,weblink 16 Ontario Goodwill stores shut down, Brazao, Dale, January 17, 2016, Toronto Star, May 17, 2018, en, May 18, 2018,weblink live, In 2019, Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan announced that it is receiving a $1.25 million grant fund from the Amazon CEO's Day One Families Fund.WEB,weblink Goodwill To Receive $1.25M Grant From Jeff Bezos Fund, The Ticker {{!, Traverse City News & Events|access-date=November 24, 2019|archive-date=November 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191124215609weblink|url-status=live}}In May 2022, Goodwill Industries International announced a $12 million investment in their Digital Career Accelerator. The donation made by Google.org of $7 million in direct grants and $7 million in search ads on Google aims to reach more than 2,000,000 people across the U.S. and Canada through infrastructure expansion to aid the development of digital skills and career training.JOURNAL, 11 May 2022,weblink Google.org invests $14 million in Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator, Philanthropy News Digest, 12 May 2022,

GoodwillFinds

In 2022, a consortium of local Goodwill organizations from across the US founded a new venture, launching in October 2022 the first nation-wide, centrally-managed online marketplace called GoodwillFinds-dot-com, a site that allows consumers to purchase donated items from across the country in a single, branded, fixed-price, modern shopping experience. Matthew A. Kaness, a seasoned retail veteran, was hired to lead the venture, oversee its launch, and rapidly expand the new re-commerce platform."Iconic Goodwill gets serious with a national online shop for thrifters".2022. GoodwillFinds is a separate entity from Goodwill Industries International, but is also a non-profit organization and shares the same mission as Goodwill. The online store is expected to raise awareness of the Goodwill brand to a new generation of shoppers, bringing in more donations as well as customers to participating Goodwills across the US.WEB, 2022-10-04, Iconic Goodwill gets serious with online for thrifters,weblink 2024-03-21, AP News, en,

Helms College and Edgar's Hospitality Group

In 2021, MacKenzie Scott donated $10 million to Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia (GIMG), the only Goodwill that includes an accredited vocational college: Helms College.WEB, Amazon founder Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott gifts $10 million to Augusta-area Goodwill,weblink 2023-05-22, The Augusta Chronicle, en-US, The college and academic programms offer certificates, diplomas, and degrees in culinary arts, industrial trades, and medical services; it uses the restaurants within Edgar's Hospitality Group as applied learning venues for its culinary students. It is named after Edgar Helms, founder of Goodwill. GIMG is the only Goodwill in the world operating a college and hospitality venue to serve the mission.WEB, About Goodwill {{!, Goodwill Industries - Middle Georgia & the CSRA |url=https://goodwillworks.org/about-goodwill/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA |language=en-US}}GIMG also dealt with former CFO Tim Ligon stealing $75,000 from the organization.WEB, 2021-09-07, Goodwill pursues criminal charges against former CFO Tim Ligon of Madison,weblink 2023-05-22, Morgan County Citizen, en,

Castro pop-up

In November 2010, for the first time, Goodwill opened a store in San Francisco, California specifically designed to hire employees who are transgender, gay, or lesbian. The temporary or "Pop-up" store was a unique partnership between Goodwill of San Francisco and the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative. The Castro Pop-up store closed in April 2011, and staff were transferred to various Goodwill stores throughout the San Francisco area.NEWS,weblink Goodwill thrives at San Francisco thrift store, Leff, Lisa, November 28, 2010, May 17, 2018, The Boston Globe, May 21, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180521234830weblink">weblink live,

Women Veterans initiative

In June 2013, Goodwill announced an initiative with the goal of engaging 3,000 women veterans as the organization helps them find jobs over the next two years. With this initiative, Goodwill aims to provide services and support that lead to economic self-sufficiency.WEB,weblink Goodwill to Announce Women Veteran Hiring Initiativet, July 11, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130703032554weblink">weblink July 3, 2013,

Evening of Treasures

Goodwill Industries of Greater New York holds an annual charity gala with many fashionable attendees and participants. The 2023 Evening of Treasures gala included the likes of Jenna Lyons (who hosted the event), Tommy Hilfiger, Todd Snyder, and Willy Chavarria, as participants. Designers executed upcycled looks using Goodwill thrift finds. WEB, Roshitsh, Kaley, 2023-05-04, Goodwill's Gala Returns, With Jenna Lyons as Host, Tommy Hilfiger, Willy Chavarria and More,weblink 2024-02-02, WWD, en-US,

Donation policies

Goodwill has policies on donations, including items that it can accept. It will only accept items that can be resold, whether in the retail stores, online, or as bulk lots.Goodwill stores generally do not accept donations such as automotive parts, furniture showing signs of damage, large appliances including stoves, refrigerators, washers/dryers, or exercise equipment. Most stores also do not accept hazardous materials such as paint, medications, or building materials such as doors, wood, nails, etc. For liability reasons, Goodwill generally does not accept baby cribs or car seats. Sanitary regulations prohibit accepting mattress donations, and although some Goodwill stores sell brand new mattresses, most locations are unable. Because of safety concerns, particularly lead content in painted products, some Goodwill stores do not accept certain toys.NEWS, Jenn, Abelson, Lead law puts thrift stores in lurch,weblink The Boston Globe, February 27, 2009, January 12, 2010, January 12, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100112235739weblink">weblink live,

Criticism and compensation

Executive compensation

In 2005, Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette (GICW), Goodwill's Portland, Oregon, branch, came under scrutiny due to executive compensation that the Oregon attorney general's office concluded was "unreasonable". The President of the Portland branch, Michael Miller, received $838,508 in pay and benefits for fiscal year 2004, which was reportedly out of line in comparison to other charity executives and placed him in the top one percent of American wage earners. After being confronted with the state's findings, Miller agreed to a 24% reduction in pay, and GICW formed a new committee and policy for handling matters of employee compensation.WEB, Bryan Denson, Bryan, Denson, Kosseff, Jeff,weblink National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Goodwill chief agrees to pay cut, December 20, 2005, January 12, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110304215552weblink">weblink March 4, 2011, WEB,weblink Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette, Response to Oregon Department of Justice Audit Report, PDF, December 20, 2005, January 12, 2010, April 12, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130412000805weblink">weblink live, A 2013 article on Watchdog.org reported that Goodwill's tax returns showed that more than 100 Goodwills pay less than minimum wage while simultaneously paying more than $53.7 million in total compensation to top executives.NEWS,weblink Policies, tax dollars enrich Goodwill execs, May 6, 2013, May 16, 2013, Hrabe, John, Watchdog.org, May 15, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130515121523weblink">weblink live, Douglas Barr, former CEO of the Goodwill of Southern California, was the highest paid Goodwill executive in the country.WEB,weblink Leadership, Goodwill Southern California, January 1, 2019, November 12, 2018,weblink live, He received total compensation worth $1,188,733, including a base salary of $350,200, bonuses worth $87,550, retirement benefits of $71,050, and $637,864 in deferred compensation, after serving as CEO for 17 years. This is often incorrectly cited as his salary "In 2011, the Columbia Willamette Goodwill, one of the largest in the country, says it paid $922,444 in commensurate wages to approximately 250 people with developmental disabilities. These employees worked 159,584 hours for an average hourly wage of $5.78. The lowest paid worker received just $1.40 per hour."In 2016, an investigation by the Omaha World-Herald found that executives managing its local Goodwill stores received salaries of up to $400,000 with its CEO, Frank McGree, also collecting a 2014 bonus of $519,000 -- while over 100 of his store workers were paid less than minimum wage. The investigation found that 14 executives (including the CEO's daughter) were paid more than $100,000, while only $557,000 of the enterprise's $4,000,000 revenue went to "programs" for the disabled."CEO of nonprofits council Goodwill scandal 'not the norm'" November 4, 2016, Omaha World-Herald, retrieved February 14, 2024"Has Goodwill Become Too Greedy? The truth about what the organization does with its $5.7 billion in revenue," February 28, 2018, Country Living, retrieved February 14, 2024, Despite the organization claiming its profits were to assist the disabled acquire job opportunities, the paper's investigators determined that, between 2011 and 2015, none of the store revenues supported job programs."Nebraska AG: Board Members Convinced Goodwill CEO was Best in Class Even as Red Flags Waved" June 27, 2018, Omaha World-Herald, reprinted June 28, 2018, in NonProfit Quarterly, retrieved February 14, 2024 Responding to the World's investigation, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson conducted an official investigation, finding that McGree's salary was "excessive," -- and concluded that there had become "no correlation at all" between what the area's Goodwill's executives were paid and how the organization was performing its true mission. However, Peterson concluded no laws had been broken that he could charge; instead, he urged the state legislature to enact oversight reforms to the regulation of non-profits.In 2018, CEO Rich Cantz of Goodwill Northern New England (NNE) put out a video statement addressing the false "Think Before You Donate" rumors that alleged owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year from the organization, and no money was going to charity.WEB,weblink Think Before You Donate, 20 Nov 2020, Goodwill Industries International, en-US, 20 November 2020,weblink live, In the statement, he says that Goodwill NNE does give to charities and works to provide resources for brain injury rehabilitation centers, those with disabilities, and veterans seeking work. Further, the website states that "Mark Curran" is neither the owner nor CEO. As of 2020, Steven Preston is the CEO of Goodwill Industries International and has to report to a volunteer board of directors.WEB, Is Mark Curran CEO and Owner of Goodwill Industries?,weblink November 20, 2020, Goodwill NNE, en-US, November 11, 2020,weblink live, In 2020, the stores in New England were still running a voiceover during shopping hours that reiterated this message to shoppers. The claims appeared in a longer email covering several for-profit and non-profit organizations, which was also debunked by Snopes.WEB,weblink Think Before You Donate!, 22 Nov 2017, David Mikkelson, Snopes, 29 April 2021, 29 April 2021,weblink live,

Workers' wages

File:Goodwill Donation Express center in eastern Hillsboro, Oregon (2016).jpg|thumb|left|Goodwill donation center in Hillsboro, OregonHillsboro, OregonGoodwill Industries International has been criticized by some for using a provision of federal labor law to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. Under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, organizations can obtain a "special wage certificate" to pay workers with disabilities a commensurate wage based on performance evaluations.WEB, The Issue of Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities,weblink National Federation of the Blind, May 16, 2013, May 6, 2013,weblink live, Of Goodwill's 105,000 employees, 7,300 are paid under the special wage certificate program.NEWS,weblink Goodwill's Charity Racket: CEOs Earn Top-Dollar, Workers Paid Less Than Minimum Wage, September 25, 2013, May 16, 2013, Hrabe, John, HuffPost, July 6, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130706160037weblink">weblink live, {{Failed verification|date=November 2021}} The National Federation of the Blind considers it "unfair, discriminatory, and immoral".PRESS RELEASE, Americans with Disabilities to Protest Goodwill's Subminimum Wages,weblinkamericans-disabilities-protest-goodwill%E2%80%99s-subminimum-wages, National Federation of the Blind, May 16, 2013, October 27, 2012, https:web.archive.org/web/20121027225823weblink live, Other disability rights advocates have defended Goodwill's use of the special wage certificate to employ workers with disabilities. Terry Farmer, CEO of ACCSES, a trade group that calls itself the "voice of disability service providers", said scrapping the provision could "force [disabled workers] to stay at home", enter rehabilitation, "or otherwise engage in unproductive and unsatisfactory activities".WEB,weblink Disabled workers paid just pennies an hour – and it's legal, Schecter, Anna, June 25, 2013, NBC News, June 27, 2013, June 30, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130630094807weblink">weblink live, Goodwill believes that the policy is "a tool to create employment for people with disabilities" who would not otherwise be employed.NEWS, Hrabe, John, Goodwill Minimum Wage Loophole Will Shock You,weblink May 16, 2013, HuffPost, May 15, 2013, June 11, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130611191225weblink">weblink live, {{Failed verification|date=November 2021}} Goodwill notes that "Eliminating it would remove an important tool for employers and an employment option available to people with severe disabilities and their families. Without the law, many people with disabilities could lose their jobs."WEB, Special Minimum Wage Q&A – and it's legal,weblink Goodwill White Paper, June 27, 2013, July 21, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130721063919weblink">weblink live, Goodwill has urged Congress to "support legislation that would strengthen the FLSA and increase its enforcement", and to "preserve opportunities for people with disabilities who would otherwise lose the chance to realize the many tangible and intangible benefits of work.".WEB, Fair Wages Position Paper,weblink Goodwill White Paper, June 27, 2013, April 13, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140413221512weblink">weblink live, A 2013 FLSA fact sheet from Goodwill states that "Without FLSA Section 14(c), many more people with severe disabilities would experience difficulty in participating in the workforce. These jobs provide individuals with paychecks that they would be unlikely to receive otherwise, as well as ongoing services and support, job security, and the opportunity for career advancement."WEB, FLSA Section 14 Fact Sheet,weblink Goodwill Fact Sheet, July 11, 2013, April 13, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140413231805weblink">weblink live,

Lobbying

A coalition of smaller charities in California had complained about Goodwill's support for legislation encouraging greater regulation of donation boxes,NEWS, Goodwill pushes for greater regulation of donation boxes,weblink June 27, 2013, CalWatchdog.org, March 27, 2013, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130729152758weblink">weblink July 29, 2013, calling the efforts an "attempt to corner the clothing donation market and make more money".NEWS, Hrabe, John, Nonprofits fight donation regulations,weblink May 16, 2013, CalWatchdog.org, May 27, 2013, May 16, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130516160419weblink">weblink live, Local Goodwills have argued that donation boxes divert money from the community and contribute to blight, and have pushed for state legislation that requires owners of a donation box to clearly display information about whether it is a for-profit or nonprofit organization.

References

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External links

{{commons category|Goodwill Industries}}

• {{official website}}

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