Goodwill® Industries International has more than a century of experience at helping people with disabilities, living in poverty, and other barriers to employment in the U.S., Canada, and 13 other countries. Goodwill is a leading social services enterprise, and consistently ranks among the nation’s top charities.
Happens to the best of us. Unfortunately, we sometimes stand in the line of fire from individuals and organizations who are misinformed and/or misrepresent us to the public. A negative rumor mill has recently resurfaced in the form of a now nine-year-old email that includes a variation of a message like this: “Think about these before you donate. As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep these facts in mind…”
The message then quotes erroneous information and salary figures for several nonprofit organizations’ chief executives, including a reference to a so-called “Goodwill CEO and Owner Mark Curran, who profits $2.3 million a year.”
This information is erroneous. As nonprofit organizations, neither Goodwill Industries International or any of the 164 independent Goodwill agencies internationally are “owned” by anyone. Mark Curran has no association with Goodwill. Steve Preston is the CEO of Goodwill Industries International and reports to a volunteer Board of Directors. Locally, Edward Lada, Jr. is the President & CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas. He reports to a volunteer Board of Directors who set goals for the organization and determine his salary.
Goodwill Industries International earns $4.4 billion revenue per year and spends about 82 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need. Here in Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas, approximately 90 cents of every dollar we earn is spent on our mission services of job training and workforce development. This is a very healthy number in the nonprofit world and a solid indicator of our commitment to good stewardship of your donations.
Your donations to Goodwill’s Retail & Donation Centers and your financial contributions to the Goodwill, fund programs and services that assist thousands in our community each year.
Goodwill definitely encourages you to “think before you donate” – the one legitimate message that this damaging hoax email contains – and to learn more about the charities you’d like to support. Make sure the organization you choose uses its revenue for charitable purposes that support a mission you believe in.
For more information, we encourage you to visit the GuideStar website, which posts financial records and independent reviews of charities. You can review our IRS 990 form, required of most federally tax-exempt organizations there, as well as on our site. GuideStar has certified Goodwill Industries International with the GuideStar Exchange Seal for its commitment to transparency.
