Maintaining public trust is a top priority
You’ll find lots of information available on this website: Who our decision makers are, our Annual Report, the Goodwill of the Heartland Annual Audit and our IRS Goodwill Public Inspection 990 forms for the past three years, just to name a few. We also offer our Strategic Plan for your review, detailing our goals for the next three years.
If you have any questions about any of these documents, feel free to contact us.
Poet Jonathan Swift once said, “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it…”
This expression reflects the challenge we face correcting misinformation that persists through social media, emails and a variety of websites. One persistent rumor goes something 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 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 simply untrue.
Goodwill Facts
As nonprofit organizations, neither Goodwill Industries International nor Goodwill of the Heartland are “owned” by anyone.
Steve Preston, not Mark Curran, is the CEO of Goodwill Industries International and reports to a volunteer Board of Directors. Mr. Preston’s compensation is only a fraction of the amount reported. In addition, Goodwill is regarded as one of the most trustworthy non-profits in the United States.
But, you don’t take our word for it. Visit fact-checking website Snopes.com. Learn why Charity Watch gives Goodwill an “A” grade as a Charity Watch “Top Rated” organization for Governance & Transparency.
Goodwill organizations are managed at the local level. This means employee compensation is determined by a local board of directors comprised of community members. At Goodwill of the Heartland, we believe in complete transparency regarding our finances. Our executive compensation reflects our annual revenues, the number of services we provide, and our overall community impact.
Here are some other things we think you should know about Goodwill of the Heartland:
- Our employees earn more than the minimum wage. In fact, the starting wage for full time Retail Service Specialists is $14.61/hour. Job coaches start at $16.61/hour.
- We’ve probably helped someone you know. From job training to job placement, we have a variety of services that help find jobs for people who struggle with a wide range of personal barriers. Including (but not limited to): homeless military veterans, people who face physical or emotional barriers, and high school students looking for their first work experience.
- While our stores help fund our mission, they don’t come close to covering all the work we do as a non-profit organization. Many people are under the impression income from our stores pays for everything we do. Unfortunately, the need for our services always exceeds our capacity to pay for the programs we provide. Last year, our stores provided 63% of the revenue needed to fund our programs.
- At Goodwill of the Heartland, 88 cents of every dollar is reinvested in our mission and the communities we serve. This is a percentage far higher than most non-profit organizations. This ratio reflects the high priority we place on improving the lives of those who need our help.
- Goodwill has been honored by Forbes Magazine as America’s 25 Most Inspiring Companies. This honor is one of many reasons we think Goodwill is a great place to work. If you want to work for a great organization, we are hiring! Apply at workatgoodwill.com.
- We make a full disclosure on our website of all our financial information, including our CEO compensation, in our IRS Form 990 and Annual Report.