Think Before You Donate

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia is proud to be recognized by GuideStar, an online nonprofit database that has certified us with the Platinum Seal of Approval, the highest possible rating possible, for our commitment to transparency. View Goodwill’s financial information on GuideStar here.

Get the Fact About Online Rumors!

There is no shortage of misinformation that can be read online – and that includes misinformation about Goodwill. We want to make sure you have the correct facts about our organization, mission, people, and services so you can donate and shop with confidence.

As one of the largest and most diverse social and human service organizations in the region, Goodwill serves thousands of people each year and helps thousands of individuals find jobs. We provide a broad array of employment-related education and workforce development services for people with special needs and barriers to employment.

As a nonprofit, Goodwill does not have an owner and is run by a volunteer board of directors. Monique McIntosh is the President/CEO of Goodwill Southwestern Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia. Monique succeeded Mike Smith who retired in early October 2022 and was Goodwill SWPA’s President/CEO since 2002. Steve Preston is the CEO of Goodwill Industries International (GII). No one by the name of Mark Curran has ever been a Goodwill CEO.

We want you to be assured that your donations are being used wisely, so here are the facts about Goodwill:

  • Across the country, Goodwill spends about 82 cents of every dollar on programs and services for people in need. Goodwill SWPA is proud to report that this number is nearly 90 cents of every dollar. This is a very healthy number in the nonprofit world, and a solid indicator of our commitment to good stewardship of your donations.
  • Goodwill has a more than 120-year-plus track record in providing services that meet critical human needs in local communities in the U.S., Canada, and 13 other countries. Goodwill SWPA has been serving people since 1919.
  • Goodwill has over 50 programs and services that help people overcome barriers to employment, including individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, displaced workers, participants in welfare-to-work programs, people who are homeless, have limited work experience or education, job skills or training, veterans, youth and older workers, and people with criminal backgrounds. Last year, Goodwill is Southwestern Pennsylvania served 12,411 adults and youth, including 3,809 virtually, while employing nearly 1,200 people. These factors resulted in $90,310,100 economic output during the year. Additionally last year, Goodwill kept over 15 million pounds of material out of landfills and saved 1.7 billion gallons of water through recycling.

Goodwill encourages you to think before you donate and to research and learn more about the charities you’d like to support. Be certain the organization you choose uses its revenue for charitable purposes that support a mission you can get behind.

Documents

We invite you to view Goodwill’s financial information in our Annual Reports, which can be found on our website.