Goodwill Industries International (National Office)

CharityWatch is unable to provide a letter grade rating of Goodwill Industries International (GII) at this time due to our specific concerns about the charity's financial reporting. For this reason we have assigned it a "?" rating for its 2024 fiscal year based on our analysis of the organization's IRS Tax Form 990 and audited financial statements for that period. Specifically, CharityWatch is concerned that the charity could be including certain fundraising expenses in its reported program expenses. 

CharityWatch contacted GII on August 8, 2025, via U.S. mail and email with questions about its financial reporting for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. 

CharityWatch requested a general breakdown what services were rendered in relation to the $10,308,917 of Other Professional Fees (line 11g). Specifically, CharityWatch asked for:

*The types of services provided (e.g., legal, communications, research, consulting, IT, campaign support, etc.);

*The approximate dollar amounts allocated to each service category;

*Whether any services rendered included any fundraising, advertising, or marketing activity that includes a request for donations; and

*Whether any payments were made to professional fundraising companies or third-party development vendors, even if not reported under "Professional Fundraising Services" due to classification or thresholds.

Furthermore, CharityWatch requested that GII confirm that they incurred no Joint Costs during the fiscal year, and to provide total joint costs along with the related functional expense allocations if they did incur Joint Costs. 

As of the date of this note, September 22, 2025, we have not yet received a response. If GII provides an adequate response to the above questions in the future, CharityWatch may update GII's fiscal 2024 rating at that time.

CharityWatch's rating of Goodwill Industries International (GII) is based on the GII audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024. The rating does not include the local GII member organizations that operate as autonomous, community-based nonprofit corporations.

According to the GII consolidated audit of December 31, 2024 (Note 1 re: Nature of activities):

"...GII functions as a member association comprised of a network of independent community-based Goodwill organizations in the United States and Canada and international affiliates. GII works to enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by strengthening their communities and helping those having difficulty finding employment reach their full potential through learning and the power of work. GII facilitates member-to-member sharing, knowledge transfer and direct and supportive services to assist members in providing local community mission services. Each local Goodwill organization is an autonomous member of GII that operates as a nonprofit corporation. This independence affords local Goodwill organizations the flexibility to respond to community needs and opportunities. GII also advocates on behalf of its membership with the federal government, corporate, foundation and international entities."

According to the Goodwill Industries International (GII) consolidated audit of December 31, 2024, Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, GII had expenditures of federal awards to subrecipients in the amount of $26,080,878 in 2024. CharityWatch excludes GII's expenditures to subrecipient member Goodwills from its calculation of GII's Program Percentage.

According to the Goodwill Industries International (GII) consolidated audit of December 31, 2024 (Note 14, Contributions of Nonfinancial Assets):

GII received contributions of nonfinancial assets during fiscal 2024 on which it placed a total value of $4,458,128. Of this amount, $3,109,058 was attributed to "Media."

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to the Goodwill Industries International (GII) consolidated audit of December 31, 2024 (Note 15, Subsequent Events):

"Subsequent to year-end, President Trump signed several executive orders (EOs) ordering the pause or termination of federal assistance for programs that do not align with the new administration’s policies. The Administration has tasked federal departments with evaluating all federal programs they administer to determine if the funding being provided falls under any of the EOs. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Organization recognized federal financial assistance totaling $28,789,812 and at December 31, 2024 had outstanding federal receivables of $2,773,742. The Organization has not experienced any issues with the collectability of the receivables as a result of the EOs. As of the date of this report, the full impact of President Trump’s EOs on the Organization’s financial position and results of operations is uncertain. Management is actively monitoring the situation and assessing the potential effects on the Organization’s consolidated financial statements."

According to the Goodwill Industries International (GII) 2024 tax filing, GII reports re: Compensation, Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II):

GII reports providing "bonus & incentive compensation" during 2024 to twelve individuals. Steven C. Preston, Chief Executive Officer, received $82,809 of bonus and incentive compensation, with total reported compensation of $724,605. The other eleven individuals received $6,965 to $36,658, with total reported compensation ranging from $258,736 to $486,576.