Debunking the Myths: The Truth About Goodwill
With so much misinformation online, it’s easy to be misled. We’re here to set the record straight with the facts about your local Goodwill, our work, and the people we serve, so you can donate with confidence.
When you shop at Goodwill, 90 cents of every dollar goes into no-cost career training, education and support services for individuals in the Big Bend Community.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors and customers, we are able to offer courses such as Certified Nursing Assistant, construction, and digital technology at no cost. If you’d like to see Goodwill in action, here’s a story WCTV did on our most recent CNA graduating class:
Our local Goodwill footprint spans 22 counties, from Perry to Destin, and includes four counties in South Georgia. While many see us as (just) a storefront, our primary mission is to use the revenue from your donations to provide career training, and support for individuals in the Big Bend community.
Retail Stores
Regular Stores
Specialty Stores
External Contracts
Attended Donation centers
Career Centers
Employees
Full-Service Car Washes
Inclusive Pre-School
As one of the region’s leading workforce providers, we support individuals overcoming challenges like military transition, education gaps, disabilities, and prior justice system involvement.
In 2025, Goodwill Industries – Big Bend Inc. directly impacted 15,575 lives through career training, education, and support.
Here’s how we made a difference last year:
1,463
people enrolled in online career courses.
590
individuals participated in online workshops including resume building, conflict resolution, job searching, and personal branding.
247
vouchers were issued for Missions Services Participants.
391
persons entered employment.
107+
at-risk or justice involved 18-24 year old’s were served through GIBB’s reentry programs.
7%
recidivism rate for Ignite 2.0 Reentry Program participants over 3 years.
0%
recidivism rate for Growth Opportunities GO4 Reentry Program in first year.
Product pricing as a thrift store with a mission.
Put simply, the more revenue a store generates, the more support it can provide to those within your local community… all at no cost to the participants. Goodwill stores sell donated items to fund no-cost career training, education, job placement and support services for individuals overcoming barriers to employment such as physical disabilities, poverty, justice involvement, and more. In fact, 90 cents of every dollar spent at our stores goes into these initiatives.
And, about our CEO’s salary…
Goodwill is a nonprofit social enterprise, made up of 154 community-based, independent organizations all across the U.S. As a not-for-profit, we are not “owned” by any one individual. Each independent organization relies on strong leadership to run operations and further the mission. We are proud to have competitive compensation in alignment with the North Florida market for all team members. But rest assured, no Goodwill employee earns millions of dollars.
Want to take a deeper dive?
Sharing accurate information about Goodwill is vital. If you ever have a question, please don’t hesitate to reach out at info@goodwillbigbend.com. Misinformation can harm both charities and the people who rely on our services, so let’s chat.