Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Here in SW Florida the Goodwill stores will ask you “would you like to round up to the next dollar” when you are checking out. So if your total is $21.11 for example, they will ask if you’d like to round that up to $22.00.
Amazingly a lot of people say yes! Hello....more free money for Goodwill, since their items are donated in the 1st place. What a SCAM!! Add all this change up after a week’s time and it has to be significant. Is this practice happening in other areas of the country?
Maybe if one is shopping at Goodwill because their own resources are limited, they can ask the clerk to round down and redistribute that round up from the person in front of them.
They probably wouldn't be able to do that on the spot, but depending on the store and employees, the good ones would try to get them a referral to one of their programs or another charity's programs to help get them in a more stable situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
Goodwill is not a charity created to help poor people. It is a charity created to help bring jobs, education and dignity to those with developmental disabilities and other disabilities that make having an independent life difficult. They have never claimed to give money to the poor. Trying to compare the two is like comparing Home Depot to Toys R Us and saying you like Home Depot better because they have people to cut wood for you and Toys R Us doesn't. Goodwill exists to provide job training and community supports to those with disabilities, not to give out food or clothes.
"Our Mission. Goodwill works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people in need reach their full potential through learning and the power of work."
"The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination".
Neither CEO is even in the top 30 of non-profits CEO salaries. Goodwill's CEO does make more salary, but it is harder to tell Salvation Army due to religious status (taxes don't apply so record are not as known) but even aside from his 6 figure salary, Salvation Army's CEO is also given housing as a perk, and who knows what else. As another poster said, Goodwill's CEO salary is a fraction of what private sector CEOs make. How are they supposed to get the best person to run it if they don't offer enough to keep that person from staying in the private sector?
I get what you're saying about the missions of each organization having differences but the two organizations also have some similarities in their missions. Goodwill is helping poor people because if a person with a background that makes it harder to find gainful employment can't find a job, they are going to be in poverty. So Goodwill is about finding practical ways related to employment to prevent poverty. The Salvation Army is more about helping people in an economic crisis (who are also often in long term poverty) and providing them spiritual assistance, often in a tough time in their life. The two organizations are working towards many of the same goals of having their clients have their basic needs met but approach it from a different direction.
And to some people it appears they are competing with each other, and perhaps with their stores that is true to a small degree, but they also have a shared interest in the same goals. And much of their funding comes from grants, which often have a criteria asking questions like "How much are you collaborating with other organizations in your community on solving community problems? Give some examples." The grantors do expect to see collaboration among different charities in a community and don't like to see these agencies competing against each other and duplicating each other's services.
I also agree with your comment about people not thinking the CEOs should be compensated fairly. I do think the organizations have a heightened duty to make sure it isn't excessive or viewed as excessive (which the private sector doesn't have to worry about as much) because credibility of the program is diminished if a salary is excessive. But it does need to be reasonable for the responsibility of leading a complex organization.
It's not just Goodwill, many places do this now. Would you like to round up to the next dollar with the proceeds going to XXXXXX charity? No is my answer every single time.
A lot of us shop at Goodwill because WE are needy. And if they don't stop raising their prices, they are going to price themselves out of the second-hand market.
I barely go into mine here in my town anymore. Prices are getting silly. Too much Target "new" junk, often priced higher than Target was trying to get for it on clearance. And the donated items they get for free? Old, scuffed shoes for $10 and up, used shirts for $5 and up, nope. I won't even donate to them any more. They used to at least give you a discount coupon to use in the store for your donation, but they have gotten too stingy for that.
Maybe not all the Goodwills are like this. But if I do go, I never round up. I worked at a department store that was doing this and none of us ever got a clear idea of where exactly the "rounded up" money was going.
I prefer to shop the church direct-charity and mission thrift stores where I know they are actually putting people from bad situations to work, because I can see it.
I was in ours yesterday. I was shocked when I looked at some of the prices on used shoes. One pair of heels was $39. You can get new for less than that at Kohls on clearance or using their coupons when on sale.
I was in ours yesterday. I was shocked when I looked at some of the prices on used shoes. One pair of heels was $39. You can get new for less than that at Kohls on clearance or using their coupons when on sale.
I would guess that those shoes were a high end designer brand that someone will happily buy for 10% or less of what they would cost to buy new.
Some people shop at Goodwill in hopes of paying the least possible amount they can, others hope to find a really great deal on something that would have otherwise been more expensive. Probably most people are somewhere in the middle.
Goodwill is a charitable organization that provides job training. The clothing may be donated, but the real estate the store is in costs money to rent or buy. The electric bill that makes it possible to see all of that donated clothing isn't donated, and neither is the heat or AC that makes it comfortable to shop in that store.
I don't get being resentful of their attempt to raise money to do more of what their organization's mission is.
Goodwill is a charitable organization that provides job training. The clothing may be donated, but the real estate the store is in costs money to rent or buy. The electric bill that makes it possible to see all of that donated clothing isn't donated, and neither is the heat or AC that makes it comfortable to shop in that store.
I don't get being resentful of their attempt to raise money to do more of what their organization's mission is.
I guess you haven't seen the charts breaking down what people actually get versus their profit. And their CEO is paid an outrageous amount.
There are better "charities" (P.S. they aren't a "charity.)
Sometimes I do round up, if it is just a few cents.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
