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Know Where Your Donations Are Going

Goodwill Urges Donors to Give to Legitimate Charities

Rockville, MD - Goodwill Industries is reminding donors to consider carefully the manner in which they donate used clothing and other household items this holiday season. Communities across the United States and Canada are seeing the sudden appearance of unattended collection bins. While some are owned by bona fide charities, many actually benefit for-profit organizations.

It is important that donors make an informed choice and know to whom they are giving.

"All too often people want to quickly clear out the things they can no longer use, and simply drop their unwanted items at the nearest collection box," says George W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "People typically assume they are making a charitable donation, but that is not always the case."

Donors can make sure their donations are benefiting the people who need them most by asking the organization a few questions:

• Will my donation be used to support a cause I believe in?
• What percentage of the revenues generated by my donation will directly support the mission of the organization?
• If the collection bin is owned by a for-profit organization, how will my donation help people in need?
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"Give to charities you know and trust," says Kessinger. "Fraudulent charities often modify the names of established groups, so be sure to read carefully the name of the charity on the box before giving. And avoid donating to organizations that can't immediately provide you with information about the causes they are asking you to support."

Donations to Goodwill are sold in Goodwill stores and the proceeds fund job training programs that benefit hundreds of thousands of people each year. When someone is having a hard time finding a job - because of a disability, poverty or lack of education and work experience - Goodwill is there to help.

"At Goodwill, we want people to give as much thought to where they donate their clothes as they would to where they donate their money," says Kessinger. "Every donation to Goodwill is an investment in the economic energy of your community."

To find out more about Goodwill and how it operates, visit www.goodwill.org or call (800) 664-6577.

To download broadcast-quality video, go to www.thenewsmarket.com/goodwill.