Palmetto Goodwill
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PALMETTO GOODWILL'S MISSION IS TO CHANGE LIVES BY PROVIDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT. PALMETTO GOODWILL SERVES THIS MISSION BY PROVIDING JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT SERVICES. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED SERVICES TO MORE THAN 11,000 UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS, PLACING 4,000 INDIVIDUALS INTO EMPLOYMENT. IN 2024, GOODWILL'S PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON INDIVIDUALS 55 AND OLDER, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, VETERANS AND THEIR SPOUSES OR CAREGIVERS, SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) RECIPIENTS, AND INDIVIDUALS IMPROVING THEIR DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS. PALMETTO GOODWILL IS WELL-EQUIPPED TO OPERATE LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMS THAT REINVEST IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EXCELLENT STEWARD OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE FUNDING.
- Income
- $65.1 million
- Spending
- $54.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 58%
- Employees
- 2,100
- Volunteers
- 592
- Highest pay
- $543,240, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 59 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 41% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (human services, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $39.9 million spent. GOODWILL'S DONATED GOODS RETAIL PROGRAM PROVIDES EDUCATION, JOB TRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO PEOPLE WITH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT BY COLLECTING AND RESELLING RETAIL ITEMS. SALES OF DONATED CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS PROVIDE JOB TRAINING AND REVENUE FOR JOB READINESS TRAINING, CAREER EXPLORATION SERVICES, AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING. GOODWILL HELPS PEOPLE EARN A LIVING, IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES BY PUTTING 92% OF ITS REVENUE FROM ITS 33 THRIFT STORES BACK INTO MISSION PROGRAMMING. PALMETTO GOODWILL'S DONATION PROGRAM HELPED KEEP MORE THAN 35 MILLION POUNDS OF WASTE OUT OF SOUTH CAROLINA LANDFILLS. GOODWILL'S DIVERSION OF ITEMS FROM LANDFILL IS GOOD FOR OUR PLANET AND ENVIRONMENTBY DIVERTING WASTE FROM OUR LANDFILLS, WE REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
- $7.6 million spent. PALMETTO GOODWILL PROVIDED CAREER NAVIGATION SERVICES TO MORE THAN 11,000 UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED JOB READINESS TRAINING, CAREER EXPLORATION SERVICES, AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING TO NEARLY 4,000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH ITS NETWORK OF CAREER OPPORTUNITY CENTERS, ONLINE TRAINING PROVIDERS, TECHNICAL SCHOOL NETWORK, AND OTHER TRAINING PROVIDERS TO PREPARE INDIVIDUALS FOR IN-DEMAND CAREERS IN THE FIELDS OF (1) HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, (2) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, (3) INDUSTRIAL TRADES, (4) RETAIL TRADE, (5) TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING. IN ADDITION TO TRAINING, PALMETTO GOODWILL PROVIDED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INCLUDING RENT, MORTGAGE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, CLOTHING VOUCHERS, FURNITURE VOUCHERS, BUS PASSES, AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
- $119,724 spent. PALMETTO GOODWILL EXPANDED ITS I-CAN PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS RETURNING FROM INCARCERATION TO THE GRAND STRAND REGIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THROUGH THIS EXPANSION, 121 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT AND STABILIZATION SERVICES SUCH AS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING SUPPORT, ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR EMPLOYMENT, FOOD ACCESS, TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE AND FAMILY REUNIFICATION SUPPORT. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ALSO RECEIVED TWO WEEKS OF INTENSIVE EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TRAINING TO PREPARE THEM FOR EMPLOYMENT. FOLLOWING THIS TRAINING, PARTICIPANTS WERE PROVIDED WITH 12 WEEKS OF TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT WITH PALMETTO GOODWILL WHERE THEY FURTHER DEVELOPED POSITIVE WORK BEHAVIORS AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POSITIVE WORK REFERENCE. UPON COMPLETION OF THE 12 WEEKS OF TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT, PARTICIPANTS COULD PURSUE ONE OF THREE PATHWAYS: 1) CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT WITH PALMETTO GOODWILL 2) JOB PLACEMENT SUPPORT WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYER IN THE COMMUNITY AND/OR 3) FUNDED OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING IN A DEMAND OCCUPATION. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, PALMETTO GOODWILL DISRUPTS THE CYCLE OF INCARCERATION AND PROVIDE A BRIGHT FUTURE TO RETURNING CITIZENS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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