Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SINCE 2006, GOODWILL OF THE SOUTHERN RIVERS (GOODWILLSR) HAS INTENSELY FOCUSED ON EXPANDING ITS MISSION TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE IN MORE COMMUNITIES. WHEN WE BEGAN THIS JOURNEY, WE PROVIDED SERVICES IN FOUR FACILITIES IN COLUMBUS AND ALBANY, GEORGIA.TODAY, INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN AND NEAR LAGRANGE, NEWNAN, ALBANY, CARROLLTON, COLUMBUS, TIFTON AND VALDOSTA GEORGIA AS WELL AS AUBURN/OPELIKA AND PHENIX CITY, ALABAMA HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES PROVIDED BY GOODWILLSR IN NINE FACILITIES. OUR MISSION IS CHANGING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF WORK. OUR RETAIL STORES ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY AND DELIVERY OF THE MISSION THROUGHOUT OUR 50-COUNTY TERRITORY IN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA. THE SALE OF DONATED ITEMS YIELDS THE DOLLARS TO MAINTAIN THE STORE AND FUND MOST OF THE TRAINING, PLACEMENT AND FINANCIAL CLASSES WE OFFER. THE TRAINING PROGRAMS OFFERED THROUGH OUR TRAINING CENTERS AND FREE CAREER SERVICES IN CAREER CENTERS THROUGHOUT OUR TERRITORY HELP EASE POVERTY AND UNEMPLOYMENT WHILE POSITIVELY IM
- Income
- $45.3 million
- Spending
- $44.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 90%
- Employees
- 1,512
- Volunteers
- 60
- Highest pay
- $475,661, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (employment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.0 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 45% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (employment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 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, 2025, 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 (2)
- $42.8 million spent. THE SALE OF GENTLY USED DONATIONS IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE THROUGH WHICH GOODWILLSR FUNDS ITS SERVICES. THESE SALES REPRESENT NEARLY 95% OF GROSS REVENUE. DURING 2025, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 278 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH ITS RETAIL OPERATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, NINE RETAIL LOCATIONS PROVIDED MISSION-RELATED SERVICES ON-SITE, RESULTING IN 36,403 PEOPLE SERVED AND 6,090 JOB CONNECTIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE STORE LOCATIONS, GOODWILLSR HAD 35 DONATION SITES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE 50-COUNTY TERRITORY IN GEORGIA AND ALABAMA. GOODWILLSR COLLECTED GENTLY USED HOUSEHOLD GOODS FROM 513,288 DONORS, DIVERTING 8,423,760 POUNDS FROM COMMUNITY LANDFILLS. MORE INFORMATION ON GOODWILLSR'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS IS LOCATED THROUGHOUT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.GOODWILLSR.ORG.
- DURING 2025, MISSION SERVICES AIDED 36,403 INDIVIDUALS AND MADE 6,090 JOBCONNECTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION ASSISTED INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER DISADVANTAGES THROUGH A HOST OF SERVICES LOCATED IN GOODWILLSR CAREER CENTERS AND TRAINING FACILITIES INCLUDING: WORK EVALUATION, WORK ADJUSTMENT, SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT, WORK EXPERIENCE, CUSTODIAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, RETAIL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, SUMMER ENRICHMENT, GED PREPARATION AND TEST FUNDING, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER CLASSES, IN-SCHOOL SUPPORTS, COMMUNITY VOUCHERS, POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL SUPPORTS, RESTAURANT FOOD SERVICE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION, AND RETURNING CITIZENS TRAINING. ALL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT NO COST TO THE CLIENT THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FUNDERS AND GRANTS. RESPONDING TO AN INCREASING HISPANIC POPULATION IN THE TERRITORY, THE GOODWILLSR HISPANIC SERVICES PROGRAM OFFERS FREE SERVICES BASED ON THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, WITH BILINGUAL CAREER CENTERS LOCATED IN COLUMBUS, NEWNAN, AND VALDOSTA, GEORGIA. HISPANIC SERVICES AIDED 2,888 CLIENTS IN 2025. PROGRAMS INCLUDE BILINGUAL WORKSHOPS, JOB FAIRS, AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) CLASSES. THE PROGRAM ALSO ENGAGES PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AGENCIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THE HISPANIC YOUTH PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYMENT (HYPE) ENCOURAGES HIGH SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS TO FINISH SCHOOL WHILE PREPARING THEM FOR THE WORKFORCE. THE GOAL OF HYPE IS TO HELP DECREASE THE NUMBER OF HISPANIC STUDENTS DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER RACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP NATIONWIDE. IN 2010, GOODWILLSR BEGAN OFFERING FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO MET CERTAIN INCOME REQUIREMENTS THROUGH AN IRS SPONSORED GRANT CALLED VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE, OR VITA. IN 2025, GOODWILLSR SERVED 7,813 CLIENTS, RESULTING IN REFUNDS THAT SURPASSED $6.3 MILLION. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOODWILLSR'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PLEASE VISIT US AT WWW.GOODWILLSR.ORG.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 2025.
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 November 1964.
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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