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Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota

Mission

Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that offers job training and customized
career support to eliminate barriers to work and independence. Proceeds from thrift retail, e-commerce, grants and financial contributions fund our services that help Minnesotans get equitable access to employment opportunities and realize the power of work. Shopping and donating divert over 65 million pounds from local landfills annually and have helped us connect people to jobs since 1919. 

       

      Our mission

      To eliminate barriers to work and independence.

      Our Vision

      A world where everyone experiences the power of work.

      Our services

      We prepare people for work to address labor disparities in Minnesota.

        EQUITY STATEMENT

        Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota believes that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are central to our mission to eliminate barriers to work and independence, and our vision of a world where everyone experiences the power of work. We strive to reflect the communities we serve and strengthen partnerships, while making a solid case for the importance of this work. We will bring diversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront internally and externally and speak out against overt and systemic racism, oppressions and inequities.
         

        • As an employer we will build on employee engagement and inclusion efforts.
        • As a community member we will reflect our service communities and actively learn together.
        • As a service provider we will create equitable opportunities.
        • As an advocate we will influence systems change.

        OPENING DOORS TO BRIGHTER FUTURES

        Community Need: Minnesotans are still recovering from pandemic-related job loss; in the last year unemployment applications reached 1.4 million and 344,000 people were unemployed.

        Our Response:

        • We support people seeking career growth and stability with digital literacy skills, resume refinement and free, job-specifictraining like construction or IT to help people find meaningful work.

        • Our outcomes are life-changing: all participants experience an average annual increase in earnings of $26,452 and 82% are employed after six months. Dislocated worker participants experience an average annual wage increase of $52,739.

        Community Need: Income inequality and wage gaps in our community are among the highest in the nation; Minnesota’s pay disparity for BIPOC people is over 30%.

        Our Response:

        • We are part of the solution: our individualized services, like career navigation and job support, help narrow this gap for job applicants who are often underrepresented (52% of the people we serve are BIPOC and 64% have one or more disabilities).

        Community Need: Minnesotans generate nearly 6 million tons of waste for local landfills every year.

        Our Response:

        • Shopping and donating helps us divert over 65 million pounds from Minnesota’s landfills annually.
        • Our commitment to sustainability includes solar energy at 15% of our stores, electric car charging stations and partnership with 160 Goodwill agencies that divert over 4.5 billion pounds from landfills every year.

        ADVOCACY

        Every year we make progress in advancing workforce-related public policy, engaging with hundreds of elected officials on public policy objectives. Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota is a member of the MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities and the MN Second Chance Coalition. Contact Deanna Smiley Gulliford or call 651-379-5940 with questions.

        CERTIFICATIONS & ACCREDITATIONS

        GESMN holds many certifications and accreditations to ensure transparency with donors and the highest level of service to our program participants. Nationally, Goodwill is rated an "A" grade by Charity Watch, and GESMN has earned nearly a dozen 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, a distinction obtained by only 2% of charities nationwide.

        Americans told the World Value Index that Goodwill is the brand they trust more than any other. The World Value Index is based on a nationally representative, comprehensive survey of 3,000 Americans on perception, awareness and behaviors in response to the purpose and mission of organizations and brands.

        Leadership

        executive team

        Photo of Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Brent Babcock

        Brent Babcock
        Chief Sales &
        Marketing Officer

        Photo of Chief Human Resources and Risk Officer Jinah Chernivec

        Jinah Chernivec
        Chief Human Resources
        & Risk Officer

        Photo of Mary Jones, Chief Philanthropy Officer

        Mary Jones
        Chief Philanthropy Officer

        Photo of Chief Services and Programs & Philanthropy Officer, Shiela Olson

        Sheila Olson
        Chief Services &
        Programs Officer

        Photo of Chief Finance Officer Jeff Uecher

        Jeff Uecker
        Chief Financial Officer

        Photo of President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Wirth-Davis, D.P.A.

        Michael Wirth-Davis,
        DPA
        President &
        Chief Executive Officer

        Board Members

        Stephanie Albert, JD (’25)

        EVP, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Asst. Corporate Secretary, Stratacor

        Anthony Bass, MDiv, MBA (’25)

        Senior Executive Director,
        American Cancer Society ‐ Minnesota

        Paulette Baukol (’25)

        CEO,
        INDiGO Solutions

        Margaret Camp, MBA, JD ('23)

        Vice President, Business Unit Operations,
        Wolters Kluwer

        Kortney Cartwright ('24) Vice Chair

        District Branch Manager, BCForward

        Marcella de la Torre, EdD (’24)

        Director, AACSB Administration/Health Care Outreach, Opus College of Business,
        University of St. Thomas

        Sonjia Erickson ('23)

        Design Director, Product Design & Development, Target Corporation

        Andrew Feikema ('25)

        Senior Vice President/Relationship Manager,
        US Bank Corporate Banking

        Mike Finger, MA ('25) Treasurer

        Founder, ExitOasis.com

        Debbie Galka, MBA (ex-officio)

        Chair, Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation
        Wealth Management Chief Operations Officer,
        US Bank

        Peggy L. Kadlec ('24)

        Chief Human Resources Officer/Executive,
        Cadré Incorporated

        Rachel Lockett ('24) Chair

        Chief Information Officer,
        Pohlad Companies /Marquette Companies

        Sita Morantz ('23)

        Chief Acquisition Integration and Community Engagement Officer, Marsden Holding L.L.C.

        Leslie Olson, MBA ('23)

        Director – Strategic Performance Analytics,
        Thrivent Financial

        Elizabeth Ortloff (’24)

        SVP, Senior Compliance & Audit Officer,
        EntreBank

        Charla Sheffield, MBA (’25)

        Community Advocate

        Valerie Krzywkowski Snyder, JD ('25) Secretary

        Supervising Attorney, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

        Morgan Truscott (’24)

        Executive Director, JP Morgan Private Bank

        Ivan Winship (’25)

        Vice President of Finance and Administration, Minnesota Orchestra

        Michael Wirth-Davis, DPA (ex-officio)

        President & CEO, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota

        key contacts

        Melissa Becker
        Marketing & Communications Director

        Nick Adams
        Retail Stores Senior Director

        Ann Marie Courchene
        Retail Operations & Logistics Senior Director

        Dan Schultz
        Director of Outlets/Wholesale

        Deanna Smiley Gulliford
        Public Affairs Director

        Shannon Schaaf
        Philanthropy Director

        Have a question? Contact us.

        Inclusion

        Image of colored sillouttes of individuals with blue text on the right that states "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion"

        Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota's mission to eliminate barriers to work and independence is deeply rooted in inclusion.  We help connect people to jobs who are often overlooked or underrepresented in the workforce. 

        The unemployment rate in Minnesota is 60% higher for people with disabilities; the poverty rate for families of color is up to three times that of white families. We support job applicants with employment readiness, career navigation and job training because these disparities are unacceptable to us.

        illustration with line drawings of individuals in blue, green and orange colors

        EQUITY STATEMENT

        Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota believes that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are central to our mission to eliminate barriers to work and independence, and our vision of a world where everyone experiences the power of work. We strive to reflect the communities we serve and strengthen partnerships, while making a solid case for the importance of this work. We will bring diversity, equity and inclusion to the forefront internally and externally and speak out against overt and systemic racism, oppressions and inequities.

        • As an employer we will build on employee engagement and inclusion efforts.
        • As a community member we will reflect our service communities and actively learn together.
        • As a service provider we will create equitable opportunities.
        • As an advocate we will influence systems change.

        DEI STRATEGIC PILLARS

        Employer Action works on building on employee engagement and inclusion efforts in the following ways: Employee-driven DEI council shares educational opportunities and hosts space for people to be their authentic selves. Actively recruit and retain people
        Service Provider Action is carried out to create equitable career access and opportunity. GESMN accomplishes these goals in the following ways. Build a more inclusive workforce and help stabilize families through the power of work.
        Community Action is reflected in our service communities and actively learning in the following ways: Employees source vendors, partners and support BIPOC-owned businesses. We week out and speak to diverse audiences, ensuring marketing and communications For our advovacy action, we work to influence systems change and speak up in the following ways: Participation in Second Chance, Homeless, Mental Health advocacy days at the capitol.

        DEI COUNCIL

        Our employees help build a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion that permeates all areas of our work. A DEI Council with staff members from across the organization shares educational opportunities, conducts listening sessions and hosts spaces for people to be their authentic selves. We also have a staff team that proactively discusses accessibility/identifies areas to improve.

        OUR ACTIONS

        We believe in action-oriented DEI efforts, which are always evolving and will be updated here:

        • Calling on employees to source vendors, partners and support businesses that are women and BIPOC-owned.
        • We link arms with other nonprofits to speak out against racial injustice, economic disparities and discrimination. Get details.
        • We actively work to recruit and retain people of color, people from diverse backgrounds and we recognize the intersectionality in every individual that interacts with us.
        • Women are strong leaders at GESMN! Three of our five chief officers are female, as well as women in leadership roles across the entire organization. 
        • We seek out and speak to diverse audiences, ensuring our marketing and communications efforts are accessible and inclusive.

        We will aways have work to do.  We will listen with open, honest minds.  We will get uncomfortable in our efforts to increase understanding, and work to create a more fair playing field for all.

         

        Check out these free DEI events:

        FAQ

        Photo of an adult and a child drawing the Goodwill logo in chalk on asphalt

        FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

        FACTS AND MYTHS

        Goodwill is widely known and respected as a nonprofit that funds job training and employment services through the sales of donated items. Because our brand is internationally known and been around for over a decade, sometimes individuals and organizations are misinformed about who we are.

        Next time you see a friend perpetuating these common hoax topics, please share the facts:

         

        • Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization, not a for-profit company.
        • “Why do you sell things that you get for free?” Donations stock stores to support our mission, but there are many costs to get that lamp from your trunk onto a shelf.
        • We employ over 2,000 people in our communites and everyone earns more than the MN minimum wage.
        • Our 45 local retail stores, 3 outlets, e-commerce and aftermarket operations handled over 75 million donated items last year to provide funding for services and programs that eliminate
          barriers to work and independence.
        • Our commitment to sustainability includes solar energy at 15% of our stores, electric car charging stations and partnership with 160 Goodwill agencies that divert over 4.5 billion pounds
          from landfills every year.
        • CEO Michael Wirth-Davis, DPA has led the organization for over 30 years. He teaches and volunteers his time speaking to various groups (he doesn’t have a yacht or get paid millions of dollars). His compensation, like all nonprofit CEOs is available in our Form 990.
        • Our free workforce services help narrow the gap for job applicants who are often underrepresented (52% of the people we serve are BIPOC and 64% have one or more disabilities).

         

        Resources

        Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the Federal Tax ID: 41-0706171.