Rumors

Your donations to Goodwill's Retail & Donation Centers and your financial contributions to Goodwill SWFL fund programs and services that assist tens of thousands of Southwest Floridians each year.

Unfortunately, we sometimes stand in the line of fire from individuals and organizations who are misinformed and/or misrepresent us to the public.

This negative rumor mill has recently resurfaced in the form of a six-year-old email that includes a variation of a message like this: "Think about these before you donate. As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep these facts in mind..."

The message then quotes erroneous information and salary figures for several nonprofit organizations' chief executives, including a reference to a so-called, "Goodwill CEO and Owner Mark Curran, who profits $2.3 million a year."

This information is erroneous.

That is the one legitimate message that this damaging hoax email contains. We also suggest that you learn more about the charities you'd like to support. Make sure the organization you choose uses its revenue for charitable purposes that support a mission you believe in.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the GuideStar website by Candid, which posts financial records and independent reviews of charities. There, you can review our IRS 990 form, required of most federally tax-exempt organizations GuideStar by Candid has certified Goodwill Industries International with the GuideStar Exchange Seal for its commitment to transparency.

For more information debunking this hoax email, please visit snopes.com, a website which validates and debunks urban legends, Internet rumors, email forwards, and other stories of unknown or questionable origin.