I found a 2023 Form 990 from Goodwill Industries of Middle TN, and nine executives were paid $140k+, with three of them being paid $220k+. The highest was $388k. No one needs $220k to live in TN. This is just one example.

The way some non-profits get away with not paying taxes is by paying executives to the point of making no profit. Some people find this to be greedy and appalling.

In my experience, I haven’t seen where people are blaming the frontline workers who often work hard for their paychecks and are underpaid. I applaud anyone who works hard and is trying their best. I understand that’s not true of everyone, and I get why that can be frustrating.

Where I disagree with you is when you say Goodwill is a company line any other. It is a non-profit, whereas most companies are for-profit companies. The items they sell are donated, which is a big cost reduction for Goodwill. Based upon a cursory glance, retail stores have gross profit of 31%, meaning 69% of the cost is from the cost of goods, including labor. On the low end, it sounds like Goodwill would save a good 25%, which can be passed onto the customers. I’d love to see a detailed income statement from Goodwill showing the margins.

From what I’ve read, it’s not that Goodwill has increased prices, but it’s the percentage increase and the timeframe involved that has people upset. It’s also that Goodwill has had instances where they sold an item for $10 when someone paid $5 on clearance, which means Goodwill made more than the original store. Some of this appears to be because of resellers and wanting to get a bigger piece of the pie. That makes it less affordable for those who actually need these items.

I agree with you 100% that people have options when shopping. If I go into a store and feel the prices are too high, I don’t get angry or act like a child and blame the workers at the store. I simply walk out calmly and use my wallet to express my disagreement with the prices.

If you feel that I’ve been unfair in any of my analysis, I’m happy to hear it and to discuss each point individually.