Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Systemic inequalities perpetuate the cycle of poverty. -16% of adults have no digital skills; and the digital divide disproportionately impacts individuals who identify as Black (22% have no digital skills) or Hispanic (35% have no digital skills) -16% of adults score below a basic reading level, and 33% of adults score below a basic math level; and Black and Latino communities see a disproportionate rate of poor reading and numeracy skills -In the Kansas City area, only 28% of people who identify as Black and 25% of people who identify as Hispanic have at least an Associate’s degree Just within 3 miles of our primary location -17,000 people do not have a HS diploma, and 42,000 have a HS diploma but no degree -Over 6500 people are unemployed -Community residents and stakeholders expressed a desire for more access to short-term job training and adult education We aim to upskill individuals to close gaps and create generational wealth through the power of work.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Individualized Employment Services
COVID19 caused the unemployment rate to spike at 11% in our region. While the unemployment rate has steadily declined, many people are still in need of support.
Goodwill's employment services support adults seeking to earn employment and advance their careers. Participants work one-on-one with Workforce Development Specialists to create Career Development Plans that outline their career goals and the steps it will take to accomplish those goals. The purpose of these services is to support individuals in successfully overcoming barriers and consistently moving forward on their career journey.
Each person receives services in a customized way based on their individual needs. Services may include: career development planning, career exploration, resume development, interview practice, benefits navigation, job application support, wraparound services, digital skills training, essential skills training, financial literacy support, job placement, and retention support.
AbilityOne
In 2019, only 19.3% of persons with a disability were employed in the United States. For persons without a disability, the employment participation rate is 66.3%.
From AbilityOne.gov: "The AbilityOne Program uses the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from participating, community-based nonprofit agencies nationwide, dedicated to training and employing individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities. Through the AbilityOne Program, people who are blind or have significant disabilities enjoy full participation in their community and can market their AbilityOne-learned skills into other public and private sector jobs."
Goodwill manages AbilityOne contracts for janitorial services at the Richard Bolling Federal Building and Fort Leavenworth. The contracts provide living wage employment, benefits, wraparound services, ongoing case management, and high quality of life for individuals with significant disabilities.
Reentry Services
Annually, nearly 20,000 individuals are released from incarceration in Missouri, and between 2000 and 4000 settle in Kansas City. These individuals face significant barriers in their reentry. Within three years of release, over two thirds of prior offenders recidivate, and within five years, over three fourths are rearrested. Employment is one of the most important factors in preventing recidivism.
Goodwill provides support to individuals with legal history in earning and keeping employment. Participants may get immediate employment at Goodwill or elsewhere. Simultaneously, workers are provided services to support advancing their careers long term, including creating an individual career development plan, digital skills training, funding for transportation, funding for clothing and devices, referrals for other wraparound services, and funding for vocational training. The goal is for justice-involved individuals to secure employment, advance their careers, and not recidivate.
Digital Skills Training and Navigation
82% of job openings require basic digital skills. However, 32 million Americans have no digital skills at all, and over half of Americans have some basic digital skills, but struggle with comprehensive digital literacy. The digital divide also disproportionately impacts individuals who are older, black, and Hispanic. 35% of Hispanic individuals, and 22% of African American individuals, have no digital skills.
Goodwill offers digital skills assessments and training in order to combat the digital divide. Goodwill offers training in the following areas: basic computing skills, Internet basics, using email, Window, Mac OS, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and web browsing. These training courses occur in-person, virtually, or via our mobile workforce unit. In addition to digital skills training, our digital navigation services help individuals access free or inexpensive devices and home broadband.
Goodwill Artemis Institute - Bridge to Technology
Most middle-skill careers require high school-level skills. Yet, 1 in 6 adults in the US scores below a basic reading level, and 1 in 3 adults in the US scores below a basic math level. Socioeconomic factors have a strong impact, and Black and Latino communities see a disproportionate rate of poor reading and numeracy skills. Many credential programs exist in our region, but interested individuals are locked out because they cannot pass pre-assessments.
The Bridge to Technology course quickly upskills individuals who have an interest in tech careers. We offer training in numeracy, literacy, digital skills, and 21st Century skills. Modules describe the 4th Industrial Revolution, and the new industries and job opportunities it is creating. Workforce Development Specialists walk alongside participants to provide wraparound services and career exploration. Additionally, students meet with and tour hiring employers and other training sites to help inform their career goals.
Goodwill Artemis Institute - Certified Manufacturing Associate
54 million jobs in the US may be lost by 2030 due to automation, meaning many adults are working in low-wage occupations with skills that will soon become obsolete. But, more positions are being created to use that technology in manufacturing. Over the next five years, 34,000 workers are expected to be hired into skilled production positions in Kansas City.
Goodwill’s Certified Manufacturing Associate course offers an industry-recognized credential in just three weeks. Goodwill partners with ToolingU to provide web-based training modules and an exam, covering topics such as measurements, blueprint reading, safety considerations, etc. Missouri Enterprise collaborates with Goodwill, offering guided instruction and support for students. Goodwill also has a lab with equipment and simulators to support hands-on practice and preparation. Employers come onsite on graduation day to conduct interviews and to hire.
Donated Goods Retail
Goodwill operates sixteen donated goods retail stores and one outlet center. At these locations, generous community members donate gently used clothing and household items and Goodwill resells them to others. The sale of unwanted items provides funds to support our local employment programs and services. Additionally, Goodwill retail staff have access to all of Goodwill's employment programs and services; we intentionally empower employees to work with the workforce development team to create career development plans, pursue training, and advance their careers - at Goodwill, or otherwise. Goodwill's resale stores also support sustainability, by providing a convenient way for individuals to share their unused items. Resale diverts millions of pounds of goods from landfills each year.
Where we work
Accreditations
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) - Employment and Community Services - 3 Year Accreditation 2013
(CARF) - Employment and Community Services - 3 Year Accreditation 2017
(CARF) - Employment and Community Services - 3 Year Accreditation 2020
Awards
Sustainability Awards - Gold Winner 2018
Kanas City Industrial Council
Employer of Choice 2021
Employer of Choice International Inc.
Affiliations & memberships
Nonprofit Connect Member 2018
External reviews
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of participants who gain employment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Goodwill empowers people to earn and keep employment. We track how many individuals earn a job while, and immediately after, a person receives services.
Number of clients satisfied with employment training services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
We survey participants annually to ensure we are meeting expectations and providing satisfactory services. We measure this as a percentage who give a rating of "highly satisfied" or "satisfied".
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This is the total number of unduplicated individuals served across all of our services and workforce development programs.
Total weight of materials recycled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Goodwill receives generous donations of used household items and clothing from the community. Items are sold, salvaged, or recycled to maximize waste reduction. This number is total donation poundage.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas empowers people to discover their potential and adapt for the future through the power of work. Goodwill strives to be a leader in innovative practices that promote individual self-sustainability for people who have been marginalized.
Goodwill remains committed to helping people become more independent and reach their potential, primarily through education, training, and employment. While the core of our mission is unchanged, we will seek new collaborations and partnerships with like-minded organizations and businesses. Our services and operations will expand thoughtfully and with the support of local communities. We will build a greater understanding of our work and why it matters, and we will increase the number of persons served while working to further improve individual outcomes.
We aim to:
- Engage proactively with individuals with barriers, individuals who have been marginalized, individuals who are under- and unemployed, and individuals of low to moderate income
- Expose individuals to new, future-state opportunities in the workforce
- Train individuals in the skills needed for the future state of work, including digital literacy, 21st Century skills, numeracy, literacy, and tech-career credentials
- Support individuals in earning right-fit jobs
- Connect individuals to wraparound supports
- Empower people to retain work and advance their careers
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To accomplish our goals, we will:
- Continue to offer, and improve efficiency of, programs that overcome barriers, offer new skills, and provide credentials
- Seek community partners for collaboration on overcoming barriers and providing wraparound services for participants
- Become a community convener, influencer, and advocate for emerging issues around equity, adult education, and the future state of work
- Launch career training opportunities for tech-jobs of the future
- Become an employer of choice so that we can attract, hire, and retain diverse talent; serve our own employees in the same way that we serve community-based participants
- Create a culture of learning, growth, and accountability
- Open new Goodwill resale stores to grow sustainable revenue for our mission
- Grow janitorial service offerings to continue to diversify revenue
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas has been providing workforce development services for 129 years. Since our inception, we have:
- Served 636,000 people
- Provided over 23,000,000 services
- Secured over 203,000 jobs
We are also part of an international network of 150+ Goodwill organizations, the leading workforce development entity in the US. In 2019, Goodwill collectively served more than 25.7 million people. One out of every 275 new hires received services from a Goodwill.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas
Board of directorsas of 06/26/2023
Mr. Jason Spacek
Barkley Health Innovations
Beth Ward
Smart Warehousing
Kelly Schemenauer
AMC Entertainment
Mike Collins
Foley Equipment
Awais Sufi
SchoolSmartKC
Andrew Place
GEHA
Carolyn Vertovec
Fisher Investments
Christian Scharosch
1248 Holdings and Montage Investments
Jason Spacek
Barkley Health Innovations
Sandra Garcia
Metropolitan Community College
Sheri Johnson
McCownGordon Construction
Katie Lord
Proof Positioning
Shawn Richardson
TVH Parts, Co.
Janet Mark
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Jill Whitmore
Oracle
Brandon Thompson
KC Blue
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/18/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.