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Giving

Ways To Give

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With your help, we connect people to jobs every day.
 

  • Your gifts help sustain a holistic approach, ranging from assistance with interview clothing or a new tool belt, to industry-specific job training programs.
  • Advocates for workforce-related public policy engage with over 100 elected officials annually, putting Minnesotans to work regardless of their barriers.
  • In any given year, we partner with 150+ government and nonprofit agencies to connect participants with community resources with your support.
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Ways to Give

  1. Become a monthly supporter – it’s the easiest and most efficient way to support our neighbors all year long!
  2. Give online today
  3. Make a tribute gift in someone's honor.
  4. Mail your gift:
    Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation
    Lockbox 446003
    P.O. Box 64056
    St. Paul, MN 55164-0017
  5. Make a gift of stock.
  6. Leave a bequest or contact us to explore all of your planned giving options.
  7. Become a Sustaining Sponsor. Companies can amplify their brand exposure while strengthening their support of the individuals served by GESMN. Annual sponsorship opportunities include signature, customizable benefits throughout the year.

Connect with Us

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Your Impact

Your generous support helps open doors to brighter futures for people in our community. Here are some of the people we helped experience the power of work:

Photo of Van working on the house during his training

A partnership with Ramsey County not only helped revitalize a historic St. Paul home, it helped launch Van's career and future in home remodeling. Van graduated from our construction training program and gained experience to help him enter into the field. Read about Van's journey.

Photo of Josie smiling.

Josie was working multiple jobs and 80 hours/week to support her family. After graduating from our Business Professional Pathways program, she is now a rising star ayt Allina.  Read her story.

News & Events

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You Fuel the Power of Work

Winter/Spring Newsletter 2024

Thanks to your strong volunteer and donor support, we have raised over $12 million toward our $12.8 million Power of Work Campaign goal.

We are putting these investments to work, reaching people where they are, expanding digital skills training and resources for participants, and building long-term support forjob seekers in the region.

Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota focuses on reaching the overlooked workforce, whose barriers may include lack of education or training, mental health, disability, justice involvement, generational poverty, or lack of transportation or childcare.

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Investing in Participants

Campaign investments are building on the success of our individual job coaching; wrap-around supports like transportation and work gear; skills-based training; and career advancement.

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Accessing Technology

With reliable computers, internet access, training, and help desk support participants are thriving in virtual training and online job-seeking, vital for today’s workforce.

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Preparing for the Future of Work

The campaign is fueling innovations that prepare participants with in-demand skills, and help businesses rethink how they recruit, hire and keep employees based on skills and on-the-job performance.

Double Your Impact. 

Today your gift to the campaign will be matched up to $315,000!

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Where there’s a will, there’s Goodwill


Your partnership and support helped us serve a record number of people in 2023. Building sustainable careers and family stability are made possible with your generous contributions. When we connect the talented, driven people we serve with individualized resources, they thrive.

State of Minnesota

5,579 total individuals served from
74 Minnesota counties

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Supporters Like You


John Bergstrom is a numbers guy. When asked about his passion for Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, he talks about the numbers that are truly important to him.

First is more than 800 people per year who enter competitive employment thanks to Goodwill’s support. Second is the more than 5,500 people who moved toward self-sufficiency in the world of work in 2023 – a 21% increase over 2020.

John enjoys sharing his passion for the unique social enterprise model; proceeds from Goodwill stores support career and workforce training services, allowing charitable dollars to stretch further. “The leveraged economic model is my favorite reason to donate, and I think it resonates with other business-oriented donors.”

In addition to his annual support, John decided to make a transformative gift to the Power of Work Campaign,

“I believe in the work we are doing here and wanted to be able to give more than I could with an annual gift. Naming Goodwill Easter-Seals Foundation as a beneficiary of my IRA is a vote of confidence, and a way for me to give in a meaningful way that was also simple to do.”

“Our services are more important now than ever before,” he says. “The pandemic opened up opportunities in work-from-home jobs that in many cases are suited to our clientele with barriers to work and independence.”

 

Make a big impact with a future gift.

Learn more about how to include Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation inyour willor estate plans.
 

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Thank you!

Join us for our annual

Power of Work event

May 9, 2024

 

Register Today

Foundation

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VISION:

To use the power of generosity to build a world where everyone experiences the power of work.

MISSION:

To support Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota's mission to eliminate barriers to work and independence.

VALUES:

  • Philanthropy: We believe in the importance of charitable giving and its ability to make a lasting mark upon people and the community.
  • Donor-focus: We build exceptional partnerships with people and promote inspired giving by providing donors with the options, tools and support they need to make charitable giving easy, personally satisfying and effective.
  • Stewardship: We invest charitable gifts wisely and distribute them to advance the mission of Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota.
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What we do

In 2014, the Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation was formed to ensure our financial resources grow and keep pace with the increased demand for services. The Foundation is a separate nonprofit that exists for the sole benefit of Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota. It offers donors a special opportunity to invest in the future of GESMN and create lasting legacies that will help people become economically self-sufficient.

The Foundation accomplishes its goals by establishing and growing endowment funds, which are invested to provide long-term support for the organization. When the endowment earns interest over time, the earnings can be distributed to fund the services and programs of Goodwill-Easter Seals.

Since the Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, contributors can take the maximum deduction for charitable contributions, under IRS regulations.

Help build the bridge

The Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation is building the bridge to ensure individuals can experience the power of work. We hope you join us. We accept gifts of cash, stocks, property, bequests and other assets in the way that qualifies for the maximum tax advantages, as recognized by law.

  • Make a gift payable to Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation
  • Give an appreciated asset
  • Name Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota in your will
  • Our team can help you explore your present and long-term giving options, establish a named fund/donations in honor or in memory of friends or loved ones and designate funds that reflect your values and interests.

Contact Director of Philanthropy Naomi Prabhakar at 651-255-4910 for information.

We always encourage you to seek advice from a financial advisor when making personal investments.

Our Board Members

Debbie Galka, M.B.A., Chair

Management Consultant and Community Volunteer

John Bergstrom, M.B.A.

Fund Manager & General Partner, Mairs & Power Venture Capital

Lauren Beecham Henry

Vice President, Community Marketing, Bremer Bank

Marcella De La Torre, EdD

Chief Administrative Officer,
Minneapolis Area REALTORS®

Adam Freeman

Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies

Chris Grimm

Highland Associates

Texas Hemmaplardh, M.B.A., C.F.A., Secretary

Partner, Pavilion, A Mercer Practice

Rachel Lockett

Chair, Goodwill-Easter Seals MN Board of Directors,
Chief Information Officer, Pohlad Companies/Marquette Companies

Sita Morantz

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

John Schonberg, Treasurer

Chief Investment Officer & Portfolio Manager,
Stonebridge Capital Advisors

Morgan Truscott

Executive Director, JP Morgan Private Bank

Michael Wirth-Davis, DPA (ex officio)

President, Goodwill Easter Seals Foundation,
President & CEO, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota