True North Goodwill Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
410919602
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Duluth, MN, USA
Phone
2187226351
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Goodwill Industries

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,022,561
Expenses
$17,988,626
Assets
$17,050,132
Liabilities
$7,036,821

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DODIE BROWN (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • DODIE BROWN (CEO): $175,356 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Goodwill's mission is inspiring personal transformation through the power of learning and career development. Our mission services programs and career navigation centers, provide people with the skills and training to overcome barriers to employment and gain stronger independence. Common barriers to employment include lack of childcare, past justice involvement, limited education, chemical dependency, and disability. Our vision is that all people have the opportunity to obtain meaningful employment, strengthening communities and transforming lives for generations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Retail services: true north goodwill (tng) provides paid employment services both within tng's facilities and in the local community in combination with training as a pathway to individuals developing skills and overcoming challenges to employment. Employment is also provided through tng business service contracts with local businesses and organizational partners. These contracts include janitorial, lawncare, manufacturing, and more. True north goodwill's mission is supported financially through our retail stores and donation centers. With our mission services programs and career navigation centers, we provide people with the skills and training to overcome barriers to employment and gain stronger independence. Retail revenues are reinvested back into the 29-county territory we serve in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. In addition, our retail stores provide customers with an affordable shopping experience for clothing and household items, while keeping millions of pounds of items out of the landfill each year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $35.36 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.2%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.95; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $15.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $175K · 10 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.