Posted on 12/20/2005 5:23:06 PM PST by hiho hiho
- PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon's attorney general's office says an audit shows the president of Portland's Goodwill made an "unreasonable" amount of money in 2004. Michael Miller earned more than $830,000 in pay and benefits last year. This makes him the highest-paid executive at Oregon's social service nonprofits.
The audit was obtained yesterday by a Portland newspaper.
Miller also made more than executives at the other 172 Goodwill branches in North America.
Goodwill's chairman of the board says Miller, who has been president of the charity for 20 years, has agreed to accept a 24 percent cut in his salary and performance bonus.
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette says law does not require executives to take a vow of poverty to work in the nonprofit sector.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1135050924171710.xml&coll=7
The full article is worth reading. Not only is he highly paid for Oregon, and the highest paid of all the Goodwill execs across the US, he's in the top 1/2 to 1% of all American wage earners with salary, current and deferred benefits.
Goodwill, of course, employs lots of low wage workers (except for Mr. Miller, of course). Miller has agreed to take a cut in pay so people won't be distracted from all the good they do - so he'll make 400,000 a year instead of 520,000. What a great discount we're getting - I'm so impressed.
The quote is from an audit that found his compensation package to be inappropriate, though Goodwill Portland defended it.
I know now why I prefer to give to the Salvation Army - what a scam.
"Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette says law does not require executives to take a vow of poverty to work in the nonprofit sector.'
That's a pretty arrogant response to justify his position, IMO.
Boy, this story sure gets the knee-jerk reactions going. Wouldn't we all feel better if we paid some PBS telethon volunteer $18,000 to run Goodwill?
"Goodwill, of course, employs lots of low wage workers (except for Mr. Miller, of course)."
They have government exemptions to pay less than minimum wage!
They're revenue levels were 1/10th of what they are now when he took over in 1989. Sounds like he's worth every penny.
These people are making us a laughing stock. What an embarrassment.
Well, WHO are they traiing? What kind of training? After all, Exxon provides job training to its employees.
She has become suspicious of their operation and has moved her donations to the Salvation Army and the DAV.
http://www.craigslist.org/nby/rnr/119222428.html
I'll never give another dime to UW or similar groups.
The outrageous thing about a limousine liberal isn't that he owns a limo and poor folk don't. The real crime is when the limo is paid for with taxes extorted out of working people in the first place.
Liberals! They rob us. They buy themselves a yacht. They then expect us to get down on our knees and lick their boots in gratitude for giving back a few crumbs from the loot.
Sorry Mr Miller: I'll take a pass on your brand of "charity." I'd rather work my hands to bone making an honest living and keep my dignity.
If I were a donor to them (which I'm not), the answer would be "Yes".
Goodwill is not so cheap anymore. Some of the "upscaled" store have the same old mildewy rags at prices approaching what Wal-Mart get new.
I used to love to go to the thrift stores, but I tend to avoid Goodwill now.
Give? Never again!
More like Enron-executive type job training. Or Mattel.
"How to be a highly paid CEO while your enterprise loses ground."
No, but I do expect a charitable organization not to take advantage of the charity of others to overcompensate its leadership. If you read the article, you will realize that Miller is compensated more than equivalent positions in his organization, more than equivalent positions in other organizations, and more than 99% of the American work force. If you consider that appropriate, I'm kind of surprised.
I'm a free market kind of gal, and I don't have problems with folks who invent better mousetraps receiving the benefit of their ideas and their labor (Bill Gates, for instance).
This guy is not working in the free market - he benefits from below minimum wage labor and the donations of folks like you and I. If he had any ethics, he should be ashamed of himself, and so should his organization, IMHO. And based on the article, Portland Goodwill clearly does not regret paying him that salary and does not think they did anything wrong. What they regret is the public disclosure of the information, and the attendant adverse publicity.
I don't know enough about tje situation to really comment on it but knee-jerk reactions do seem to be par for the course on this thread.
If you are from New England you know about Kennedy Juniors "fuel for the poor" crusade. He makes millions every year from taxpayers subsidizing the poor.
At least Goodwill is not taking money directly from my pocket.
Arioch7
Although she made decent money, it wasn't anything like what others in other more "visible" organizations were making. She worked her butt off for every penny she could get for her agency. I think she was bitter about that sometimes. I don't blame her.
It's hard to convince me that any organization is "nonprofit" when the CEO makes close to 7 figures a year.
My lordy! Craig's list has been used for something other than pot sales and arranging "hookups" behind a bush in the local park. What's next? Mark Steyn as the new CBS Evening News anchorman?
No but how about a 4 star general officer, or the Sec of Defense, or the President, they all make a hell of a lot less.
I think I will send my stuff to the DAV.
It means your charitable contribution is supporting the bloated salary and lush lifestyle of a nitwit who couldn't turn a profit in a free-market commercial venture.
s a frequenter of Goodwill stores across WPA I can tell you that what they put out for sale is the crap. The good stuff they keep back for themselves.
No but how about a 4 star general officer, or the Sec of Defense, or the President, they all make a hell of a lot less.
Where did you get the "NONE of you have the right to judge these people" quote from?
Come on people, give the guy a break. He did agree to a pay reduction. He'll have to squeak by next year on only $630,000.
The IRS has rules against over compensation in nonprofits. They may be paying him a visit.
Furthermore, the reason Goodwill isn't cheap any more, is that your friendly neighbourhood eBay hustlers doscovered it as a good source of items for resale at a high profit. Even books,for fuggs sake! Well, Goodwill can do the same, why not. (There was an article in the local paper about this a few days ago.) As much as I despise the cash chasing U.S. charities, I'd direct my ire not at this exec,but at the eBay leeches, speculating on other people's generousness.
As the article states, they train people otherwise unemployable, and you'll know it if you ever shop there (which I strongly recommend.) But they train them well, better it seems than K-MART trains their unemployable affirmative action employees. Service with a smile, every time I go there. Goodwill's good.
Vow of poverty? Must be a democrat...
I am so sorry, it seems to have been retained from the post I made just before this one. It's on another thread. Sorry again.
Who do you think the big contributors to the Democratic party are? Unions and minorities? Do you think those were the people Terry McAllife was hustling for $50,000 nights in the Lincoln bedroom?
I'm asked from time to time why I do not wish to donate...this is why...
I'm asked from time to time why I do not wish to donate...this is why...
Unions fork over plenty. As for minorities, LOL, nah. It wouldn't surprise me if this person was on the list. The Red Cross management is gulity of the same thing. The San Diego top dog(ess) was making $300k plus per year.
Also, I don't mind if charities pay their execs a lot, as long as it conforms to the law. But in the name of honesty, their salaries should be disclosed so that people who donate to these groups can make better informed decisions about who they want to donate to. There should be greater transparency of N-Ps.
Finally, I remember working part-time for Lutheran World Relief, while I was attending the U of MN back in the early 70s. The best stuff got stolen by the hippie receiving guy (leather coats, etc), and later the boss of the place and his family picked out what they wanted.
There is a lot of money in these charities. The gullible public just keeps giving and giving.
Yeah, I once worked for one of those phone solicitors for charity and realized what a scam it was because of how much we got paid and the owner was loaded.
I only give directly anymore. Ever since that United Way debacle years ago for 9/11, I gave up. I'll never give another dime to an organized charity other than some christian ones and Toys for Tots and stuff like that. Otherwise, I'd just as soon give some stuff to people that need it.
He doesn't "run Goodwill", friend. He runs some pissant chapter of Goodwill in one area of one state.
Good lord, wake up and smell the coffee.
Giving directly to local charities is the only way to go. At least you can check them out and have some handle on what they are doing with the money.
My donations are getting pared down to nothing.
The Salvation Army is the only organization I give to anymore.
The rest of my charity will go to whom I choose directly.
No overhead there!
Exactly. Or I just give it to someone in need. I plan on buying a new truck this coming year. When I do I'll probably give my old one, still worth probably 8K to a buddy that's struggling with his lawn care biz.
Now that would be a shame . . . :-)
Someone told me there is a web site to find out what monies were recieved and spent by these 501(c)3 non profit organizations. I have not been able to find it. Maybe someone here knows.
it won't be when people like me stop my donations....which I do very frequently since I don't like to have garage sales......
Libby Dole was the CEO of a NATIONAL organization.....this guy is from one state, and not a hugely populous one at that......
We all thought it was so noble at the time but he's probably making more money than all of us now!
I think this may be the one you're thinking of:
http://www.charitywatch.org/
Well, after I posted that Charity Watch link, I was looking at their site in more depth and am not sure it's the one I was remembering! I found another page with links to SEVERAL such sites that help evaluate charities here:
Effective Donating To Help You Give Wisely
http://www.heartsandminds.org/links/givelinks.htm
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