Category: Advocate

This week I had the opportunity to work with Tammy Slater, CEO of Goodwill of Greater Nebraska (Grand Island, NE), as she testified before a Congressional subcommittee. Slater joined one other service provider and two researchers at a hearing on the geography of poverty. They provided committee members and the public with insights into the common themes and varying solutions to addressing poverty in urban, suburban and rural areas of the country.

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Next week, leadership from Goodwill Industries International will join over 130 other nonprofits in meetings with lawmakers and staff on Capitol Hill as part of the Charitable Giving Coalition. The Charitable Giving Coalition represents a broad cross-section of nonprofit organizations across the country. The services provided by these organizations and their local members including Goodwill®, are

READ MORE from Help Us Protect Your Charitable Tax Deductions

Disruption as a concept in the corporate realm and other circles has been around for quite a while. It’s meant as a process to spur innovation and creative thinking and approaches to challenges new and old. Now, disruption has come to Washington—big time!

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As the Donald Trump presidency begins and his administration takes shape, there will naturally be a large focus on the federal government and the work of the executive and legislative branches. State and local governments are hard at work as well, and while issues are being debated in Congress over a long period of time, we should find more opportunities to engage at the state level.

READ MORE from Connecting State Leaders with Goodwill®

Last year more than 27 million eligible workers and families received over $67 billion with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). However, every year the IRS estimates that one out of five qualified taxpayers are leaving money on the table by not using the credit. On January 27, also known as EITC Awareness Day, those who qualify can receive help to keep that money in their pocket.

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The Goodwill Industries International government relations office is a couple of blocks away from the Capitol. As such, I’ve been able to watch the inauguration preparations unfold. As we advance Goodwill’s public policy agenda, we’ve been communicating with transition teams, following the confirmation hearings on the President-Elect’s nominees, and are preparing to meet with a number of freshman lawmakers. At the same time, we’ve reflected on successful engagement with the previous Congress and attended some final stakeholder convenings with the current administration.

READ MORE from In 2017, Get Involved at Every Opportunity

The 115th Congress was sworn in on Tuesday, in a warm ceremony. This post discusses some of the issues that legislators have begun working on immediately.

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‘Tis the season to be grateful, reflect on accomplishments, and plan for new opportunities. The Government Relations team at Goodwill Industries International (GII), is grateful for advocates like you. During the 114th Congress, our advocates sent more than 2,000 letters to lawmakers on important topics like funding for workforce development and job-training programs; support for people with barriers to employment including older workers, people with criminal backgrounds, and people with disabilities; and protecting charitable giving incentives.

READ MORE from A Look Back on Our Accomplishments

As the year comes to a close, many of us take the opportunity to spend time with friends and family and to help those around us. One way to help more people is by joining Goodwill® to support programs that boost economic stability for low-income individuals and families.

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By Friday evening the House and Senate will have approved another continuing resolution (CR) that, yet again, kicks the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations process down the road until April 28. With your help Goodwill ® urged Congress to wrap up all of the FY 2017 spending bills before the end of the year.

READ MORE from Congress Set to Approve Five Month Funding Extension

While many of you have been focused on turkey this past week, the Goodwill Industries International Government Relations team has focused on duck – lame duck, that is. Lawmakers briefly returned to Washington the week of November 14 before taking a recess for Thanksgiving. Now they are back and trying to wrap up priorities before adjourning. Any bills that don’t pass by the end of this Congress will have to be reintroduced during the new 115th Congress.

READ MORE from Encourage Congress to Protect Funding for Employment Programs

Having been unable to finish the FY 2017 appropriations before October 1, Congress left town after approving a short-term continuing resolution (CR) through December 9, 2016. Now congressional leaders are seriously considering another CR—through March 2017. If this is how they proceed then the 2017 fiscal year will be half over before federal agencies truly know what their real funding levels will be for rest of the fiscal yearand it will make Congress look like a bunch of turkeys.

READ MORE from Tell Congress Not To Be A Bunch of Turkeys