How Goodwill has battled viral misinformation for 15 years

It all started with an email.

In 2007, at the dawn of the age of social media, a rumor started circulating about Goodwill Industries. “Think Before You Donate,” the graphic urged, listing information about a number of charities. For Goodwill, it claimed the “CEO and owner” was a man named Mark Curran, who made $2.3 million in profits. “Stop giving to this man,” the graphic said.

The problem? Mark Curran didn’t exist, at least not as a part of Goodwill Industries. And as a nonprofit, Goodwill doesn’t have an owner and doesn’t make profits. The money they make from selling donated goods is used for job training, placement and other programs.

Even though the early meme was wrong on every level, it – and the misinformation it contained – has circulated across the internet for 15 years. It’s been the job of Lauren Lawson-Zilai, now senior director of PR and national spokesperson at Goodwill, to fight this rumor, and give local Goodwill locations the tools to combat it, too.