Goodwill Receives Funding to Support GoodPartner Coach Program

Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $70,000 from The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation in support of Goodwill’s award-winning GoodPartner Coach program. This is the fifteenth year that Goodwill has received funding from the French Foundation for this purpose, with generous support provided since 2011.

The GoodPartner Coach (GPC) program provides employability skills training and case management services to team members with barriers to stable employment. Of Goodwill Manasota’s more than 800 team members, over 70 percent self-identify as having a barrier to employment. The goal of the program is to enable those who may have been overlooked elsewhere to gain positive personal and workplace behaviors and skills, feel the pride of earning a paycheck and move toward self-sufficiency, build a strong work history, and develop the experience and skills to position them for higher-paying jobs within the organization or outside of Goodwill.

In 2025, a significant number of Goodwill Manasota’s team members represented the following demographics: persons with disabilities, veterans, older workers, individuals learning English as a second language (ESOL), individuals without a high school diploma, and those who were justice involved. Individuals with significant barriers often require additional wraparound care and services alongside sustainable employment to move toward self-sufficiency.

Goodwill Manasota provides team members with meaningful employment, competitive wages, and access to individualized support through its GoodPartner Coach (GPC) program. In 2025, all team members had access to a GPC, helping them connect to resources, set goals, and pursue personal and professional growth opportunities. Outcomes included earning GEDs, bachelor's and master's degrees; participating in ESOL, financial literacy, and other skills-building programs; achieving goals outlined in individualized development plans; and earning Role Model Worker badges through Goodwill's employability skills training program.

Goodwill team member Cequoya Day knows firsthand what it means to build a life through the power of work. A single mother of an infant who joined Goodwill Manasota with no high school diploma, she started as a cashier and steadily advanced to her current role as apparel lead at the Mecca store. Along the way, her GoodPartner Coach helped her earn her high school diploma, enroll her daughter in a charter school, and create a financial plan that led her to purchase her own home.

"Goodwill didn't just give me a job. It gave me a path," said Day. "With the support of my GoodPartner Coach, I've been able to set real goals and actually reach them. I'm building something for me and my daughter, and I don't plan on stopping."

“Our focus is on helping team members build skills, achieve their goals, and strengthen their long-term financial stability," said Margie Genter, Vice President of Mission Services for Goodwill Manasota. "Thanks to the generous ongoing support from our friends at The Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation, our GoodPartner Coach program continues connecting team members with the resources, guidance, and opportunities they need to enhance their quality of life and create brighter futures for themselves and their families."

Goals for the GoodPartner Coach program in 2026 include: helping 150 team members complete Basic Employability Skills classes; achieving a 75 percent 90-day employment retention rate; enrolling 60 team members in GED classes; enrolling 80 team members in ESOL classes; enrolling 20 team members in financial literacy classes; supporting six team members in earning their high school diploma; helping six team members earn a fundamentals digital literacy certificate; helping 12 team members attain an industry-valued post-secondary certificate; supporting six team members in earning a college degree; and ensuring 66 percent of all team members create individualized development plans and complete at least one goal.

For more information about Goodwill Manasota, visit experiencegoodwill.org.

About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Industries-Manasota, Inc. (comprising Goodwill Manasota and Goodwill Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast), a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to changing lives through the power of work, proudly serves 11 counties on the east and west coasts of Florida. Goodwill’s mission-integrated social enterprise transforms community donations into opportunities, providing resources, training, and support through strong collaboration with local partners to help individuals obtain employment and build skills. For more information or a complete list of locations, visit experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.