Goodwill Industries Of The Southern Rivers, Inc.

Goodwill Industries Of The Southern Rivers, Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Columbus, Georgia, operates as a prime recipient of federal grants focused on volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) programs, serving low-to-moderate-income populations in underserved urban and non-urban communities across multiple states. The organization has received four consecutive annual VITA grants from the Internal Revenue Service (CFDA 14.304) spanning fiscal years 2023 through 2026, with awards dating October 1, 2022 through October 1, 2025 and ultimate completion extending through September 30, 2026.

The IRS VITA grant program funds Goodwill Southern Rivers to extend tax preparation and electronic filing services to hardest-to-reach populations including persons with disabilities, individuals for whom English is a second language, Native Americans, rural residents, military members and families, and elderly taxpayers. Recipients must ensure at least 90 percent of returns prepared serve individuals at or below earned income tax credit thresholds, file all eligible returns electronically, achieve 100 percent of annual return-production goals, and demonstrate year-over-year increases in return preparation capacity. Grant activities include volunteer training enhancement, quality-control strengthening, and electronic filing capacity building.

Goodwill Southern Rivers' customer footprint is heavily concentrated on the Internal Revenue Service, with seven awards from the IRS and six from the Department of the Treasury's broader organization accounting for 100 percent of documented awards. The organization also holds one sub-award role under a Governors Office of Volunteer Services prime grant, providing job placement, job retention, VITA, training, and tutoring support in Lee and Russell counties, Alabama (awarded November 4, 2024). Total obligated dollars across all fourteen documented awards span roughly $1.8 million. Activity has remained steady at one to two awards per year over the past five years, with the most recent award issued October 1, 2025.