John Bergstrom

John Bergstrom is a numbers guy. When asked about his passion for Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota (GESMN), he talks about the numbers that are truly important to him.

First is the 1,000+ people per year that have entered competitive employment thanks to GESMN’s support. To John, this number demonstrates an impressive impact on our community. Second is the 5,000+ people every year who move toward self-sufficiency in the world of work with help from GESMN.

John never passes up an opportunity to talk about the unique social enterprise model; proceeds from Goodwill stores support career and workforce development services, allowing charitable dollars to stretch further. “The leveraged economic model is my favorite reason to donate and I think it resonates with other business-oriented donors.”

John served on GESMN’s Board of Directors [including as its Chair] and on the Goodwill-Easter Seals Foundation Board, which raises funds to support innovation and growth in services and programs. He recently agreed to help lead the Power of Work comprehensive capital campaign.

“Our services are more important now than ever before,” he says. “The pandemic opened up opportunities in work-from-home jobs that in many cases are suited to our clientele with barriers to work and independence.”

John chose to make an estate gift to support the Power of Work campaign. The gift fits well with his personal financial situation and is a vote of confidence in the resilience of the organization. His giving format will be set up as an IRA designation, as it doesn’t require a change in his will, offers substantial tax advantages and will help the next generation experience the power of work.