Hurricane Relief: Using CFCNCA to Help

In response to the damages caused by recent hurricanes to the Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere in the U.S. Gulf Coast as well as throughout the Caribbean region, Federal donors to the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) may want to make some designations to charities helping people in the affected regions. The area affected and the extent of the damage as reported in the media, by FEMA and other sources is widespread.  Recovery and rebuilding will take months. Contributions made to charities at work in these affected regions will be beneficial throughout the long rebuilding period.

Many of the national organizations currently involved in the relief efforts are also CFC charities.  For your convenience, a list of the CFC participating charities identified by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as involved in Hurricane Gustav and Ike disaster relief efforts has been provided on OPM’s website and also is posted on the CFCNCA website (see link at the bottom of the page).  Because the list of disaster relief organizations is still evolving there may be other charities not noted by OPM or FEMA that Federal donors may wish to contribute to for relief efforts. 

Please note that contributions made through the CFC cannot be earmarked specifically for use in disaster relief.  In other words, CFC contributions may be used for general operating support at the organization’s discretion.  Therefore, contributions to these organizations will allow them to decide whether they will use these funds towards Hurricane Gustav disaster relief or whether they will use these funds to replenish their general funds to be used towards future disaster relief or other programs.

In addition, the CFC also should be viewed as a means for providing long term assistance towards organizations providing disaster relief to those affected by Hurricanes Faye, Gustav, Hannah and Ike.  Although the CFCNCA is providing this method for supporting CFC organizations that are currently serving those affected by the recent hurricanes, there are many other worthy charitable organizations in 2008 Catalog of Caring.  Funds designated in the 2008 campaign will be paid out from April 2009 through March 2010, helping to provide stable funding throughout the recovery period.

We respectfully request that donors remember that all these worthy charitable organizations will still need your generous contributions to continue providing their benefits/services throughout the coming year.  You can contribute to these National/International and Local charitable organizations through cash, check or payroll deduction contributions when the CFC officially begins in your office.

Note:  CFCNCA does not permit write-in designations to organizations not already screened by OPM nor to local organizations in the affected regions.  Federal agencies must receive approval from OPM prior to the collection of funds for organizations that do not appear on the OPM Hurricane Gustav disaster relief list.

For your convenience in identifying disaster relief organizations, the following list represents organizations identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its partners on its website that have also been approved for participation in the 2008 Combined Federal Campaign.  For more information on these organizations please click on the link below:

2008 Hurricane Relief Organizations

Also, please remember there are many other worthy charitable organizations in the 2008 CFCNCA Catalog of Caring: http://www.cfcnca.org/CatalogOfCaring

We respectfully request that donors remember that these worthy charitable organizations will still need your generous contributions to continue providing their benefits/services throughout the coming year.  You can contribute to these National/International and Local charitable organizations through cash, check or payroll deduction contributions when the CFC officially begins.