The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area has raised $58,028,941.20. Thank you Federal Employees!
Please Donate Now For Donors For Volunteers For Charities C F C N C A MANAGE About C F C N C A

General FAQ

Questions

  1. What are the administrative costs for CFCNCA this year?
  2. What is unique about Global Impact's management of CFCNCA?
  3. How do I know that my gift gets to the charity I designate?
  4. Why isn't my favorite charity in the book?
  5. What is the CFC policy on coercion?
  6. If I give to charity directly, won't they get more money than if the CFC took a slice off the top?
  7. What is the role of a federation?
  8. What role does United Way have in this campaign?
  9. What is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?
  10. What is the purpose of the CFC?
  11. Why have a CFC?
  12. How important is the CFCNCA Campaign?
  13. Who runs the CFC of the National Capital Area?
  14. How do I give to CFCNCA?
  15. Do I have to make a pledge?
  16. Is there a minimum or maximum payroll deduction gift one can donate through the CFC?
  17. How much should I give?
  18. When will my payroll deduction begin?
  19. How do donations get to charities?
  20. Do I get a receipt?
  21. When do I need verification of my donation for tax purposes?
  22. How efficient is the CFCNCA?
  23. Why should I make charitable contributions through the CFCNCA when I could just send a check directly to charities I wish to support?
  24. How do Federal agencies benefit from participation in the CFC?
  25. How do I know the charities participating in the CFC are legitimate?
  26. What are some ways that Federal agencies support the CFC?
  27. I don't work in the National Capital Area. How may I contact the CFC in my area?
  28. Can I get help from a CFC campaign participant?
  29. Who is responsible for financial accountability?
  30. Is the CFCNCA covered by federal regulations?

Answers

  1. What are the administrative costs for CFCNCA this year? [Top]

    The LFCC approved a budget of $5 million for this year. The budget is a fixed amount, not a percentage of funds raised. If we are successful in achieving our target of $61 million raised, this budget would amount to less than 9 percent of revenues. The final fundraising cost percentage will be known when the campaign is complete and a final total has been reached.

  2. What is unique about Global Impact's management of CFCNCA? [Top]

    New technology: Electronic tools for the contributor make it easier to search for charities. CFC-e ® is now underway across the Federal sector in this market. Using CFC-e tools, contributors are able to fill out their CFC pledge card online and submit it to their Keyworker. A campaign helpline answers any questions from federal employees that may arise: (202) 465-7230.

    Management tools: Campaign management tools make tracking, reporting, and processing the campaign faster and more efficient. A campaign toolbox on the internet brings stories, photos, publications, and more resources to the fingertips of campaign managers at more than 160 major accounts in all three branches of the Federal government.

    "Be a Star in Someone's Life" with the added visual element of a new logo and new artwork puts the focus of CFCNCA on two critical links: the contributor and the people and organizations that they want to help.

    Updated and refreshed awards program for individual and unit recognition

  3. How do I know that my gift gets to the charity I designate? [Top]

    You have the option of asking that charity to acknowledge your gift. Check the appropriate box on your pledge card and your name will be released to the charity. Next spring, they will (at their discretion) write to you acknowledging that gift.

  4. Why isn't my favorite charity in the book? [Top]

    Participation in the CFC is determined by either a local or national application process. Charities must apply in order to be included, so your favorite charity either has not applied or did not qualify. We suggest that you encourage your favorite charity to apply next year. Check the OPM website for the national procedures (www.opm.gov/cfc) or the CFCNCA (www.cfcnca.org) for local procedures. The application period takes place locally from January through May.

  5. What is the CFC policy on coercion? [Top]

    CFC giving is voluntary and we oppose coercion in any form. Our objective is to assure that all Federal employees in this area have the opportunity to make informed decisions on whether to give and how to give. Only you can determine whether to give and how much you or your family can afford to donate to charity. If you feel you are being coerced into giving, you have the right to file a report using the channels outlined in the 2007 Catalog of Caring. The LFCC and CFCNCA do not condone coercion under any circumstances. If you experience it, please report it.

  6. If I give to charity directly, won't they get more money than if the CFC took a slice off the top? [Top]

    Probably not. In nearly all cases, charities in the CFC have much higher fundraising costs on their own than they experience when they are part of a federated campaign like CFCNCA.

    People give more than three to four times as much through payroll deduction than they do when making a direct cash gift.

    So charities stand to gain on three fronts:

    1. Funds they receive through CFCNCA are often greater than when people give directly.
    2. Administrative costs of generating a gift through CFC are lower than if they had to generate that gift independently.
    3. The charity receives a share of the undesignated funds.
  7. What is the role of a federation? [Top]

    A federation is an organization that provides administrative, marketing, and operational support for a group of individual charities. For these services, the member charities typically pay some kind of fee (often a percentage of their receipts) for the services provided by the federation. Many individual charities believe that this is more cost-effective than doing these tasks internally.

  8. What role does United Way have in this campaign? [Top]

    The United Way of the National Capital Area is both a CFC charity and charitable federation, which means it meets OPM’s standards for participation and can receive contributions from the campaign. That is UWNCA’s only role in the CFC campaign. They do not have a role in running the campaign.

  9. What is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)? [Top]

    The CFC is the only national authorized workplace giving drive of employees in the Federal workplace for charitable organizations. The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) is the local campaign for Federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area.
  10. What is the purpose of the CFC? [Top]

    The purpose of the CFC is to support and promote philanthropy through a program that is employee-focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all Federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.
  11. Why have a CFC? [Top]

    The annual fundraising campaign helps support a variety of health, human, and other services provided by local, national, and international charitable agencies. This single campaign is one of the most cost-efficient fundraising methods available. It succeeds because volunteers from the Federal workforce combine their resources for one coordinated appeal.

  12. How important is the CFCNCA Campaign? [Top]

    You are part of the most significant philanthropic campaign in the world. The CFCNCA is the largest regional program in the entire CFC system, the largest workplace giving campaign in the world. Thousands of charities in Washington, throughout America, and around the world depend upon your generosity for their very existence. Last year, you and your coworkers gave more than $60.7
    million to charitable agencies. These charities provide services to every part of our community, and touch every one of our lives. Funding from the CFCNCA is one of the most important sources of revenue for these charities, since your payroll deduction pledges provide a steady income stream throughout the year that helps keep their core programs operating. In short, you've got the power to make our community, nation, and world a better place.
  13. Who runs the CFC of the National Capital Area? [Top]

    You do! The CFCNCA is operated by a committee of Federal volunteers, called the Local Federal Coordinating Committee, or LFCC. The LFCC assures that the campaign is managed according to the regulations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The LFCC selects a not-for-profit organization called the PCFO to help operate the campaign through a competitive bid process. This year, the LFCC selected Global Impact, the organization that has been the PCFO of the CFC-Overseas since 1996, to operate the CFCNCA. But the PCFO is only a small part of CFCNCA operations. Most campaign administration is carried out by volunteer Federal employees—Keyworkers, Campaign Mangers, and Loaned Executives. These individuals are the core of the CFC program—please thank them for their willingness to serve!
  14. How do I give to CFCNCA? [Top]

    The most common method of making a donation is by filling out the traditional paper pledge card and having the amount that you choose deducted from each paycheck. You may also use the pledge card to make a donation by check or cash. This year, you can use the CFCNCA website to help in the pledge process, and in departments or agencies that are part of the CFC-e™ program you'll be able to print your pledge card on line.
    Some agencies also make it possible for employees to take part in the CFC through their internal network. Choose the method that is best for you!
  15. Do I have to make a pledge? [Top]

    Absolutely not. The CFCNCA is committed to giving every Federal employee in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area an informed opportunity to participate in the campaign. However, participation is strictly optional, and any effort to coerce an employee to take part in any CFC when he or she does not wish to do so is prohibited by regulation.
  16. Is there a minimum or maximum payroll deduction gift one can donate through the CFC? [Top]

    The minimum gift for military and civilian personnel is $1 per pay period. There is no maximum gift. All gifts are welcome.

  17. How much should I give? [Top]

    It's your decision—give what feels good. Lead by example.
  18. When will my payroll deduction begin? [Top]

    Your payroll deductions will begin on the first pay period in January and continue for the remainder of the year.
  19. How do donations get to charities? [Top]

    Donations are distributed to charities by the PCFO following the close of the campaign starting in April 2008. Donations made by check or cash are distributed once the audit of those funds is complete, and donations by payroll deduction are distributed periodically after deducted funds have been received and audited. In all cases, the amount distributed to a charity is based on how much was designated to that charity by Federal employees—if no one chooses a particular charity, it will not receive any funding.

    Charities choose whether to receive their CFC donations directly, or through a federation. Many charities choose to join a federation, which allows them to share the expense and administrative burden of applying and participating in campaigns like the CFC with other charities. Federation membership is voluntary. Federations are not-for-profit organizations that are funded by their member organizations in a variety ways. Payments to charities in a federation are made through the federation, which then distributes them to each member charity based upon the designations by Federal employees.

    Unaffiliated charities do not belong to a federation, and apply individually to take part in the CFCNCA. All costs associated with applying and participating in the campaign are part of an unaffiliated charity's overhead, instead of being handled by a federation. Payments to unaffiliated charities are made directly by the PCFO based on designations by Federal employees.

  20. Do I get a receipt? [Top]

    All donors retain a copy of their pledge cards for their records. A service member or employee who makes a one-time (cash, check, or money order) contribution of $250 or more, and those who make a payroll deduction contribution of $250 or more each pay period to the CFC will automatically be sent a tax verification letter to the mailing address on the pledge card. IRS regulations require verification from the PCFO of one-time charitable gifts of $250 or more.
  21. When do I need verification of my donation for tax purposes? [Top]

    If you make a one-time donation of $250 or more by cash or check and claim your gift as a tax deduction, IRS regulations may require verification of your charitable donation. Under IRS and OPM guidelines, it is the fundraising campaigns, every dollar you pledge goes a very long way toward helping others.

  22. How efficient is the CFCNCA? [Top]

    Through the outstanding oversight efforts of the Federal employees on the LFCC, the CFCNCA's board of directors, less than seven percent of the funds raised are spent on campaign expenses such as printing materials, training volunteers, and auditing contributions. Because this cost is so low compared with other fundraising campaigns, every dollar you pledge goes a very long way toward helping others.

  23. Why should I make charitable contributions through the CFCNCA when I could just send a check directly to charities I wish to support ? [Top]

    You could write a check and mail it directly to a charity, but most of us wait to be asked before we give. You might respond to a mail solicitation, for example, but maybe not the first one. Maybe a second or third mailing would get your attention.

    CFCNCA consolidates all of these individual and costly solicitations into one campaign once a year resulting in lower solicitation costs to the charities.

    Accounting costs are also much lower because gifts are consolidated into monthly checks. Imagine the accounting overhead if all of these gifts were processed one-by-one each month.

    Bottom line: CFCNCA costs are lower than any other form of charitable solicitation. The CFCNCA is the most cost-effective way to donate to a charity.

  24. How do Federal agencies benefit from participation in the CFC? [Top]

    Participation in the CFC enhances the visibility of Federal employees and the agencies for which they work. Federal employees are viewed by the community as good neighbors, concerned with the welfare of others.

    Federal employees benefit from an improvement in the quality of life in the National Capital Area. Participation in the CFCNCA assures that services will be available to Federal employees when their own personal situations arise. The campaign affects everyone, including the lives of a Federal agency’s employees. Participation in a single, efficient, annual campaign offers individuals the opportunity to meet their civic responsibility to the community.
  25. How do I know the charities participating in the CFC are legitimate? [Top]

    Federal employees in the National Capital Area volunteer to serve on the Technical Advisory Committee that evaluates each charity applying to become eligible to receive designations from local CFC contributors. Each local charitable agency must meet the following requirements, as defined in Federal law and OPM rules and regulations:

    • Organizations must certify that they provide or conduct real human health and welfare services, benefits, assistance, or program activities.
    • Organizations must provide a letter from the Internal Revenue Service recognizing them as tax-exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3).
    • Organizations must provide a completed copy of their IRS Form 990.
    • Organizations must demonstrate that they have a substantial local or statewide presence, which must include a staffed facility or office available to the public seeking its services.
    • The organization's local facility must be open at least 15 hours per week and have a telephone number exclusively dedicated to the organization.
    • Organizations with an annual budget in excess of $100,000 must submit an audit report in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
    • Organizations must certify that they have no expenses connected with lobbying and attempts to influence voting or legislation at the local, State, or Federal level, or alternatively, that those expenses would classify the organization as a tax exempt organization under 26 U.S.C. 501(h).
    • Organizations must have administrative and fundraising expenses that do not exceed 25 percent of their total support and revenue spent. If an organization's administrative and fundraising cost exceeds 25 percent, it must provide an explanation of actual expenses and a plan for reducing these expenses below 25 percent.
    • Organizations must be directed by an active and responsible governing body whose members have no conflict of interest and a majority of which serve without compensation.
  26. What are some ways that Federal agencies support the CFC? [Top]

    Federal agencies in the National Capital Area appoint a volunteer to serve as Campaign Chair, Vice Chair, and Campaign Manager to lead their agency's CFC effort. The Campaign Manager recruits a Campaign Committee, Team Captains, and Keyworkers to help implement campaign plans. Many Federal agencies also provide the CFC with Loaned Executives (Federal employees on detail) to work with other agencies in planning their campaigns. These volunteers work hard to make events like kickoffs, employee meetings, agency tours, and special CFC communications succeed.
  27. I don't work in the National Capital Area. How may I contact the CFC in my area? [Top]

    Locate information about your local CFC at the Office of Personnel Management Website. Caution: DO NOT use the information or charitable codes found on the CFCNCA website to fill out your pledge card unless you work in the National Capital Area.
  28. Can I get help from a CFC campaign participant? [Top]

    Yes. The services of CFC campaign participants are available to anyone who needs them, including Federal employees. Please contact the appropriate organization directly to find out more about their services.
  29. Who is responsible for financial accountability? [Top]

    Everyone at the CFCNCA shares this responsibility, including volunteers, staff, the PCFO that operates the campaign, the LFCC that manages and directs the campaign, and the CFC staff at OPM. The campaign is audited on a yearly basis by the Office of Personnel Management, and the LFCC is actively involved in overseeing the fiscal practices of the campaign. The primary day-to-day responsibility for the campaign lies with Global Impact, the not-for-profit organization selected by the LFCC to operate the campaign this year. Global Impact has a history of clean audits in its operations of the Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas, and is working closely with the LFCC to ensure transparency and accountability in the collection and distribution of every dollar raised.
  30. Is the CFCNCA covered by Federal regulations? [Top]

    Yes. All CFC campaigns operate under regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management. The regulations are designed to give Federal employees who wish to help others through the CFC a chance to participate, without putting inappropriate pressure on individuals who do not wish to do so. In addition, the regulations define the process by which charitable organizations may participate in the CFC, and the duties and responsibilities of the LFCC and PCFO. More information is available at OPM's CFC website

OPM 11/28/06 Announcement

Statement by OPM Director Linda M. Springer on the Combined Federal Campaign

A Government Accountability Office report issued earlier this year identified two vulnerabilities within the Combined Federal Campaign.

With one issue, we worked with the Internal Revenue Service to develop a system whereby OPM will be notified of any CFC-participating charity in 2005 or 2006 that had lost its tax-exempt status, an eligibility requirement for participation. Once lost – and until the tax-exempt status is re-instated by the IRS – OPM will suspend payment of contributions designated to the charity. Currently, only 132 charities out of 22,000 CFC charities have failed to confirm their tax-exempt status, and payments have been suspended.

Further, GAO identified some CFC-participating charities that had not paid their payroll taxes. Current law bars OPM from requesting taxpayer information from the IRS, and OPM is prohibited from legally receiving this information.

Each year, federal employees, postal workers and members of our uniformed services open their hearts and wallets, giving generously to the CFC and the social, medical and environmental groups it supports. Since 1961, federal civilian and military employees have contributed almost $6 billion, and the CFC received nearly $269 million in contributions this past year.

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