Through the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), members of the Federal family demonstrate that our commitment to public service extends far beyond the workplace. Last year, Federal employees and retirees generously contributed more than $83.8 million to thousands of local, national, and international causes in both funds and volunteer time through the CFC. Dollars pledged are already providing critical support to victims of COVID-19 during this difficult time.
Officials from several Federal departments and agencies recently contacted OPM and the Office of Combined Federal Campaign (OCFC), asking how to do even more to help victims affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These officials recognize non-profit that health and human welfare organizations providing critical services during this national emergency are struggling with reduced resources.
Under existing CFC regulatory authority and in coordination with the White House COVID-19 Task Force, I am authorizing a special CFC solicitation using the CFC online donation portal until June 30, 2020. We are pleased to announce that the Honorable Benjamin Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will serve as the special solicitation Honorary Champion for this effort.
This special solicitation provides an opportunity for Federal employees, members of the military, postal workers and retirees to create a new gift or an extra gift to support their favorite CFC-participating charities online or through the CFC mobile giving app. (The list is limited to the charities accepted by the CFC in 2019).
•One hundred percent (100%) of the gifts made in this campaign will go to charities (without a distribution fee).
•Funds pledged will be paid out to charities by the 15th day of the month following receipt of the pledge by the CFC Central Campaign Administrator
•Any employee who did not pledge via payroll deduction in fall 2019 can make a payroll-funded gift through the CFC.
•Existing donors who pledged by payroll allotments in the fall of 2019 can make additional donations with electronic credit, debit, or ACH gift on the CFC giving platform or the mobile app. (2019 Payroll pledges cannot be increased at this time.
Donors can pledge to the more than 6,000 charities that were on the 2019 CFC Charity List. Federal reviewers vetted these qualified 501(c)(3) organizations, which are now working overtime, assisting people who need food as well as other day-to-day needs. They also are experiencing challenges due to the pandemic. The CFC is uniquely positioned to supplement the Federal government’s overall response by allowing employees to pledge additional resources to these vetted charities and to those that are actively responding throughout the world to various community needs as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We Need Your Help: Your active and visible leadership is critical to the impact that this campaign will make in supporting the work of these charities. To assure that the employees in your department or agency know that we are coming together again to support CFC charities during this challenging time, we ask you to amplify the OPM announcement to your workforce through internal communications.
Attached is a one-pager that your leaders can use to publicize the special solicitation. Additional communications and social media tools will be sent to your headquarters to share with your local, national, and worldwide employees. Tools that we will provide shall include templates to support #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5.
Through this special CFC COVID-19 special solicitation, you can join OPM in encouraging Federal, postal, military personnel, and retirees to provide emergency assistance that will contribute toward the ability of charities to help the people that rely upon them in our communities, our nation, and the world. Implementing an almost 100 percent electronic campaign will leverage the current telework environment, and will minimize costs, paperwork, and other infrastructure needs.
If you have any questions, please email cfc@opm.gov or call (202) 606-2564.
Cc: Federal Executive Boards, Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs), Deputy CHCOs, Human Resources Directors, Local Federal Coordinating Committees, and Outreach Coordinators
Attachment: See 508-conformant PDF below
(i) 5 CFR §950.102 Scope of the Combined Federal Campaign. (a) (2): “The Director may grant permission for solicitations of Federal employees, outside the CFC, in support of victims in cases of emergencies and disasters. Emergencies and disasters are defined as any hurricane, tornado storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosion, or other catastrophes in any part of the world. Any special solicitations will be managed through a Disaster Relief Program developed by OPM.
