CFC FAQs
- What is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?
- What is the purpose of the CFC?
- Why have a CFC?
- How important is the CFCNCA Campaign?
- Who runs the CFC of the National Capital Area?
- What are the administrative costs for CFCNCA this year?
- What is unique about Global Impact's management of CFCNCA?
- What is the CFC policy on coercion?
- What role does United Way have in this campaign?
- How efficient is the CFCNCA?
- Why should I make charitable contributions through the CFCNCA when I could just send a check directly to charities I wish to support?
- What is the role of a federation?
- How do Federal agencies benefit from participation in the CFC?
- What are some ways that Federal agencies support the CFC?
- If I don't work in the National Capital Area, how do I contact the CFC in my area?
- Can I get help from a CFC approved campaign participant?
- Who is responsible for financial accountability?
- Is the CFCNCA covered by Federal regulations?
- How much was raised last year and who received the money?
What is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)?
The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the only authorized workplace charitable giving drive for employees in the Federal workplace. The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) is the local campaign for Federal employees in the Washington metropolitan area and is the largest giving campaign in the world.
What is the purpose of the CFC?
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.
Why have a CFC?
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.
How important is the CFCNCA Campaign?
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 $62.7 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.
Who runs the CFC of the National Capital Area?
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. 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!
What are the administrative costs for CFCNCA this year?
The budget is a fixed amount, not a percentage of funds raised. If we are successful in achieving our target of $64 million raised, this budget would amount to less than eight percent of revenues. The final fundraising cost percentage will be known when the campaign is complete and a final total has been reached.
What is unique about Global Impact's management of CFCNCA?
Global Impact has a successful track record of managing these important campaigns over the past 7 years. Each year, we strive to improve the giving process by enhancing the tools and resources available to you. These enhancements are designed to provide you with more choices and a positive experience.
Global Impact is providing new e-Giving tools and charity search capabilities to make it easier and more efficient to donate. These powerful new online tools allow you the choice to either fill out your CFC pledge card online and submit it to your Keyworker, or use the new paperless e-Giving option for credit card, debit card and e-Check donations. And, help is available from our Help Desk either via email at helpdesk@cfcnca.org or (202) 465-7230.
The campaign was refreshed with a new visual theme and there are many new materials for your use. The website was updated to enhance your giving experience and make it easier for you to go directly where you want to.
We use sophisticated campaign management tools to track, report, and process the campaign faster and more efficiently. 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.
What is the CFC policy on coercion?
Giving through the CFC is completely 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 2009 Catalog of Caring. The LFCC and CFCNCA do not condone coercion under any
circumstances. If you experience it, please report it.
What role does United Way have in this campaign?
The United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) 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 participate in running this campaign.
How efficient is the CFCNCA?
Through the outstanding oversight efforts of the Federal employees on the LFCC, the CFCNCA's board of directors, less than eight 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.
By combining donations, administration costs are cut and the value of each pledge is maximized. And, the online tools help reduce the administrative costs and increase efficiencies even more.
Why should I make charitable contributions through the CFCNCA when I could just send a check directly to charities I wish to support?
Although you could write a check and mail it directly to a charity, CFCNCA reduces the need for individual and costly solicitations from charities by combining this into one campaign, once a year.
Accounting costs are also much lower because charitable gifts are consolidated into monthly checks to the charity, thereby reducing the accounting overhead of them processing these donations one-by-one each month.
Reducing costs through this collective effort ensures more of your pledge goes directly and quickly to the good work of the charity.
What is the role of a federation?
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 a small 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.
How do Federal agencies benefit from participation in the CFC?
As a Federal employee, your spirit of public service empowers you to make the world a better place. By combining donations from all agencies, you become part of a powerful collective effort that gives back to the community. Participation in the CFC enhances the visibility of Federal employees and the agencies for which they work.
Participation in the CFCNCA also ensures that services will be available to Federal employees when their own personal situations arise. The campaign affects everyone, including the lives of Federal agency employees.
What are some ways that Federal agencies support the CFC?
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.
If I don't work in the National Capital Area, how do I contact the CFC in my area?
Locate information about your local CFC at the Office of Personnel Management website. Please Note: Do not use the information or charitable codes found on the CFCNCA website to fill out your pledge card if you don't work in the National Capital Area.
Can I get help from a CFC approved campaign participant?
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.
Who is responsible for financial accountability?
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.
Is the CFCNCA covered by Federal regulations?
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.
How much was raised last year and who received the money?
In 2008, the CFCNCA community raised over $62.7 million. Donors designated more than:
$30 million to national charities and federations,
$24.9 million to local charities and federations, and
$5.6 million to international charities and federations.
Undesignated funds totaling $2.1 were shared proportionally among all charities and federations that received designations.
For a full list of FAQs on the CFC National Capital Area site, go to http://www.cfcnca.org/faqs.
