JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
There have been changes for the 2017 Combined Federal Campaign, but the mission remains the same: to promote and support 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.
“As the Honorary Chairperson of the 2017 CFC, I would like to thank you for serving as part of a powerful Federal community that raises hundreds of millions of dollars to help important causes and individuals in need,” said the Hon. Ben Carson, Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 2017 CFC Honorary Chairperson.
“Service as a campaign leader is a fantastic opportunity to network within your organization, increase your visibility, and hone your skills in management, strategic planning, communications creativity, problem solving, time management, and more.
“This year, we will ask our colleagues to ‘Show Some Love’ by making a pledge, via monetary gift or volunteer time, to one or more of the many worthy charities in the campaign. Together, we will help wounded warriors, provide medical care, feed the hungry, house the homeless, protect animals and the environment, and make a difference in countless other ways,” Carson added. “The beauty of the CFC is that it is large and small at the same time. How is this possible? The CFC harnesses our collective power to positively impact the lives of millions of people while honoring our individual gifts to the causes we personally care about the most.”
The biggest change is the elimination of the hard-copy paper contribution forms. There is now one central donation system at http://opm.gov/showsomelovecfc. Other changes include the fact that federal employees can now pledge volunteer hours and federal retirees can contribute through their annuity.
There are more than 10,000 local, national and international participating nonprofits in CFC. Since 1961, federal employees have contributed more than $8.2 billion to the causes they care about.
In addition to online donations, donors can choose a payroll deduction or a one-time or recurring monthly pledge via a credit card, debit card or direct bank transfer. For the next five years, donors also have the option of completing a paper pledge card and submitting it to the Central Campaign Administrator using the address provided on the pledge form or by giving the completed form to their keyworker. Paper pledge donors can give via payroll deduction or check.
For the first time, federal employees are also invited to broaden the impact of their gift by pledging volunteer hours to participating charities in addition to monetary donations.
Donors also need to know that cash donations can no longer be accepted. Undesignated contributions are no longer permitted under new CFC regulations. Donors are asked to designate their pledge to the specific CFC charity or charities of their choice. A list of Frequently Asked Questions is available at https://www.opm.gov/combined-federal-campaign/cfc-faqs/.
(Source: Combined Federal Campaign)