Joint Base San Antonio Combined Federal Campaign underway

The 2015 San  Antonio Area Combined Federal Campaign is in full swing, with military members and federal civilians being asked to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate by making a donation to their favorite charity.

The Combined  Federal Campaign is the once-a-year workplace campaign available to federal employees which eliminates year-round on-the-job solicitations, while allowing employees a convenient way to give to the charitable organizations of their choice. The San Antonio area campaign is made up of 167 local military and federal organizations with more than 66,000 employees.

It is also the only authorized solicitation of federal employees in their workplaces. The Office of Personnel Management regulates the CFC and provides guidance and oversight to the local campaigns.  OPM is accountable for assuring federal employees that their designations are honored and distributed to the charitable organizations of their choice and maintains strict eligibility and public accountability criteria that all participating CFC charities must meet.

In 2014, contributions from Joint Base San Antonio members totaled $3,365,812, making San Antonio the ninth largest CFC campaign in the world. For 2015, the goal has been set at $3.8 million.

“As with all CFC campaigns, the overall goal is to ensure that all eligible military and federal employees are given the opportunity to make a pledge to the charity or charities of their choice,” said Rick Robel, CFC director for the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. “While we have set a monetary target this year of $3.8 million, we will continue to focus on efforts to ensure 100 percent of the personnel are contacted. If done properly, the overall amount raised will take care of itself.”

There are new ways people can contribute and get information about CFC-approved charities, Robel noted, in addition to the traditional contributions by check and cash. If desired, contributions can also be made anonymously.

For example, there is now a “search charities” tool on the San Antonio Area CFC website at http://www.cfcsanantonio.org that connects to an online database – identical to the printed charity brochure – where donors can review more than 2,800 charities by name, location, category, fundraising rates and more.

The database can display national, international and local organizations that have met CFC eligibility requirements. Key elements include: the organization’s new five-digit CFC code, the legal name in parentheses shown if it is “doing business as” under another name, the employer identification number, a 25-word statement of purpose (except in abbreviated listings), its administrative and fundraising expense rate and its service categories (taxonomy codes).

Military members and DOD civilians can also make payroll deductions directly from their myPay accounts as well by using the San Antonio Area CFC website’s direct link to the myPay website (https://mypay.dfas.mil) and instructions on how to contribute.

“For 2015, we are excited to continue an on-line payroll deduction pledge option for all military and DOD civilians through myPay,” Robel said. “This option allows employees to make their pledge directly with Defense Finance and Accounting Services, thus eliminating the need for coordinators to physically walk paper pledge forms to finance.”

Donors can contribute to charities that work around the world or right in their backyard. In the San Antonio area, there are 175 local participating charities, including three local federations.

“Thanks to the generosity of JBSA contributors in 2014, we were ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 9 out of 151 CFC campaigns worldwide,” Robel said. “The CFC belongs to you – the federal employee. It doesn’t belong to the federal government, the United Way or to the charitable organizations that benefit from it. You control where your gift will go.