In response, and through the combined efforts of the Give Back Foundation – TASC team and the Combined Federal Campaign, on Jan. 15, Margaret Weichert, the acting director of the CFC, approved an extension of the 2018 CFC solicitation period, following the end of the lapse in appropriations. This extension shall be limited to leaving open the CFC Online Pledging system and the collection and processing of paper pledge forms.

Prior to the partial government shutdown that occurred Dec. 22, 2018, pledges to the CFC were running at a rate that was showing a forecasted result for this year’s campaign at five to 10 percent ahead of last year’s pace. The potential existed for a year-over-year campaign increase that had not occurred since 2009. Since the shutdown, however, the rate of pledges has dropped off significantly to the point of lagging behind last year’s pace.

The Give Back Foundation and its service provider TASC were contracted near the beginning of 2016 to retool the 50-year-old federal employee giving program. This retooling involved creating a centralized and secure online system for charity enrollment, and employee pledges. In response to the shutdown, GBF/TASC initiated a discussion with the CFC about finding a way to extend the campaign deadline to give federal employees a chance to donate to this worthwhile program once the shutdown is resolved. Unfortunately, extending the deadline wasn’t a straightforward or simple process. GBF/TASC had to be very creative in creating an approach to help the CFC extend the campaign deadline and to be flexible in how payroll or other channels for processing and facilitating contributions by federal employees are handled.

Because we care about the campaign, federal employees, the charities and those who are ultimately served by the resources contributed, GBF/TASC approached the CFC and volunteered to do whatever was needed to keep the system open, and to the provide staff to serve the government during the campaign extension. All this was done at no extra cost to the federal government or the CFC, employee contributors or the charities. Noting that the partial government shutdown has negatively affected these people enough, TASC agreed to absorb the additional expense. Willing to do anything to keep the campaign open, GBF/TASC even stepped in to solve issues the partial government shutdown has caused agencies and payroll processors to continue processing pledges.

GBF/TASC are making this commitment for one reason: we strongly believe in the mission of the CFC. It is because of this sincere concern for the individuals that depend on the services provided by our country’s charitable organizations that GBF/TASC continues to work with the federal government to be an engaged partner with the CFC.

“Through the 2017 CFCNCA, federal employees and retirees have already contributed more than $30 million and nearly 40,000 volunteer hours to help those in need. I am honored to be part of such a generous community,” said Vince Micone, chairperson of the Local Federal Coordinating Committee that oversees the CFCNCA.

“I would like to extend gratitude to each participant and remind the federal community that there’s still time to pledge if they have not done so yet.”

The CFCNCA campaign was extended this year from December to January in order to give federal employees additional opportunity to donate to and volunteer with a variety of charities.

Micone told Federal Times in a recent interview the changes this year allow those donating to have more funds go directly to charities and to donate time as well as money to the causes important to them. For the first time, federal retirees can support charitable causes via a deduction from their annuity.

Employees can donate through cfcna.org and have until the end of the week to do so.

After a later-than-expected start last year, CFC organizers also added a later-than-usual deadline, extending the giving season through Jan. 12.

This year brought a new online portal that allows donors to pledge online. The system allows all federal employees to donate via payroll deduction, credit and debit cards, and eCheck payments.

In addition, the Office of Personnel Management was allowed for the first time to solicit federal annuitants and military retirees to continue to use the CFC for charitable giving, with recurring gifts from their annuity. Federal employees, service members and retirees also were able to pledge volunteer time, not just cash, to CFC charities.

While the solicitation campaign periods vary by location, all donors have until Jan. 12 to pledge, whether online or via a traditional pledge card, postmarked by that date.

This year’s campaign theme is “Show Some Love.”

Combined Federal Campaign donors seeking military-related charities in the private sector can choose from 131 combined groups in two federations, the Military Family and Veterans Service Organizations of America, and Military Support Groups of America. But there are other charities whose activities intersect with the needs and interests of service members, veterans and military families.

Donors should “take a look at those traditional charities that have been here for the long haul that really do provide programs that recognize military service, recognize veterans’ service,” said Tom Bognanno, chief executive officer of the Community Health Charities foundation, whose 2,000-plus charities offer more than 700 individual veteran programs nationwide.

Programs include counseling services, as well as elder care assistance for aging veterans. National groups such as Autism Speaks, the Arthritis Foundation, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer’s Association and others are among the federation’s charities; there are also hundreds of chapters affiliated with those national organizations that serve local communities, some of which are also in the Combined Federal Campaign.

“Veterans have a variety of issues, not just confined to the time when they’re on active duty,” Bognanno said. “Once you leave that military base, come back home and are readjusting to [civilian] life, for most of these young men and women, they have 30, 40, 50 years of living left, and we enjoy continuing to work with them, continuing to meet the needs of those veterans as they get older, and encounter different disorders and situations.”

In the past, groups in the health federation may have focused primarily on chronic disease. But today many of the groups also focus on wellness, and well being, Bognanno said.

FOR ‘TOMORROW AND THE NEXT DAY’

Many of the established health-related charities also provide assistance to victims of natural disasters and mass shootings, though they may be overlooked by donors eager to help in the immediate aftermath.

“Think long term,” Bognanno said. “Think which organizations have programs in the CFC that you can contribute to that take care not just on the horrible day of the disaster and the day after. This is nothing about the American Red Cross — they do a very defined and excellent program. But what about six months afterwards? What about a year afterwards?”

One of the charities associated with the Community Health Charities is Samaritan’s Purse, which was in New Orleans five years after Hurricane Katrina, he said.

“If you want to help people in Puerto Rico and Texas, consider which of those charities actually have programs that are going to help them rebuild their lives, help them get a job, help them find kidney dialysis or Alzheimer’s centers … which of those charities are going to be there tomorrow and the next day, and perhaps have programs designed for veterans.”

CFC BASICS

This year’s CFC pledging season started Oct. 2, a month later than in previous years, to give local CFC campaigns more time to implement changes in the nationwide campaign. The pledge season ends Jan. 12.

Each local campaign determines the time period during that window of time that they will carry out their fundraising campaigns. CFC is the only authorized solicitation of federal employees in their workplaces on behalf of approved charities.

This year, a new aspect of the CFC is that donors can also pledge their volunteering time, not just their dollars. Other changes include the ability to solicit donations from military retirees and federal annuitants, and a new centralized giving portal that allows donors to make their CFC pledges online.

Despite their proven skills and dedication, it can be difficult for our service members to transition from the military into the civilian workforce, and unemployment remains a challenge. Without a steady income, veterans and their families are at risk for struggling with homelessness, mental illness, and poverty.

“I am a veteran and I come from a family of service members dating back to the Korean War, so I have a personal responsibility to help my fellow comrades through personal service and by donating to organizations that support our service members,” Natasha said.

The Combined Federal Campaign provides federal employees and retirees — civilian and military — the opportunity to support causes they care about, like veterans services, through one-time gifts, recurring donations, and volunteerism.

Fortunately, there are many organizations that support our heroes long beyond their call of duty. “There are so many organizations now that offer support to veterans to assist them with finding jobs, counseling services, and transitioning into the civilian workforce,” Natasha continued. “Every year I find multiple veterans nonprofit organizations that I am able to donate to through CFC. Each of these organizations will use the funding they receive to assist my fellow comrades in finding their next career in the civilian workforce.”

In 2016, the jobless rate for all veterans decreased to 4.3 percent. And since 2010, there has been a 47 percent decline in homelessness among veterans. Through the CFC, individuals have the opportunity to support organizations with programs that help make these improvements possible.

For Natasha, the CFC is fantastic way to pay it forward and provide help to veterans who find themselves faced with the dilemma she experienced. “Funding through the CFC can provide a disabled veteran with services to help them reenter the workforce as a civilian through various means of organization support,” she said. “Funding through the CFC can provide a veteran free physiological and counseling services to help us through work, family, and life. Funding through the CFC can provide a veteran with a service animal to assist them with daily task and emotional support.”

Support for veterans is just one of the services provided by charities participating in the CFC. So, federal employees and retirees — whether you care about cancer research, disaster relief, education, or wildlife preservation, the CFC has a charity for any cause you want to support.

Want to make an impact in the world around you? Give through the CFC and Show Some Love to a cause you care about. Visit opm.gov/ShowSomeLoveCFC for more information and to make a pledge.

In addition to feeling overwhelmed by the constant requests for support, we can also feel like our contributions are not large enough to have an impact. Today, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds. That statistic seems insurmountable if you’re not a researcher or doctor who is able to work toward finding a cure. But just $30 provides one hour of lab time for a technician conducting groundbreaking research on Alzheimer’s disease — and that hour could make all the difference in the world.

Fortunately, for federal employees and retirees, there is a simple solution to support the causes you care about — the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). As the only authorized charitable solicitation of employees in the federal workplace, the CFC is the official avenue for nonprofits wishing to reach this pool of donors, an arrangement that is beneficial to both the donors and the charities.

The campaign is the perfect opportunity and place for members of the federal community to choose the causes they care about and make a pledge to charities working in those areas. Campaign donors have the option to choose from thousands of charities and give to as many as they would like. They also control whether an organization receives their contact information and can remain anonymous if they prefer.

“The CFC enables me to make the donations to the organizations that matter to me the most,” said Mary Coats, an employee with the National Institutes of Health. “There are [thousands of] charities to choose from, so I know the organizations that are important to me are available. And I can choose multiple organizations to donate to, in one easy deduction.”

Charities also benefit from the program. Imagine trying to reach every single federal employee across the country and around the world. The CFC provides access to a critical source of funding for participating nonprofits and an inexpensive way to attract new donors. U.S. Postal Service employee Deborah Valentine recognizes that “many organizations do not have the ability to fundraise, and the CFC is wonderful avenue for them to do so.”

The 2017 CFC runs from Oct. 2, 2017, through Jan. 12, 2018, and federal employees will only be solicited during that time. However, charities receive these funds all year long, providing a reliable source of revenue to support their programs. Contributions raised through the campaign are also unrestricted, empowering charities to respond effectively to community needs rather than being required to direct funds to a certain program.

Whether you care about veterans services, disaster relief, cancer research, or wildlife preservation, the CFC has a charity for any cause you want to support. So don’t wait — give through the CFC and Show Some Love to a cause you care about. Visit opm.gov/ShowSomeLoveCFC for more information and to make a pledge.

Were you aware of CFC before your time in government?

I knew about it, yeah. I didn’t think I would be chairing it.

How did you become the 2017 honorary chairman?

Basically, they asked me, “Would you be willing to do this?” I suspect they were very cognizant of my history of being involved with charitable organizations and pushing charitable causes. It probably doesn’t hurt that I’m secretary of HUD, which is the agency of the government’s charity.

What about your past experience prepares you for something like chairing CFC?

For one thing, I started along with my wife a national non-profit, the Carson’s Scholar Fund. Which, everybody said, not another college fund. But it’s actually become very successful: it’s active in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In the process of doing that, you become very accustom to how non-profits work – to raising funds, to getting people involved, to understanding what the goals are.

How do you see your role as chair?

I think really to promote the opportunities that exist through all levels of government, from the president’s Cabinet right down to the daily workers, everybody. Help them to understand that this is a tremendous privilege that we have, to give of ourselves and to give of our resources to help our fellow individuals. The Bible says it’s more blessed to give than to receive. This is an opportunity to share in those blessings.

What are you doing to boost participation and raise awareness?

Doing my daily activities as the HUD secretary, which automatically tends to promote involvement. When you’re looking at things like developing affordable housing, you discover that the very best ways to do that involve public-private partnerships.

The private part of that, frequently, is non-profits who have a particular interest in helping people to live in safe, affordable housing. So, automatically, those two things mesh: CFC and what we do here at HUD.

CFC continues to evolve every year. What’s new for 2017?

We have a new web portal, which kind of amalgamates all the programs. Before there were, like, 36 different programs. So, now we truly have a unified federal effort.

We’ve made it extremely easy for people to donate – credit cards, debit cards, checks, whatever. As well as giving on a regular basis with a deduction from pay. That’s actually the easiest way because the amount from each paycheck is not very much but at the end of the year it’s accumulated into a substantial donation, which can be very helpful to a lot of people.

The other thing, we’ve made it possible this year for people to actually donate themselves. They can donate their time to a registered non-profit organization.

And, with military and [federal] retirees we now have a mechanism whereby their annuities can be partly donated to a charity. So, they can participate, as well.

People who want to give have any number of avenues to do so. Why should feds donate through CFC and not some other means?

One of the chief reasons is because it’s easy and because you have such an incredible smorgasbord. It really depends on what’s your interest, what kind of charity would you like to donate to? There are thousands there, so there’s really something for everybody.

Also, with it being all under one umbrella, the cost of operations is much smaller than it would be with multiple different operations. So, you’re getting more bang for your buck; you’re getting more people helped with each dollar you donate.

What would be a homerun for this year’s campaign? Is it hitting the monetary donation goals or something more?

I think a real win would be for everybody who’s working under the federal umbrella to have been asked to give.

Another big win would be for people to actually start thinking about what they can do for others and to start recognizing that we are not each other’s enemies. If we divert our attention to how we can help instead of how we can divide, I think we’ll all be winners.

This year’s campaign got a late start. How will that delay affect this year’s giving?

We did shift the timetable by a month. I don’t think it will matter.

There have been a number of disasters recently, from hurricanes to wildfires. What mechanisms are in place to enable feds to donate toward these efforts or disasters to come?

First of all, you can actually volunteer yourself. If you want to go down to help, a lot of the volunteer efforts for Harvey and Irma and Maria are funded through the CFC, so there’s immediate gratification there.

But, on the website, both locally and nationally, there is a mechanism by which you can donate specifically by hurricane or event or as general disaster relief.

Donations through CFC have declined dramatically over the years. From the people you’ve spoken with, the sense you get, what’s happened to the donation base?

I think a primary problem is, over the last decade or so, people have not felt economically empowered. People are struggling, prices are going up, salaries are stagnant or going down relative to prices. I think once we get the whole economy moving in the right direction and more people feel empowered, that charitable spirit returns.

Now, having said that, even though donations have gone down, we’re still by far the most charitable nation on the face of the Earth. That’s a part of who we are as Americans. Whenever there’s a disaster somewhere, who’s first in line? We are.

I’ll tell you something that’s rather surprising: The United States was the impetus for Socialism. Because Europeans looked over here and they saw the Carnegies and the Mellons and the Fords and the Kelloggs and the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts and said, “You can’t run a country like that, with these very rich people and everybody else. You need an overarching government that receives the funding and redistributes it equitably.” But those people who were saying that didn’t realize that America was different.

All those names that I gave you and more, instead of hording money and passing it down from generation to generation, they built the infrastructure of this country. They built the seaports and the transcontinental railroad and the textile mills and the factories and all the things that allowed us to develop the most powerful middle class the world had ever seen, which rapidly drove our economy to the top of the world.

Thinking about development, thinking about others, thinking about how to use your resources to improve the environment was really responsible for America rising to the top. This is just a smaller portion of that.

So, as the economy picks up, people will be more apt to give. Will that happen this year or in subsequent years?

I think things are already starting to pick up. You look at the joblessness rate, it’s going down. The stock market is going up, which is indicative of something people don’t frequently think about, and that is people’s 401ks, which for the last 10 years have been virtually stagnant, which is why so many people who are retiring are in trouble. The things that were supposed to happen didn’t happen.

Looking at the trends with CFC, based on your experience running a non-profit, what can be done within the organization to stem the tide of losses? Is there a way forward for CFC?

There’s always a way forward. You can look at the trends – what are people interested in – and those are the kinds of things you present up front. And you also find out why people donate and build a database on why people donate. Then you can easily transform what you’re doing to in a way that appeals to more people.

What advice will you give to the next chair?

For one thing, I would say enjoy the fact that you have an opportunity to help people recognize that we’re all in the same boat. And that the more people that we can help, the faster we move in the positive direction.

But I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to tell them in a few months.

Any final thoughts on CFC?

I think we’re going to see a lot of people get involved. People who are federal employees have already put their foot in the water in terms of sacrifice. And I think a lot of them feel very fulfilled in what they’re doing and this is an opportunity to take that fulfillment to the next step.

The Military Family and Veterans Service Organizations of America has 69 participating charities, compared to 70 in 2016, while the Military Support Groups of America has 62 in 2017, compared to 64 in 2016, said Patrick Maguire, whose Maguire/Maguire firm provides support services for the federations as well as 20 other independent charitable federations.

New to the MFVSO is the FourBlock Foundation, which offers a career readiness program for veterans twice a year in major metropolitan cities around the country. The semester-long, university-accredited program provides professional development, career exploration and network and mentorship. The foundation was accepted by the CFC earlier this year.

New to the MSGA, the Fleet Reserve Association Education Foundation (CFC #80236) provides scholarships to eligible service members and veterans of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and their family members. Each year, the foundation presents scholarships totaling about $100,000.

The foundation offers a variety of scholarships up to $5,000 for those seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, with some targeted toward specific groups and others offering broad eligibility criteria. Awards are given based on financial need, academic standing, character and leadership qualities.

“This is the first step in expanding the program and awarding more scholarships each year,” said Joe Barnes, president of the foundation‘s board of directors. “This is the first year we’ve been accepted into the Military Support Groups of America. We’re excited about that.”

Being part of the federation hopefully will expand the awareness about the foundation for both potential scholarship recipients and potential donors, and increase contributions, he said. The foundation has been part of the CFC since 2012 as an individual organization, not as part of a federation.

Donations to the military federations have fallen, even when compared to the declining CFC totals overall: Pledges to MVFSA groups dropped by 14 percent in 2016, down almost a million dollars to $5.9 million. MSGA pledges fell 16 percent over that span, from $2.5 million to $2.1 million.

Overall CFC giving dropped 6 percent in 2016, from $177.8 million the year before to $167.1 million.

There has been a decline in giving for all military charities in recent years, Maguire said. “partly due to the decline of the CFC and partly due to donor fatigue, I suspect, but I really don‘t know.” The federations don’t get enough information from CFC to offer informed speculation on the decline, he added.

“The CFC is hugely important to the military charities, for obvious reasons,” Maguire said. “Those charities have made a significant investment to continue in the campaign, and they are counting on CFC givers to respond favorably to the changes in the CFC that make it a much better giving alternative.

“Our biggest concern is that after so many years of the ‘business as usual CFC,’ potential givers might not appreciate what a huge change the campaign is embarking on, and why it is a valuable benefit to them and to the participating charities.”

A new CFC fee structure requires nonprofits to pay their share of CFC campaign costs upfront. In previous years, a portion of the donation was kept by CFC for campaign costs before the money was distributed to the charity.

The goal is for 100 percent of all donations to reach the charities. The CFC also has attempted to help donors make better informed decisions by requiring charities to provide information such as the administrative and fundraising rate, or AFR — the percentage of dollars spent on expenses other than services.

There’s a specific category for these organizations on the CFC portal’s front search page. A quick search of a few installations showed donors could direct their dollars to youth programs at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Army Child, Youth and School Services at Fort Belvoir, Virginia; the Airman and Family Readiness Center at South Korea’s Osan Air Base; and the Fisher House at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Donors can search for these organizations at specific installations on a pulldown menu. These programs have a different application process than private civilian charities seeking to join the CFC; for example, the application must include a letter from the installation commander signing off on participation in the campaign.

For several years, federal employee donors have been able to pledge money to charities that provide services in specific areas, regardless of where they lived. For example, a donor in Virginia could give money to an organization in California. But this is the first time a prominent search feature specific to organizations on military bases has been available.

It’s not a complete listing of military installations; there’s a preponderance of Air Force bases compared with other services. Not every base listed has an organization associated with it that is accepting CFC donations. And there appear to be some glitches: It’s not clear, for example, why the Fisher House in San Diego pops up as an organization associated with U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany.

Donors can use multiple search variables to zero in on charities of interest. They can search by charity name, CFC number, keyword, category, geographic area, campaign zone and administrative and fundraising rate, or AFR. That rate represents the percentage spent by the charity on expenses other than services.

The website also allows donors to search for charities with volunteer opportunities available, as the CFC now allows donors to pledge to volunteer their time for specific groups.

The installation-related charities are a small percentage of the total charities participating in the CFC. Those seeking military-related charities in the private sector can choose from 131 combined groups in two federations, the Military Family and Veterans Service Organizations of America and Military Support Groups of America.

Thousands of other charities support causes in the local, national and international communities ranging from the arts and culture to animal issues to medical research.

“I have no idea how the new website giving platform will affect military charities, but I can say that in recent years online giving has resulted in higher participation rates and higher average gifts, according to [the Office of Personnel Management],” said Patrick Maguire, whose firm Maguire/Maguire provides support services for 22 independent charitable federations, including the two military-related federations. “However, at the federation level we have had no way of knowing which gifts were made online and which by paper.”

Different CFC zones have operated websites that allow donors to pledge online; this new portal is expected to consolidate information for donors, save operating costs and increase efficiency.

The donor pool starting this year will include retirees, who will be able to pledge to their favorite charities through CFC and donate through deductions from their government annuities.

The CFC has gone through major changes this year, and there have been delays. The annual pledge season started Oct. 2, a month later than usual, and its end date has been extended to Jan. 12. Local campaigns choose their time frame within that window for agencies to solicit pledges from their workforce.

OPM delayed the drive’s start to give local CFC zones more time to incorporate program changes, and also allowed a grace period for charities locate in areas affected by recent hurricanes.

Although some local CFC zones have started their pledge season, donors weren’t able to make pledges until the complete list of local, national and international charities was made available Monday.