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We are not part of the Combined Federal Campaign, and we get no
part of what you give through the "CFC." But we still
think it is a great way to give to charities. If you are a federal
or military employee, we encourage you to give through the CFC.
Here’s why:
- You can choose to support a tremendous range of charities.
You can support charities working locally, nationally or internationally.
Charities that are helping children or youth, protecting animals
or the environment, fighting dreaded diseases or providing needed
services. You can support charities that directly serve individuals,
educate the public, or work to change public policies. You can
support up to five charities. Groups that you do not want to
support will not benefit from your donation. Giving
through the CFC is a great opportunity to sit down once a year
and decide which charities you would like to support.
- Every charity eligible to receive CFC donations must meet
10 accountability standards, including low overhead. Each
charity’s fund-raising and administrative costs must be under
25 percent. If its costs exceed 25 percent, it must be able to
justify having higher costs. The CFC (and this website) tells
you exactly how much each charity spends on overhead.
All but the smallest charities must have an annual audit. National
charities must be able to show that they work in at least 15 states.
All charities must produce an annual report. This website includes
a simple explanation of the accountability
standards CFC charities must meet.
- The CFC’s overhead is low, thus nearly all of your money
goes to the charities. Many people have an image of the CFC
as a huge operation. But it is not. Nationally, only five people
administer the CFC. Most of the work is done by individual federal
employees who agree to act as CFC key workers during their work
day. The cost to run the CFC is about 8 percent of your donation.
In contrast, direct mail or telephone solicitation can cost between
50 and 100 percent.
- Having your gift deducted from your paycheck is a great,
nearly painless way to provide a real boost to the charities you
choose to support. Having just $10 deducted from your pay
every two weeks adds up to a donation of $260 over the year.
- Donations to CFC charities are tax deductible. To be
eligible for the CFC, a group must be recognized by the IRS as
a "501-c-3" organization. These organizations can receive tax
deductible contributions. But these organizations cannot engage
in partisan politics. They cannot endorse or work for candidates.
They cannot make contributions to candidates or parties. They
can work to change public policies, within limits set by
the IRS.
Because more than 80 percent of the money given to charities comes
from individuals, gifts made by people like you are their lifeblood.
Your gift can allow a charity to feed one more child, immunize
one more baby, provide one more night of shelter for a homeless
family, support one more family struggling with a tragic disease,
rescue one more animal, conserve one more acre of forest.
The critical question is not whether to give through the
CFC, but how much to give and which charities to support.
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