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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. You can support charities that directly serve individuals, educate the public, or work to change public policies. You can support several charities with one gift. Charities 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 deserve your gifts.
- Every charity eligible to receive CFC donations must meet a series of accountability standards. All but the smallest local 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. The CFC (and this website) tells you exactly how much each charity spends on administration and fund raising.
- The CFC's overhead is low, thus most 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.
The critical question is not whether to give through the CFC, but how much to give and which charities to support. The purpose of this website is to give you more information that will help you make this decision.
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