gopcfc.org - General FAQs

General FAQs

FAQs

What is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)? [Top]

The CFC is the only national authorized workplace giving drive of employees in the Federal workplace for charitable organizations. The Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC is the local campaign for Federal employees in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason Counties in Washington State.
What is the purpose of the CFC? [Top]

The purpose of the CFC is to support and promote 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.
Why have a CFC? [Top]

The annual fundraising campaign helps support a variety of health, human and other services provided by local, national and international charitable agencies. This single campaign is one of the most cost-efficient fundraising methods available. It succeeds because volunteers from the Federal workforce combine their resources for one coordinated appeal.
How important is the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC Campaign? [Top]

You are part of the most significant philanthropic campaign in the world. Thousands of charities in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason Counties, throughout America and around the world depend upon your generosity for their very existence. Last year, you and your coworkers gave more than $2 million to charitable agencies. These charities provide services to every part of our community, and touch every one of our lives. Funding from the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC is one of the most important sources of revenue for these charities, since your payroll deduction pledges provide a steady income stream throughout the year that helps keep their core programs operating. In short, you've got the power to make our community, nation and world a better place.
Who runs the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC? [Top]

You do! The Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC is operated by a committee of federal volunteers, called the Local Federal Coordinating Committee, or LFCC. The LFCC assures that the campaign is managed according to the regulations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The LFCC selects a non-profit organization called the PCFO to help operate the campaign through a competitive bid process. The LFCC has selected United Way of Kitsap to operate the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC. But the PCFO is only a small part of Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC operations. Most campaign administration is carried out by volunteer federal employees - key workers, and campaign mangers. These individuals are the core of the CFC program - please thank them for their willingness to serve!
What are the administrative costs for Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC this year? [Top]

LFCC approved a budget of $183,705 for this year. The budget is a fixed amount, not a percentage of funds raised. If we are successful in achieving our target of $2.1 million raised, this budget would amount to about 8.7 percent of revenues. The final fund-raising cost percentage will be known when the campaign is complete and a final total has been reached. However, only actual expenses are charged to the campaign. For many years, our actual campaign expenses have been consistently under budget.
What is unique about United Way of Kitsap's management of Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC? [Top]

New technology: Electronic tools for the contributor will make it easier and more robust to search for charities on the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC web page ( http://www.gopcfc.org/ ).

CFC-e ® : is now underway across the federal sector in this market. Using CFC-e contributors will be able to fill out their CFC-e ® pledge card online and submit it to their Keyworker.

This year we are making an online pledging option available to all donors.

Management tools: Campaign management tools will make tracking, reporting and processing the campaign faster and more efficient. A campaign toolbox on the internet brings stories, photos, publications and more resources to the fingertips of campaign managers at more than 160 major accounts in all three branches of the federal government.

Updated and refreshed the awards program for individual and activity recognition.
How does the 2009 budget compare with the 2008 budget? [Top]

The budget approved by the LFCC is slightly higher in total dollars from 2008 based on features and initiatives that we are adding to the campaign this year such as making online pledging available for all donors. Only actual documented expenses are charged to the campaign.
How efficient is the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC? [Top]

Through the outstanding oversight efforts of the Federal employees on the LFCC, the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC's board of directors, less than eight percent of the funds raised are spent on campaign expenses such as printing materials, training volunteers and auditing contributions. Because this cost is so low compared with other fundraising campaigns, every dollar you pledge goes a very long way toward helping others.
How do I give to Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC? [Top]

The most common method of making a donation is by filling out the traditional paper pledge card and having the amount that you choose deducted from each paycheck. You may also use the pledge card to make a donation by check or cash. This year, you can use the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC web site to link to an online pledging system to search for charities that support causes you believe in and make your pledge. Some agencies also make it possible for employees to take part in the CFC through their internal network. Choose the method that is best for you!
Do I have to make a pledge? [Top]

While we hope you will choose to donate, it is your choice. The Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC is committed to giving every federal employee in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason Counties an informed opportunity to participate in the campaign. However, participation is strictly optional, and any effort to coerce an employee to take part in any CFC when he or she does not wish to do so is prohibited by regulation.
Is there a minimum or maximum payroll deduction gift one can donate through the CFC? [Top]

The minimum gift for military and civilian personnel is $1 per pay period. There is no maximum gift. All gifts are welcome.
How much should I give? [Top]

It's your decision-give what feels good. Lead by example.
How do I know that my gift gets to the charity I designate? [Top]

You have the option of asking that charity to acknowledge your gift. Complete the box in the lower left corner of your pledge card and your name, contact information, and optionally the amount of your gift will be released to the charity. Many charities will write to you acknowledging that gift.
Why isn't my favorite charity in the book? [Top]

Participation in the CFC is determined by either a local or national application process. Charities must apply in order to be included, so your favorite charity either has not applied or did not qualify. We suggest that you encourage your favorite charity to apply next year. Check the OPM web site for the national procedures ( www.opm.gov/cfc) or the local CFC web site ( http://www.gopcfc.org/). The application period takes place locally from January through May.
If I give to charity directly, won't they get more money than if the CFC took a slice off the top? [Top]

Probably not. In nearly all cases, charities in the CFC have much higher fund raising costs on their own than they experience when they are part of a federated campaign like Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC.

People give more than three to four times as much through payroll deduction than they do when making a direct cash gift.

So charities stand to gain in many ways:

1. Gifts they get through Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC may be higher than when people give directly.

2. The administrative costs to generate a gift through CFC are lower than if they had to generate that gift independently.

3. It costs the charity just as much to properly process and account for each check they receive from individuals as the one larger check they receive from the CFC.

4. The charity gets a share of the undesignated funds.
What is the role of a federation? [Top]

A federation is an organization that provides administrative, marketing and operational support for a group of individual charities. For these services, the member charities typically pay some kind of fee (often a percentage of their receipts) for the services provided by the federation. Many individual charities believe that this is more cost-effective than doing these tasks internally.
What is the CFC policy on coercion? [Top]

CFC giving is voluntary and we oppose coercion in any form. Our only objective is to assure that 100% of the federal employees in this area have the opportunity to make an informed choice whether to give. Only you can determine whether to give and how much you or your family can afford to give to charity. If you feel you are being coerced into giving, you have the right to report that using to the channels outlined in the Catalog of Caring. The LFCC and Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC do not condone coercion under any circumstances. If you experience it, please report it.
How do donations get to charities? [Top]

Donations are distributed to charities by the PCFO following the close of the campaign. Donations made by check or cash are distributed once the audit of those funds is complete, and donations by payroll deduction are distributed monthly after deducted funds have been received and audited. In all cases, the amount distributed to a charity is based on how much was designated to that charity by federal employees - if no one chooses a particular charity, it will not receive any funding.

Charities choose whether to receive their CFC donations directly, or through a federation. Many charities choose to join a federation, which allows them to share the expense and administrative burden of applying and participating in campaigns like the CFC with other charities. Federation membership is voluntary. Federations are non-profit organizations that are funded by their member organizations in a variety ways. Payments to charities in a federation are made through the federation, which then distributes them to each member charity based upon the designations by federal employees.

Independent Charities do not belong to a federation, and apply individually to take part in the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC. All costs associated with applying and participating in the campaign are part of an independent charity's overhead, instead of being handled by a federation. Payments to unaffiliated charities are made directly by the PCFO based on designations by federal employees.
Do I get a receipt? [Top]

All donors retain a copy of their pledge cards for their records. A service member or employee who makes a one-time (cash, check or money order) contribution of $250 or more, and those who make a payroll deduction contribution of $250 or more each pay period to the CFC may request a tax verification letter from the PCFO. IRS regulations require verification of one-time charitable gifts of $250 or more to be tax deductible.
When do I need verification of my donation for tax purposes? [Top]

If you make a one-time donation of $250 or more by cash or check and claim your gift as a tax deduction, IRS regulations may require verification of your charitable donation.
Why should I make charitable contributions through the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC when I could just send a check directly to charities I wish to support ? [Top]

You could write a check and mail it directly to a charity, but most of us wait to be asked before we give. You might respond to a mail solicitation, for example, but maybe not the first one. Maybe a second or third mailing would get your attention.

The Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC consolidates all of these individual and costly solicitations into one campaign once a year resulting in lower solicitation costs to the charities.

Accounting costs are also much lower because gifts are consolidated into monthly checks. Imagine the accounting overhead if all of these gifts were processed one-by-one each month.

Bottom line: Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC costs are lower than any other form of charitable solicitation. The Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC is the most cost-effective way to donate to a charity.
How do federal agencies benefit from participation in the CFC? [Top]

Participation in the CFC enhances the visibility of Federal employees and the agencies for which they work. Federal employees are viewed by the community as good neighbors, concerned with the welfare of others.
Federal employees benefit from an improvement in the quality of life in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties. Participation in the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC assures that services will be available to Federal employees when their own personal situations arise. The campaign affects everyone, including the lives of a federal agency’s employees. Participation in a single, efficient, annual campaign offers individuals the opportunity to meet their civic responsibility to the community.
How do I know the charities participating in the CFC are legitimate? [Top]

Federal employees in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties volunteer to serve on the Technical Advisory Committee that evaluates each charity applying to become eligible to receive designations from local CFC contributors. Each local charitable agency must meet the following requirements, as defined in federal law and OPM rules and regulations:

Organizations must certify that they provide or conduct real human health and welfare services, benefits, assistance or program activities

Organizations must provide a letter from the Internal Revenue Service recognizing them as tax-exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)

Organizations must provide a completed copy of their IRS Form 990

Organizations must demonstrate that they have a substantial local or statewide presence, which must include a staffed facility or office available to the public seeking its services

The organization's local facility must be open at least 15 hours per week and have a telephone number exclusively dedicated to the organization

Organizations with an annual revenue in excess of $100,000 must have an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards

Organizations must be directed by an active and responsible governing body whose members have no conflict of interest and a majority of which serve without compensation.
What are some ways that federal agencies support the CFC? [Top]

Federal agencies in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Mason counties appoint a volunteer to serve as Campaign Chair, Vice Chair and Campaign Manager to lead their agency's CFC effort. The Campaign Manager recruits a Campaign Committee, Team Captains and Keyworkers to help implement campaign plans. These volunteers work hard to make events like Kick Offs, employee meetings, agency tours and special CFC communications succeed.
Is the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC covered by federal regulations? [Top]

Yes. All CFC campaigns operate under regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management. The regulations are designed to give federal employees who wish to help others through the CFC a chance to participate, without putting inappropriate pressure on individuals who do not wish to do so. In addition, the regulations define the process by which charitable organizations may participate in the CFC, and the duties and responsibilities of the LFCC and PCFO. More information is available at OPM's CFC website.

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This is the official Combined Federal Campaign website for the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC.
This site has been reviewed and approved by the Greater Olympic Peninsula CFC LFCC for the 2010 campaign.