Combined Federal Campaign

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 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Logo for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is a program allowing certain nonprofit organizations to solicit contributions from employees of the federal government of the United States. According to its website, the mission of the CFC "is to promote and support 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".[1]

Origins

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10927, "Abolishing the President's Committee on Fund-Raising Within the Federal Service and Providing for the Conduct of Fund-Raising Activities," which gave authority to the United States Civil Service Commission to organize nonprofit solicitations of federal government employees.

...The Chairman of the Civil Service Commission is authorized to consult with appropriate interested persons and organizations, the national voluntary agencies, and the executive departments and agencies concerned. Such arrangements shall (1) permit true voluntary giving and reserve to the individual the option of disclosing his gift or keeping it confidential; (2) designate specific periods during which solicitations may be conducted; and (3) provide for not more than three solicitations annually, except in cases of emergency or disaster appeals for which specific provision may be made by the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission.
—John F. Kennedy, Executive Order 10927
[2]

Kennedy's executive order was eventually replaced[3] by President Ronald Reagan's 1982 executive order 12353, "Charitable Fundraising," that created the modern Combined Federal Campaign under the United States Office of Personnel Management.[4]

Participation

Contributions to the CFC totaled $12.9 million in 1964, $82.8 million in 1979, and peaked at $282.6 million in 2009. In 2011, CFC pledges totaled $272.7 million with 24% of the federal workforce participating and an average employee pledge of $284.27.[5]

The number of participating charities was estimated in 2012 at more than 20,000 nonprofit organizations worldwide.[6] Organizations wishing to participate must submit a new charity application annually.[7]

Terrorist screening controversy

In 2004, the program added a new requirement that all organizations participating in the CFC must certify that they screen all of their employees against government-created blacklists, intended to identify people involved in "terrorist activities". This resulted in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) resigning from the CFC July 31, 2004, because such checks violate their principles. In November 2004, the ACLU and 12 other non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit challenging this policy. Since then, in November 2005, the OCFCO has put out revised requirements. The new regulation requires that each federation, federation member, and un-affiliated organization applying for participation in the CFC must, as a condition of participation, complete a certification that it is in compliance with all statutes, Executive orders, and regulations restricting or prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in transactions and dealings with countries, entities, or individuals subject to economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In essence, the charities have to certify that the organizations that they support are not considered terrorist organizations by the US Government. While the ACLU was not in the CFC for 2005, these revised requirements seem to have satisfied most of the charities who complained. In 2007, the ACLU returned to the CFC.

References

  1. ↑ The Combined Federal Campaign
  2. ↑ Kennedy, John F. (March 18, 1961), Executive Order 10927, Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project., retrieved January 29, 2014 
  3. ↑ Executive Orders Disposition Tables, John F. Kennedy - 1961, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, retrieved January 29, 2014 
  4. ↑ Reagan, Ronald (March 18, 1961), Executive Order 12353, Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project., retrieved January 29, 2014 
  5. ↑ Federal Advisory Committee Report on the Combined Federal Campaign, CFC-50 Commission Report U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2012, retrieved January 29, 2014 .
  6. ↑ Federal Advisory Committee Report on the Combined Federal Campaign, CFC-50 Commission Report U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2012, retrieved January 29, 2014 
  7. ↑ Combined Federal Campaign Information for Charities, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, retrieved January 29, 2014 .
  • "ACLU and Coalition Challenge Government Watch List Policy", Civil Liberties (The ACLU national newsletter), Winter 2005.

External links

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