Combined Federal Campaign CFC FAQs

Special events held in conjunction with the CFC are permitted during the campaign period if approved by the appropriate agency head or government official, consistent with agency ethics regulations. However, in all approved fundraising events the donor must have the option of designating his/her contribution to a specific organization or federation or be advised the contribution will be counted as an undesignated contribution. For more information see 5CFR Part 950.602. Because of the complexity of ethics and/or state laws, CFC special events must be addressed on a case by case basis.

A complete IRS Form 990 will include the entire Form 990 itself, and all applicable supplemental/supporting statements with the exception of Schedule B. The IRS Form 990 must also contain all appropriate signatures. Electronic IRS Forms 990 must be accompanied with IRS Form 8879-EO (IRS e-file Signature Authorization for an Exempt Organization") or Form 8453-EO ("Exempt Organization Declaration and Signature for Electronic Filing"). Both Form 8879-EO and 8453-EO require an officer's signature and declaration that the information contained in the document is true, correct, and complete.

Yes. The CFC regulations, set forth at 5 CFR § 950.102, state that the CFC is the only authorized solicitation of employees in the Federal workplace on behalf of charitable organizations. No other solicitation on behalf of charitable organizations may be conducted in the Federal workplace. These regulations do not apply to the collection of gifts-in-kind, such as food, clothing and toys, or to the solicitation of Federal employees outside of the Federal workplace. Heads of departments or agencies may establish policies and procedures applicable to solicitations conducted by organizations composed of civilian employees or members of the uniformed services among their own members for organizational support or for the benefit of welfare funds for their members.

It is difficult to estimate how much you will receive in any given year as the CFC, like all workplace giving, is subject to influences that may affect giving (i.e., fluctuations in the Federal labor force). After participating for a number of years, it may be possible to establish an estimated range for the amount to be received. We suggest that charitable organizations contact similar charities which participate in the CFC to inquire about their experiences. Please note that participation in the CFC is not a guarantee that the organization will receive designations from donors.

No. Special solicitations are conducted outside of the CFC procedures. In addition, special solicitations are intended to provide immediate financial assistance to charities involved in immediate relief efforts for disasters and emergencies. The fastest, most direct way to process special solicitation contributions is in the form of cash or check payable to the recipient charitable organization.

No. The agreement must be between the Loaned Executive and his/her supervisor. This issue must be addressed at the LFCC level.

No. A federation and its member organizations must apply on an annual basis to the CFC and all of its existing member organization applications should be kept on file at the federation. The federation is required to submit all of its members' applications the first year it applies for federation status. Once federation status has been established, it is only required to certify its member organizations as eligible and submit the applications of member organizations that did not participate as a federation member in the previous campaign period. However, the LFCC can request any or all of the member applications at any time. If an existing member does not meet the eligibility criteria, the federation must include that information in its annual application.

Some CFC Managers also manage other accounts for the PCFO. However, all expenses related to work done on behalf of the PCFO must be separate from the CFC budget. This includes the salary of the CFC Manager and all related expenses.

Yes. LFCCs must ensure that local charitable organizations are given adequate notice of the application period and process and that the applications are made available to interested parties. This may be done by posting the forms on the campaign website and/or sending the forms to charities via email. LFCCs can provide such notice through various public service announcements which include but are not limited to local newspapers, radio and television stations, etc. The LFCC should also ensure the PCFO maintains a mailing list of local charitable organizations that have requested information and tracks the receipt of completed charity applications in a database or by other means.

No. The required certifications and documentation must have been completed and submitted prior to the application filing deadline. Applications received that are incomplete may not be perfected during the appeal process. Further, documents that were not available at the time of the application deadline cannot be considered on appeal.

The Director will approve requests for special solicitations during the CFC solicitation period only upon the showing of extraordinary circumstances.

A special solicitation is, by definition, not part of the CFC. Receipts from the special solicitation cannot be combined with CFC donations.

The Combined Federal Campaign was established by Presidential Order. Once a campaign has been established, agency heads may not discontinue solicitation of federal Employees within their agency without the written approval of the Director of OPM.

No. Donors may not use the CFC pledge form to direct their contributions to special solicitation efforts. This can lead to confusion and ultimately the CFC does not have the authority to designate that a specific program within an organization receive the funds.