The Office of Personnel Management is concerned that the NBC "Fleecing of America" story on the Combined Federal Campaign which aired tonight gives undue and unfair attention to charities which are the exception rather than the rule.  The CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with more than $260 million in pledges in 2005.   Of the more than 22,000 charities which participate in the CFC, only slightly more than 100 (less than one percent) have been cited for not documenting their tax status and have been suspended from the program. OPM has and will continue to make every effort to screen charities so that Federal employees can continue to have confidence in the CFC. 

Statement sent to NBC previously on December 4, 2006  Regarding CFC

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has taken steps to ensure all 2005 and 2006 CFC participating charities have a tax exempt status. Of the 22,000 charities participating in the CFC, only 132 are not completely verified, and those have been suspended.

We will reinstate these charities if they submit proof they have reestablished tax exempt status with the IRS under Section 501 c 3.

In the meantime, OPM is working with the IRS to establish a more efficient process of ensuring participating charities are indeed tax exempt, and we have adopted GAO recommendations for the current campaign.

Federal law, however, does not allow OPM to screen charities for Federal tax compliance.