In a CFC campaign, each Federal employee gets a pledge card with a long list of charitable organizations, and many folks check the boxes of more than one. Most donations are by designation to specific non-profits, and most donations are made by payroll deductions.
CFC campaigns are in the fall, payroll deductions begin in January, and the Federal employee’s year-end payroll statement lists the amounts donated to their chosen nonprofits.
Why People Give
Findings from Gilmore Research provides these statistics:
● 60 percent will give when asked by someone they know well
● 40–50 percent will give to a fundraising activity when asked by a co-worker
● 10–20 percent will give to a cause they learn about from the media (print,
radio, TV, telethons)
● Fewer than 10 percent will give when solicited by a stranger at the door,
on the phone, in print ads, or in a letter.
Benefits of Workplace Giving Campaigns
When you consider the above, the benefits of workplace giving campaigns become readily apparent. In workplace giving:
● People are giving to people, people they know;
● They are being asked to give by their co-workers;
● The CFC creates a campaign atmosphere, with individual and group
recognition;
● They are being asked by “enthusiastic” solicitors.
The CFC Is The Most Donor Friendly Means Of Giving !!
The Federal employee, with one pledge card and one transaction
● Can donate to multiple charities with just one pledge.
● Gives money to the non-profit before it ever hits their checkbook
● Accrues no interest charges from credit card donations
● Feels secure—their personal information is never on the Web
● May remain anonymous if they wish … and through the CFC they have
the option to have or not have their contact information passed on
to the organizations they support.
Developing Lifetime Donors
In the non-profit world, when you ask who are our most important people, depending on who you ask, you’ll get different answers: “Our clients, our volunteers, our staff, our donors….”
But it’s easy to make the argument that a non-profit’s donors are their most important constituency, because without them, the non-profit ceases to exist.
The CFC provides a unique way for you to develop lifetime donors. Once they get in the habit of donating to your organization, these individuals can continue to provide support for multiple years, if not decades.
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In the next post in the CFC series we’ll take a look at one of the biggest mistakes made by CFC charities, and the simple ways to avoid them.
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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to get involved in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, this is the guy to contact … Bill Huddleston1@gmail.com .
Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts.