CFC fund drive is moving ‘full steam ahead’

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s participation in the Combined Federal Campaign, the annual charity giving campaign for the entire federal workforce, is proceeding, campaign officials said, despite campaign-wide implementation challenges and continuing transitions.

“We’re going ‘full steam ahead’ with what we have,” said Airman 1st Class Jeremy Tobar, a campaign loaned executive from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.

Currently donors are able to identify themselves as Air Force and Air Force Materiel Command only on the CFC e-pledge site, where appropriate, but not in any further detail. Other federal agencies are experiencing similar scenarios.

The lack of details means fewer metrics and statistics will be able to be tallied from this year’s campaign, but officials hope donors keep the “bottom line” in mind.

“Please contribute to support the programs and services provided by local, national and international charities,” said Susy Himelhoch, Ohio Combined Federal Campaign, Miami Valley District, volunteer executive director, who has volunteered her time since August. “We may not be able to track how individual base organizations contribute, but the overarching importance is keeping global communities vibrant and vital.

“We know there have been so many changes, and we are so appreciative of everyone’s patience and flexibility,” she continued. “It has been an interesting year, but the main thing is that charities receive the support they desperately need.”

Nov. 22 is the end of the campaign’s “blackout” period, which started Oct. 11 and prevented non-CFC events from occurring. Multiple CFC “awareness” events, including several charity fairs, will be held during the next several weeks, said loaned executive Chantaé Gray, a retired Air Force veteran assigned to the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Charity fairs will be held:

■ Nov. 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 711th Human Performance Wing, U.S. School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Research Laboratory, Bldg. 840, second floor, Area B. Anyone with base access is welcome to attend.

■ Nov. 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Air Force Institute of Technology, Bldg. 642, Area B. Anyone with base access is welcome to attend.

Donors have until Jan. 12, 2018, to contribute. They may pledge electronically (fulfilled by payroll deduction or credit/debit) or use a paper pledge form (for payroll deduction or one-time contributions fulfilled by personal check). Paper pledge forms are available from key workers or agency campaign chairs. Electronic pledging, including those fulfilled by credit/debit, can be made through OPM’s new pledge site at cfcgiving.opm.gov.

All paper pledge forms are to be submitted by key workers to the CFC office in Bldg. 1, Area A, Himelhoch said.

Use of the system, like participation in CFC, is strictly voluntary. Anyone who wishes to make a onetime gift or use a paper CFC pledge form can do so.

Pledges made to this year’s campaign and fulfilled through payroll allotment will be deducted January through December 2018.

This year’s campaign had been somewhat delayed while the U.S. Office of Personnel Management introduced a number of changes that have been in the works since 2012. Those include the reorganization and consolidation of campaign areas, a new focus on donor participation, CFC infrastructure and standards of transparency and accountability.

“With change comes growing pains, but the results will be standardization of materials, operations and positive outcomes,” Gray said.

“The changes will ensure more of every donor dollar is invested into the communities and charities the donors have selected,” Himelhoch said, adding that she and the loaned executives have provided well-received feedback on this year’s campaign to CFC officials.

Donors also are able to give and track their volunteer hours on their personal time to CFC charities, Gray pointed out. The charity can assign a value to that time, potentially for tax purposes.

“Please, ‘show some love’ and feel good about making a contribution,” Himelhoch said. “It’s all about the charities and giving from the heart.”