From the desk of Steve Delfin

Proposed Changes in CFC Rules and Regulations Expected

As you may know, 2011 was the 50^th Anniversary of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).  As part of this anniversary, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which runs the CFC, created the CFC 50 Commission which was charged with coming up with recommendations for revitalizing the campaign.  As part of this process, America’s Charities gave extensive testimony and feedback to the Commission as it floated a series of possible changes some of which, such as allowing the solicitation of retirees, would be a terrific boost to the campaign while others, in our view, did not appear productive. 
 
It is important to understand that any recommendations the Commission made were not binding.  It had no regulatory authority, but was a way for OPM to get input regarding the CFC from group of stakeholders including some with outside perspective.  The Commission’s work was completed late last year and OPM is now considering Commission recommendations as part of their overall assessment of possible CFC changes.  

America’s Charities Monitoring Closely on Behalf of Members
At this time OPM is in the process of finalizing their proposed changes which, when ready, will be posted in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period.   When asked when the proposed changes would be made public, OPM officials said they did not have a date and interested parties should monitor the Federal Register.  On your behalf, we are closely monitoring the situation and we will alert you and provide our analysis with proposed action steps as soon as that occurs. Action could include, but may not be limited to, submitting comments into the public record in response to the Federal Register posting, contacting members of Congress, or writing OPM directly with your feedback both in support of and against various parts of the proposed changes.
 
Based on draft versions of the proposed changes that were leaked via the Federal Times as well as our ongoing discussions with OPM officials, it is safe to say we can anticipate substantial changes many of which appear to be designed to increase campaign efficiency and reduce the burden of the federal government for running the campaign.  As mentioned earlier, America’s Charities had concerns with some of the draft proposed changes and expressed those concerns and offered alternatives in testimony presented to the Commission and in subsequent conversations and communication with OPM officials.  
 
A copy of our testimony to OPM can be found in the Federal Advisory Committee Report on the Combined Federal Campaign, July 2012,  Click here to view.
 
The bottom-line is that until the final proposed changes are posted in the Federal Register, there is no action to take.  Once those proposed changes are posted and we have reviewed and assessed the potential impact, we will have 60 days to comment and take other action as needed to influence the final proposed changes. 
 
The CFC is the world’s largest, most successful employee workplace giving program.  Federal employees are among the most generous of any employee group anywhere who as civil servants have “service” in their DNA.  However the federal government is under pressure to find efficiencies and improve its operations including those of the CFC.  And federal employees are feeling the pinch of budget cuts and an uncertain future as a result of sequestration and overall budget pressures.  We are monitoring the situation to see what impact, if any, this has on giving.

Action May Be Required 
That makes it important that we track and act on OPM’s proposed changes when they become available for comment.  To that end, please be alert to our communication on this issue and feel free to contact me directly at sdelfin@charities.org if you have any questions. 

Sincerely,

Steve Delfin
President & CEO
America's Charities