Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) — Federal Workplace Charitable Giving

The Combined Federal Campaign is the United States government's official workplace charitable giving program — the only authorized workplace solicitation of federal employees on behalf of charitable organizations. Every fall, roughly 2 million federal civilian employees, active-duty military personnel, and postal workers are invited to designate a charitable contribution through payroll deduction to any of thousands of approved nonprofits, from large international organizations to local human-services agencies. Created by Executive Order No. 12353 (as amended by EO 12404), the CFC is administered by the Office of Personnel Management under 5 CFR Part 950, and generates approximately $80–$100 million in charitable contributions annually — making it one of the largest coordinated workplace giving campaigns in the world, even as participation rates have declined from their peak in the early 2000s.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

The CFC solves a coordination problem: federal agencies want to support charitable giving by their employees without allowing uncontrolled workplace solicitation that could become coercive or chaotic. Part 950 establishes a single annual campaign window, a rigorous charity vetting process, and anti-coercion protections — ensuring that participation is genuinely voluntary and that only legitimate nonprofits benefit.

Who runs the campaign: OPM oversees the program nationally through its Director, who sets the campaign timetable, approves the annual Charity List, and resolves disputes. Locally, Local Federal Coordinating Committees (LFCCs) — bodies of senior federal officials from agencies in a defined campaign "zone" — govern the campaign in their area (§950.103). LFCCs hire Outreach Coordinators to run marketing and events, and they interface with the Central Campaign Administrator (CCA) — a contracted nonprofit organization that manages the CFC website, the charity application system, and the financial distribution of pledges (§950.106).

Campaign exclusivity: the regulation's most fundamental rule is exclusivity — no other solicitation of federal employees in the federal workplace on behalf of charitable organizations is permitted during the year, except that agencies may solicit employees during orientation for new hires (§950.102). Emergency disaster relief campaigns may be authorized by the Director separately. This monopoly exists because Congress and OPM determined that uncontrolled charity solicitation in the federal workplace creates coercion risk and imposes administrative burdens on agencies.

Charity eligibility: organizations seeking inclusion on the annual Charity List must meet standards set annually by the Director (§950.201). Core requirements include: current 501(c)(3) IRS status; real services, benefits, or assistance to humans, animals, or the environment (not purely advocacy or lobbying); administrative expenses at or below 25% of total support; at least three years of operation; and audited financial statements. International organizations, domestic nonprofits, and federations (umbrella groups of member charities like United Way) each have distinct application tracks (§950.203). Organizations are notified electronically of eligibility decisions, and a formal appeal process allows rejected organizations to challenge their denial.

Anti-coercion rules: voluntary giving is the program's core value. No federal supervisor may pressure employees to give, and agencies must maintain procedures for employees to report coercion complaints (§950.108). Employees may not be discriminated against for giving or not giving (§950.110). The regulation requires that solicitations "reserve to the individual the option of electing an anonymous gift" — employees who want to donate without their supervisors seeing their pledge amount or designations may do so (§950.501).

Key Provisions

• § 950.102 — Exclusivity: CFC is the only authorized charitable workplace solicitation; campaign runs September 1 – January 15; new employees may pledge within 30 days of hire even outside the campaign period
• § 950.103 — Local Federal Coordinating Committees: established for each campaign zone by the OPM Director; minimum 3 members; Chair and Vice Chair elected by members, rotated every 3 years maximum; Director may remove any Chair in sole and unreviewable discretion
• § 950.104 — LFCC responsibilities: provide anti-coercion training, protect donors from pressure, investigate coercion complaints, maintain accurate donor records, oversee the Outreach Coordinator
• § 950.106 — Central Campaign Administrator: OPM contracts with a 501(c)(3) to run the national CFC website, charity application module, and pledge distribution system; the CCA receives and transmits payroll deductions to approved charities
• § 950.108 — Non-coercion requirement: voluntary participation is fundamental; supervisors and campaign managers may not use their authority to compel giving or retaliate against non-donors; agency heads must establish complaint procedures
• § 950.203 — Charity eligibility standards: annual application fee (non-refundable); 501(c)(3) status; direct service requirement; 25% administrative expense cap; 3-year operating history; audited financials; no lobbying with CFC funds
• § 950.301 — Federations: recognized umbrella groups of charities (like United Way, America's Charities, Community Health Charities) may apply to participate as federated groups; federations vouch for their member organizations' compliance
• § 950.402 — Designations: employees may designate specific charities or choose an undesignated gift (distributed proportionally among participating organizations); employees may indicate whether their name and contribution may be shared with the designated charity
• § 950.503 — Sanctions: OPM may impose sanctions on charities, federations, or Outreach Coordinators for rule violations — including removal from the Charity List; sanctions are appealable through a defined administrative process
• § 950.504 — Record retention: all CFC participants must retain campaign-related documents for at least three completed campaign periods
• § 950.701 — Payroll withholding: recurring payroll allotments authorized under OPM pay administration regulations; the most common contribution method — once set, deductions continue automatically each pay period without re-authorization
• § 950.801 — Fund distribution: payroll offices transmit a single EFT each pay period to the CCA in the gross amount of all deductions; the CCA then distributes amounts to charities according to employee designations, less authorized fees

How It Affects You

If you are a federal employee: Each fall you receive a CFC pledge opportunity — typically a reminder from your agency campaign coordinator with instructions for using the online pledge system. You can give as little as $1 per pay period (approximately $26/year on a biweekly pay cycle) or as much as you choose. Your gift is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. The CFC online system lets you search for any approved charity by name, category, or location; you can designate multiple charities and split your gift among them. If you don't want to participate, you are legally protected from any retaliation. If you feel pressured by a supervisor or campaign coordinator, you have the right to report the coercion through your agency's HR or ethics office. The trend toward digital-only pledge forms (paper forms phased out after 2015) means you should receive a CFC online login each fall — check your work email for campaign communications from your LFCC or agency coordinator.

If you run a nonprofit that wants to participate: To get on the CFC Charity List, you must apply annually through the CFC online portal during the application window OPM announces each spring. Key eligibility hurdles: your 990 (IRS) must show administrative expenses at or below 25% of total support; you must have at least three years of operating history; you must provide direct services (not just grant-making or lobbying); and you must pay the annual application fee (non-refundable even if denied). Federated groups like United Way can sponsor member organizations. Once approved, you receive a 5-digit code that donors use to designate gifts to your organization. Your CFC annual total depends heavily on your visibility — organizations with active employees who promote the campaign through "ambassadors" or CFC representatives consistently outperform those that rely solely on their listing.

If you are a federal agency HR or administrative officer: You are responsible for designating a campaign coordinator, cooperating with the LFCC, and ensuring your agency's CFC campaign is conducted in compliance with Part 950. Your agency cannot authorize any other workplace charitable solicitation during the year. You must maintain procedures for employees to report coercion and provide a mechanism for anonymous complaints. New employee orientation must include information about the CFC; new hires can pledge within 30 days of start date. Your payroll office must transmit deductions to the CCA; coordinate with your payroll provider to ensure the EFT setup is current.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 5 U.S.C. § 1101 — OPM general authority to administer civil service programs, including employee workplace giving
• Executive Order 12353 (March 23, 1982, as amended by EO 12404) — establishes the CFC as the sole authorized charitable solicitation program in the federal workplace and designates OPM as the administering agency

Recent Rulemakings

• 79 FR 43923 (July 2014) — Major restructuring of CFC administration: introduced the Central Campaign Administrator model (replacing local financial management with a centralized contracted administrator), moved to online-only pledge processing, reduced the number of campaign zones from ~200 to fewer than 50, and updated charity eligibility standards including the 25% administrative expense cap. The 2014 rule was the most significant overhaul since the CFC's creation, responding to sharp declines in participation and giving following the 2008 financial crisis.
• 62 FR 33971 / 62 FR 53223 (1997) — Updated eligibility requirements for international organizations and clarified the federation structure.

Recent Developments

• Declining participation trend continues: CFC giving has fallen dramatically from its early 2000s peak of approximately $282 million annually to under $80 million by the mid-2020s. Participation rates among federal employees have declined sharply — from roughly 30% in the 1990s to under 5% in recent years. The 2014 restructuring (which moved to online-only pledging) has not reversed the trend, and OPM continues assessing how to make the campaign relevant to a workforce that has changed in its charitable giving habits.
• DOGE federal workforce reductions: The Trump administration's DOGE-directed federal workforce reductions in 2025 — including buyouts, early retirements, and layoffs — reduced the total pool of federal employees eligible to participate in CFC. A smaller federal workforce directly reduces CFC's potential donor base and aggregate giving capacity. Combined with declining participation rates, the workforce reduction compounded pressure on CFC fundraising totals.
• Charity eligibility and vetting: OPM periodically reviews CFC charity eligibility, including enforcement of the 25% administrative cost cap and the 75,000-member requirement for national/international organizations. Some organizations have been removed from CFC participation for failure to meet eligibility standards or for financial irregularities. The eligibility review process has been challenged by smaller charities that argue the criteria favor large established organizations over grassroots nonprofits.
• Digital giving and payroll deduction alternatives: Federal employees increasingly prefer direct digital charitable giving through platforms outside CFC. Younger federal employees who are accustomed to apps like Venmo, PayPal Giving Fund, and cause-specific platforms have lower engagement with the traditional payroll deduction model that CFC relies on. OPM has explored modernizing the CFC user experience, but the campaign remains dependent on a pledge infrastructure that predates digital-native giving behavior.

Pending Action

OPM has conducted multiple reviews of CFC's structure and long-term viability given sustained participation and giving declines. Proposals include modernizing the CFC online platform, lowering administrative overhead caps, and expanding eligible organization types to attract younger donors. No major regulatory revision is currently pending, but OPM's CFC program office has signaled intent to update Part 950 regulations in a future rulemaking. The federal workforce reductions under DOGE in 2025 may prompt Congress or OPM to evaluate whether the CFC program structure remains viable at significantly reduced federal employee counts — some federal employee organizations have raised questions about whether the campaign should continue in its current form.