The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the largest workplace giving campaign in the world, and through it Federal public servants have donated more than $1 billion of unrestricted gifts in the past five years.

CFC Benefits

The CFC is first and foremost a vehicle for non-profit fundraising, and there are many other benefits to including it as one of the tools in your non-profit’s “Toolbox.” These benefits include:
● Generates a reliable, twelve month income stream of unrestricted revenue.
● More leverage and less risk than any other means of fund-raising.
● Leadership Development – organizing, planning, managing, etc.
● Public Speaking
● Market Research about your non-profit
● Development of multiple year income streams
● Increase of public awareness of your non-profit

Where the “low-hanging” fruit comparison comes in is that all of these benefits are generated by approximately 32% of the Federal workforce. With some attention to “basics,” and a little effort it is possible to increase this participation rate to at least 50%, if not 60%. This could double the amount raised to $500 million annually.

What basics? How about saying thank you?

The non-profit sector does a lousy job of saying “Thank you” to all the people who make the CFC successful, (and in terms of actual giving, if the CFC were a foundation, it would be the 10th largest in the USA).

There are three categories of people who deserve a “thank you” and in general, the CFC non-profits only thank one category – the identified donor.

The two other categories that deserve a thank you are the “anonymous donors” – this is a very popular feature for CFC donors, and the fundraising volunteers who plan, organize, manage and conduct the CFC campaigns each year. And yes, in the latter two categories the non-profit will not have the list of individual names, but it still possible to thank people in the following ways:

● On your website
● In your printed material (annual reports, special event programs, newsletters (electronic or print).
● In person at special events – “Thank Yous” from the Chair of the Event.

Regards,

Bill Huddleston, CFC Expert
http://www.cfcfundraising.com