Any other Federal employees thinking of decreasing or not even participating in CFC for next year?

[Anonymous]

Not a fed but I also stopped doing United Way stuff when the scandal broke. Our office does charitable stuff and pushes hard for us to participate. I find it REALLY irritating. It's like, oh, please, spend time volunteering on stuff we've hand picked so our corporate image looks good. Or, donate through the company so we can take the credit.

Meantime, I've got my own preferred charity and when I spend my time volunteering, I want to do it with my family, where our values are.

So I don't give.

Remedial question but, for those of you whose offices push 100 percent participation, do they know who does and does not participate? If so, that's kind of 'f'd and I would think should be illegal. Your boss should not know whether or not you were the one who didn't participate so he didn't get his badge or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree - especially after the whole United Way scandal a few years ago. UW was administering the CFC program at the time, the head of UW was stealing money, it's executives were spending lavishly and there was a bunch of other crap going on. I decided never to donate through CFC again. I'd rather my charities of choice get more of what I send them instead of paying overhead twice.

+1. I also stopped donating to CFC when the United Way/CFC scandal broke. I started using the Catalogue for Philanthropy, among other things, instead. I like that I can specify what my donation should be used for. I feel a bit awkward around my small fed office which pushes for 100% participation, but so be it.

I also like the Catalogue for Philanthropy - it has pointed me to a couple of great organizations I would not have known about otherwise. I've been a Fed for 16 years, and I've never contributed to CFC. I don't want to pay for the CFC administration, the UW scandal really bothered me, and I really dislike the amount of time/resources federal organizations are basically forced to contribute to CFC. But the pressure for 100% participation is acute - in the past I've had a couple of supervisors contribute in my name (without my permission) so that they could reach the 100% goal. And supervisors totally know who has/hasn't contributed.

[Anonymous]

I give to CFC. I'll be totally honest, I wouldn't get around to finding charities and donating. Am I proud of that? No, but it is what it is, so I donate through CFC. I don't to many various things throughout the year ($50 here and there) so CFC is not all I do, but it's the most organized and its my way of making sure I actually do it.

My contribution will probably be the same as last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Remedial question but, for those of you whose offices push 100 percent participation, do they know who does and does not participate? If so, that's kind of 'f'd and I would think should be illegal. Your boss should not know whether or not you were the one who didn't participate so he didn't get his badge or whatever.

You said you're not a fed, and I don't think any PPs have mentioned something like this. But the answer is, you don't need to worry about that, the regulations have that covered so it WOULD be illegal.

[Anonymous]

I enjoy participating in the events - donate a pot of chili for a chili cookoff, donate some money to taste bowls of chili, etc. I think it is great for team spirit.

But, I no longer sign up for the payroll deduction, or anything similar. The reason is I do not like debts or to make unnecessary obligations.

I'd done the payroll deduction before, and had given a generous donation one year when DH was laid off. We budgeted on my salary alone that year even with the donation and I still maxed out TSP (because we live below our means and are extremely frugal) so I know I have much to be thankful for, but I said "never again."

Really I think, why "promise" a donation. Now I just give when I can, no strings or promises attached.

[Anonymous]

But the pressure for 100% participation is acute - in the past I've had a couple of supervisors contribute in my name (without my permission) so that they could reach the 100% goal. And supervisors totally know who has/hasn't contributed.

I'm a PP that will not contribute through CFC. What I will do is give $1 so my boss can meet the numbers part of the goal. I can live with a $1 donation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With a Democrat in office aren't our tax dollars providing the safety net?

what an innocently quaint, ignorant and (deliberately?) provocative statement of no substance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never contributed. I make my own decision on when to to who to give.

+1

[Anonymous]

I'm confused, there are a huge list of charities to contribute to on my CFC application.

I just fill in the numbers of the 3 organizations that I would contribute to regardless. It's easy and spread out over the year. I prefer it over an appeal letter than general comes when I'm swamped with holiday expenses and feeling pinched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never contributed. I make my own decision on when to to who to give.

+1

+2

And I resent the constant pleas at the office for volunteers to be CFC coordinators and the seeming obligation to contribute. And tying management bonuses to 100% participation is crap. How does any of this have anything to do with accomplishing the mission of your office? It doesn't. People should not be pressured in their workplace. I hate CFC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With a Democrat in office aren't our tax dollars providing the safety net?




what an innocently quaint, ignorant and (deliberately?) provocative statement of no substance.

+1000

[Anonymous]

We usually give directly, but for the past two years we haven't been able to do that. Health care bills are too high. Fed insurance doesn't cover our needs because they are voluntary.

[Anonymous]

I do CFC for the administrative convenience. But I didn't realize there was significant overhead (on top of what the charities themselves have). Could someone please point me to more specific information about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do CFC for the administrative convenience. But I didn't realize there was significant overhead (on top of what the charities themselves have). Could someone please point me to more specific information about that?

Please see this site for more information http://cfcgive.org/FAQ/faq.htm .

[Anonymous]

I never give through CFC, except for the chili cook off type things. I will pick my own charities, and I hate that they will threaten to fire you if someone so much as dares to bring in a Girl Scout cookie form, but they can harass you endlessly about giving to CFC.