But the prohibition isn’t too bad because, during cookie season, I can always buy from girl scouts selling cookies in the train station or just outside on the plaza. Actually, the prohibition is good – it is a blanket prohibition of all solicitations. My coworker can’t ask to purchase cookies for her daughter’s troop, but another coworker can’t ask me purchase candy for school bank uniforms, or send the t-ball team to camp, or to send the dance troupe to nationals. A coworker can’t ask me to sponsor him/her on a walk/race for charity, but another coworker can’t ask me to purchase wrapping paper to support the church auxiliary.
There is one exception to the prohibition. It is the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and it is campaign season at the federal agency where I work.
CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign, with more than 200 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally to help to raise millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by Federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world. The Director of OPM has designated responsibility for day-to-day management of the CFC to its CFC Operations office.
I encourage all federal employees to participate. It’s easy and painless. You specify which charity, local or national, is to receive the donation(s). You decide how much you want to donate and how often and it is simply deducted from your pay. If you can’t find an eligible non-profit to support, you’re not trying. This household has currently designated three organizations to receive donations.
Many of you are familiar with one, ShelterBox, because of diaries by TexMex. The CFC code for ShelterBox USA is 89030. If you are not familiar with the wonderful work of ShelterBox, please check them out here.
The second is Oxfam America, an “international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice.” Their CFC code is 11681 and you can learn more about the organization here.
Our third is Heifer International. As described by the CFC, Heifer International “helps poor families worldwide become self-sufficient by providing food and income-producing animals and training in animal management, environmentally-sound farming and community development.” Each family that receives an animal agrees to give one of their animal’s offspring to another family. In the early days of the organization, heifers were the best choice because they would soon be able to provide both milk for hungry families and a calf to give to another family. Now, the family might receive a flock of chickens, ducks, or geese. Or they might receive a sheep, llama, alpaca, or rabbits for wool production. Their CFC code is 12079 and you can learn more here.
Do you have a CFC eligible non-profit you support? I encourage you to tell me about it. During this campaign, we won’t reduce our contributions to these three, but we might be convinced to add a fourth organization. Or, as a result of your endorsement of your favorite, another Kossack may designate it during this CFC campaign season.