Post Chief of Staff Col. John Rossi signs his 2007 Combined Federal Campaign pledge form to kick off the fundraising drive on Fort Bliss. Photo by Melissa House.
Combined Federal Campaign begins here
The 2007 Fort Bliss Combined Federal Campaign kicked off Wednesday with a ceremony at the Officers’ Club led by post Chief of Staff Col. John Rossi. The CFC is an annual, government-sanctioned fundraising drive where federal employees can contribute to non-profit agencies worldwide.
“Each year, thousands contribute generously to the Fort Bliss CFC,” Rossi said to the leaders and unit project officers. “We want to continue that winning tradition.
“Any kick off’s success depends on special teams. Project officers - you’re the special teams and your job is pretty simple,” he said. “Help your commander achieve the objective. The bottom line is we want everyone contacted and made aware of the options for giving.”
Rossi said the project officers could be most effective by aggressively getting the word out about CFC to Soldiers and civilians and by efficiently processing the contribution paperwork.
“Our goal is $375,000,” he said. “I am confident that, with everyone’s support, we’ll be able meet this by 15 Nov. I’ll tell you - success is achieved by hitting it hard and hitting it fast.”
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, charitable giving in the federal workplace began in the late 1940s. The formal authority was established in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order which allowed a commission to develop guidelines and regulations for the fundraising.
Annually, the more than 300 CFCs raise millions of dollars. Last year, federal workers at Fort Bliss - Soldiers, Department of Defense civilians, Army and Air Force Exchange and Defense Commissary Agency employees - contributed more than $350,000 to charity as part of the Sun Country CFC. The SCCFC includes eight Texas counties and four in southern New Mexico. The SCCFC raised more than $981,000 in 2006.
Bill Ketcherside, the post’s CFC project officer, said this year may be an “interesting” year for the campaign, as the national campaign has changed the familiar, four-digit charity codes to five-digit codes.
“And our other challenges are making sure we capture all of our new units and activities that may not be on our normal [distribution] rosters and capture our deployed units,” Ketcherside said. “We will make special accommodations for those units not readily available to contribute.”
Units receive a “fair share” monetary goal based on the size of the organization, he said, and unit and directorate project officers play a critical part in the overall “success” of the campaign.
“The key to success is in getting the information out and then making sure information is collected,” Ketcherside said. “There is a lot of work involved - a whole paper process and a lot of checks and balances. It takes a great deal of commitment, even from the project officers. Historically, they have been volunteers. They believe in the campaign.”
The campaign is strictly voluntary, he said, and many people have a charity or two “near and dear to their heart” to which they choose to donate. Those who may be undecided can look in the CFC booklet at the listing of more than 2,000 charities, including nine that are agencies directly associated with Fort Bliss.
The nine post agencies are certified annually by the garrison commander, Ketcherside said. Nationwide, charities must apply to the CFC annually as well and may not spend more than 25 percent of donated monies on operating expenses.
The United Way of El Paso County has been managing the campaigns for the more than 35,000 federal workers in 42 federal, military and postal agencies in the SCCFC area, said Patrick Chavez, CFC manager.
“CFC is one of those options for federal employees to give to charities,” Chavez said. “It’s an easy option. You can very easily make a contribution through a payroll deduction and spread the donation across several months.”
Those interested in information about the CFC can contact their unit project officers or 569-6774.
The payroll deduction option is currently only available for active-duty Soldiers and federal employees with a payroll office at Fort Bliss, Ketcherside said. A program for National Guard and Reserve Soldiers was not implemented in enough time for this year’s CFC, but should be for the 2008 campaign. For information, call 569-6774 or your unit project officer.
2007 Fort Bliss CFC Agency Codes:
Air Defense Artillery Association - 46680
American Red Cross - 39943
Armed Services YMCA - 79668
Army Community Service - 25348
Army Family Team Building - 55270
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers - 87856
Child and Youth Services - 16661
Fisher House - 48325
Operation Santa Claus - 20984