CFC Info Center

Asking co-workers to donate to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) can be stressful or uncomfortable, but it pays off when employees decide to donate, said a longtime CFC volunteer.

"It was awkward the first time I asked, but it was a way to meet my co-workers and engage them in conversations about their interests," said Luashawnna Malachi, a human relations program specialist at the Library of Congress. "If they say it’s no, then I respect that ... and it’s no and be done, but if they want to follow up later, I make sure to follow up."

As the CFC’s annual pledge campaign kicks off this month and continues through Dec. 15, the National Capital Area campaign is striving to raise $64 million for more than 4,000 charities, up from $62.7 million in 2008. And CFC leaders are pushing volunteers to connect with their co-workers and leverage relationships to persuade more people to donate, even during the recession.

Personally approaching colleagues will be crucial to increasing participation, said Linda Washington, chairwoman of the National Capital Area’s Local Federal Coordinating Committee and assistant secretary for administration at the Transportation Department.

"The No.1 reason people give is because they are asked and because they are asked by someone they know. That fact will make more of a difference in the success of our campaign in 2009 than anything else," said Washington, who is also assistant secretary for administration at the Transportation Department.

But fund-raising this year won’t be easy, Washington told more than 600 attendees at last week’s CFC National Capital Area Leadership Conference in Washington, even though charities need donations even more during economic downturns.

"If the Peace Corps had not already tagged the line ‘the toughest job you’ll ever love,’ then I could easily imagine that the Combined Federal Campaign would have claimed it," she said.

President Barack Obama sent a taped message to the conference, urging employees to step up their donations even during tough times.

"You give when no one else would, you give when times are bad, and no one would fault you for saying, ‘Not this year,’ and I hope you’ll give even more now," he said.

David Hermreck has successfully organized CFC drives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington and credits his success to connecting with people. Encouraging people to donate to drive up participation or meet a financial goal is the wrong tactic, he said.

"Hype doesn’t work too well. Even if the hype is true, I’m not interested in adding to a $62 million pot, I’m not interested in being the 150,001st donor — if it’s going to cost me," he said.

Hermreck said employees can be turned into lifelong donors by connecting them with causes they love, such as Alzheimer’s research, military survivors and family support groups, the environment and animals.

"Success comes from making an emotional connection. Most people who don’t donate probably haven’t been connected to the right need yet," he said.

Hermreck said NOAA sets up tables in the cafeteria for charities, and a handful of charities stop by daily to talk with employees about their work. Small events like that allow employees to interact and learn where their money goes, instead of visiting an overwhelming charity fair or just visiting Web sites.

"It’s not like there’s 100 tables to deal with; there’s three or four. It’s very manageable," he said.

Malachi said the Library of Congress volunteers want to increase participation from 32 percent last year to 34 percent this year.

"We start by talking [to potential donors] about where the money goes, how they know the payroll deductions actually go to the charity, how much the administrative costs are. This builds confidence in the CFC as trustworthy," she said.

But not everyone is concerned about the economy’s possible impact on donors. Renee Pedersen, a project manager at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), said she has no trouble approaching people to donate because she’s outgoing.

"I can be very persistent," she said with a laugh. "But I know when someone responds with a no, that no means no. For our new volunteers, we’ll be doing training on how to approach people. A lot of reasons people don’t ask others is because they don’t feel comfortable."

She also said she emphasizes that anyone can donate any amount of money, trying to make sure employees don’t feel that only high rollers can participate in the CFC.

"Half of the employees at the NRC have five years of experience or less, and the new people may not be familiar with the CFC. They’re also on the lower end of salaries, and living in D.C. is not very affordable," she said. "I stress how an individual can contribute to the larger cause."