Sarah Ford | April 16, 2014

United Way Plans to Ask Congress to Strike New Rules to Govern Federal Charity Drive

Source: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

United Way Worldwide may ask Congress to overturn new rulesannounced this month to modernize the government’s annual charity drive, saying the changes will hasten the continuing decline in donations from federal workers.

The most-recent campaign produced nearly $210-million for the nation’s charities, a sharp drop from the high of $283-million in 2009.

The most controversial changes to the Combined Federal Campaign, set to start in 2016, will ban federal workers from making their charitable contributions in cash; charge nonrefundable application and other fees to nonprofit organizations that raise money in the drive; continue to consolidate the 163 local drives that make up the campaign; and centralize distribution of the money raised under the federal Office of Personnel Management.

Those changes were opposed by nearly all of the hundreds of individuals and organizations that formally commented on the proposals last year.

Federal officials say the changes will reduce expenses and eliminate redundant, paper-heavy functions.

“We are very disappointed that OPM decided to go forward with these rules despite overwhelming opposition,” said Steve Taylor, senior vice president for United Way Worldwide, whose local affiliates manage many of the drives.

He added, “We are likely to ask Congress to overturn the rules.”

The fees that charities will have to pay to apply and participate in the fundraising appeal could force small charities out of the campaign, Mr. Taylor said.

>> Continue Reading

Get Our Fundraising Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Explore More Articles

Staff Accountant

March 19, 2024

Position: Staff Accountant Department: Finance Reports to: Assistant Controller Overview of the Role: America’s Charities is seeking a high-performing and dedicated Staff Accountant to join…

Read Article

Pay It Forward Day, April 28

March 7, 2024

Pay It Forward Day and it’s a day to celebrate the power of kindness and generosity. Pay It Forward Day is an international day of…

Read Article

National Stress Awareness Month

March 7, 2024

  April is National Stress Awareness Month, a time to recognize the importance of managing stress and promoting mental health. Stress is something that we…

Read Article

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.

newsletter-mock