Since its beginning (exactly 60 years ago), Global Impact has been part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) along with two of our charity partners CARE & Project HOPE! In our early days, we were known as the International Service Agencies, representing international assistance programs as the CFC began to really kick off. Since then, we have expanded our representation of international charities to more than 60. We are also involved deeply with the campaign from the inside – leading national marketing efforts and serving as the administrator for several CFC zones – helping to engage the federal community and ensure the campaign’s success for all charities involved.
In those 60 years, more than $8.5 billion has been raised for charities through the CFC, and 2021 is shaping up to be another strong year. (Federal employees donated over $2 million on GivingTuesday this year alone!) With our longstanding history together and the continued generosity of the federal community, there’s nothing more important to us than making sure our charities are maximizing their participation and everything the CFC has to offer.
As this year’s campaign is coming to a close, and we’re already working on charity applications for next season, we’re reflecting on everything we love about the CFC – and how we serve our charities as their representative in this critical campaign.
Access to Real-Time Donor Data
The Charity Administration Center gives CFC charities all the information they need to examine their performance in the campaign. This year, Global Impact provided detailed CFC Dashboards for select charities. The dashboards make it easier for charities to explore their CFC data by breaking down results by zone, comparing week-over-week data and identifying strategies to increase campaign performance. We have plans to expand this offering to more Charity Alliance members in future campaign years.
Promotion Via Virtual Charity Fair
To reach federal employees across all 38 zones during the second year of the ongoing pandemic, the CFC hosted a Virtual Charity Fair that shares the work of charities through videos and success stories. We love this as a way to connect with donors while we wait for the day that in-person charity fairs can return, so Global Impact selects and organizes all of the charity fair materials for our partners every fall!
Engagement Opportunities Through Cause Weeks
Charities in the CFC work on such an array of issues and causes in their communities. To help federal employees understand the impact they can have for the causes they care about, the CFC’s cause weeks spotlight different themes throughout the campaign. Every Global Impact Charity Alliance member has access to custom cause-area materials to support their cause week outreach, helping them show how their mission ties in with the cause. Additionally, Global Impact engages with the CFC zones on social media, promoting our charities throughout the campaign.
Volunteering Pledge Option
A newer campaign feature is that federal employees can pledge volunteer hours (alongside or in place of payroll pledges) to charities in the CFC. During the pandemic, this has been incredibly beneficial for charities who are able to utilize remote volunteers. Through monetary donations, these charities receive the financial support they need, and they also get more time to connect virtually with their CFC donors despite in-person restrictions. We love volunteering at Global Impact (particularly when used in employee engagement campaigns) and regularly support our Charity Alliance members in developing volunteer programs that work for a workplace audience.
Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Events
CFC events offer charities targeted opportunities to connect with federal employees and capture new donors. Global Impact manages all campaign events for partners, freeing up our charities’ time to engage with the donors and share their great work. Despite the ongoing pandemic, we participated in over 130 events this fall!
Campaign Toolkits and Engagement Resources
Charities have access to a number of materials in the CFC, including their Finish Strong and Thank You Toolkits. We love these resources as a way to wrap up your campaign engagement and make sure you’re reaching donors by thanking everyone involved. Want more toolkits? Global Impact also offers toolkits exclusively to Charity Alliance members that help them maximize every moment of the campaign season.
A huge thank you to our friends at the CFC for creating these opportunities for our charity partners to engage with the federal community. It’s our mission to help our Charity Alliance members raise revenue in workplace giving campaigns, and with unique strategies to foster donor engagement and generosity, the CFC helps us achieve that goal – all of which makes it possible for our charities to make a positive difference in the world.
Are you currently in the CFC with us and this gave you some ideas to elevate your involvement? Reach out to your Relationship Manager now so we can get in a few touch points before the CFC closes on Jan. 15, 2022. And if you don’t already partner with us in the CFC, get in touch!
