New Rules Finalized
for Combined Federal Campaign
The Office of Personnel Management issued a final
rule (PDF) or changes in the Combined
Federal Campaign, a workplace giving campaign for federal employees.
The rules make some significant changes in eligibility requirements
and accountability standards for charitable organizations seeking
to participate in the CFC, and put greater responsibility on donors
to research charities in the program. The new rules went into effect
on November 20, 2006.
IS submitted comments
on the proposed rule on August 14, 2006.
Among other changes, the final rule:
• revises audit and accounting requirements;
• removes the requirement that an organization certify that
it has received no more than 80 percent of its total support and
revenue from governmental sources;
• clarifies that listing of both a national organization
and its local affiliate is permitted if both meet all of the eligibility
requirements;
• drops a requirement that organizations with administrative
and fundraising expenses that exceed 25 percent of its total support
and revenue certify that such expenses are reasonable and provide
an explanation and plan to reduce the expenses. CFC brochures
will, however, inform donors that the philanthropic community
generally considers administrative and fundraising rates over
35% to be problematic;
• removes a certification requirement with respect to lobbying
expenses that has been misconstrued as prohibiting permissible
advocacy by charities; and,
• clarifies some administrative matters involving scheduling,
terminology and procedures that do not reflect major changes.
Last updated: December 15, 2006
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