Welcome to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). You have completed the first big hurdle - applying and being accepted into this year's campaign. Now it is time to start thinking about how to make the most out of your participation. You can download the CFC Charity Engagement Guide as a resource and keep checking back here as more materials and resources are added throughout the campaign.
Submit Resources to the Virtual Charity Fair (VCF) 
What is the VCF? As part of the continuing effort to connect Federal employees and retirees to the causes they care about through the CFC and to make CFC charities more visible to the Federal community, the CFC hosts a VCF to include videos and stories/photos. Viewers can filter by charity name, CFC number, cause area, cause of the week, charity type (i.e., local, national, or international), and if local, by CFC zone.
How do I submit? Click the button below. There is no deadline. Check the VCF about a week after your submission to see your resources added to the platform.
New for 2023. The video and story/photo you submit will now appear together on one charity page along with your charity's listing statement, charity logo, CFC number, charity type, and cause area.
What if my organization doesn't have a video (or doesn't have one that meets the requirements)? You CAN submit just a story/photo, you do not have to submit a video. But, it can be fairly easy to create a video. Learn how to create a compelling CFC Video using just a Smartphone. Or you could create a video of photos set to music or voice-over using PPT. Keep in mind that videos must be 60 seconds or less, be captioned, and comply with the standards in section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Read more about Video Compliance.
Participate in CFC Events
We want this year's campaign to be as successful as possible. One of the ways to do that is through your commitment to attend as many campaign events as possible. Attending campaign events puts your name and mission in front of Federal employees and can boost your own organization’s donations. At the same time, you are helping to promote the campaign overall and making sure the agency charity events are well-staffed – nothing is more disappointing than a charity fair with empty tables.
The CFC is committed to creating a fair and equitable system for inviting charities to attend locally held events. Register to let us know you would like to participate in CFC events this year. You can indicate if you are able to attend virtual and/or in-person events and more.
Once registered to participate, you will be eligible to receive email invitations to events. Time is of the essence. Please RSVP to these invitations within 48 hours. If you are unable to attend, please respond "no," so that another charity may receive that opportunity.
NOTE: Federations may substitute another member charity if the invited one cannot attend the event. You will then receive a new invitation for the submitted charity and will need to RSVP "yes" to that invitation.
Encourage Volunteering 
Research has shown that donors who volunteer and make a monetary gift through the CFC give more than those who only make a monetary gift. Here are a few ideas on how you can help spark the volunteer spirit through the CFC:
- Prepare a flyer or other materials that outline volunteer opportunities within your organization to provide to Federal employees when you participate in CFC events.
- Reach out to those who pledged volunteer hours the previous year (and released their contact information) and coordinate with them to fulfill their volunteer commitment. You can get this information from the CFC Charity Administration Center.
- Consider hosting a volunteer activity or day of service for campaign workers or members of a Federal agency.
Promote Yourself and the CFC
Don't let your CFC participation be a secret! There are millions of Federal employees and retirees out there who could give to your organization through the CFC.
Tip #1: Use the CFC logo and the GIVE HAPPY stacked or horizontal marks (when appropriate) to co-brand with the CFC on your materials and social media. If you are interested in aligning with the CFC theme, check out our Identity Guidelines.
Tip #2: Put the CFC's QR code on posters and displays you are bringing to campaign events to encourage donors to download the CFC Mobile Giving App or use the CFC Online Giving system.
Tip #3: Use the CFC Messaging Document to craft your own communications - emails, newsletters, website blubs, etc. that invite members of the Federal community to give to your organization through the CFC. For example: "Are you a Federal employee or retiree? Then GIVE HAPPY to us through the CFC using charity code 12345. One of the great benefits of the CFC is that you can give through payroll deduction or annuity, giving a little each pay period and supporting our mission all year long."
Tip #4: Capitalize on the CFC's major promotional efforts. You can download the Campaign Worker Toolkit to see the resources available for each week of the campaign (e.g., Start Strong Week, Cause of the Week, Giving Tuesday, and Finish Strong Week).
Tip #5: Are you doing any advertising this year? Include a blurb with your CFC number to capture the Federal audience.
Participate in Social Media
Get your name out there! Follow the CFC's national Facebook and LinkedIn pages. You can also search for and follow the local accounts. Regulations prohibit the CFC from specifically naming a CFC charity on social media, but you can still get your name out there! Comment on posts to have your name show up in the CFC feed for donors to see. Engaging with CFC posts helps to distribute those posts to a wider audience.
Promote the CFC. Our marketing team has some really fun and engaging content this year. Be on the lookout for posts you can share on your own platforms to promote the CFC and your participation in the campaign with your own audiences.
Capitalize on Cause Weeks. Watch for the cause of the week that represents the work you do and share the Wednesday CFC Facebook post on your own page with copy like this: "This week, the Combined Federal Campaign cause of the week is Food & Nutrition. Here at [charity name], we regularly provide nutritious breakfasts to 600 schoolchildren in the metro area. Thank you to all the Federal employees and retirees who support our work by pledging to CFC #12345." Or, create your own "GIVE HAPPY so..." image using our template.
Capitalize on Giving Tuesday. The Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Nov 28, is designated as an international day of philanthropy. The CFC's goal is to make this the biggest online giving day of the campaign! You can help support this effort by downloading our Giving Tuesday Social Media Template, customizing it by putting your logo in the bottom right-hand corner and updating your CFC number, saving it as a picture, and then posting it on your social media channels leading up to Giving Tuesday and on the day itself. You can pair it with this messaging: "Calling all Federal employees and retirees! Planning on giving through the CFC this Giving Tuesday? Visit GiveCFC.org and click the Donate button to get started. And, don't forget to use our CFC code for your donation!"
Track your Campaign Progress
Learn more about how the CFC Charity Administration Center is a charity's best friend and what information you can access through your dashboard by watching this short video.
