Choosing a charitable cause to support is a deeply personal decision. The CFC provides several resources to get the community thinking and talking about charitable causes. These cause areas demonstrate the impact donors have when they GIVE HAPPY through the CFC. They cover all 25 National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code areas in the CFC, coincide with some national awareness days and holidays when possible, and represent the interests of the CFC donor base.
Click through each cause to find more information about that cause as well as tools and resources such as stories, graphics, videos, and social media posts to support that cause area. You can also visit our Virtual Charity Fair and filter by cause area to read stories and watch videos from charities working in these areas. And check out our sample timeline to see how and when you might highlight causes in your agency's CFC.
Please note: The stories we share in regards to our Cause Area program are intended to promote the great work that CFC participating charities accomplish through the power of donations from the Federal community. However, visitors should be aware that many of our causes deal with potentially upsetting topics such as illness, poverty, hunger, sexual assault/human trafficking, etc. Please do not click any cause areas for which you may have a sensitivity.
![a woman bottle feeding a lamb]()
Animal Welfare: GIVE COMPANIONSHIP
Cause Areas: Animal Welfare; Pet Adoption;
Wildlife Preservation; Endangered Species;
Fisheries; Zoos; Aquariums; Animal Rescue;
Animal Shelters; Ocean Cleanup
![A boy paints a rainbow on a window]()
Arts & Humanities: GIVE INSPIRATION
Cause Areas: Arts & Humanities; Libraries;
Social Sciences / Cultural Studies;
Preservation (Historical, Landmark, Cultural);
Media (Public Broadcasting);
Museums (Art, History, Children’s);
Performing Arts; International Exchange
![A girls blows a dandelion puff in front of blue sky with white clouds]()
Children & Family Support: GIVE STABILITY
Cause Areas: Children & Family Support;
Youth Development; Adoption; Foster Care;
Single Parent Services; Counseling (Child, Family, Couple);
Family Shelters; Child Care; Family Caregivers;
Military Spouses / Children; Intervention Services;
Human Trafficking
![Two mature women laugh together in garden]()
Community Improvement: GIVE COMMUNITY
Cause Areas: Community Improvement;
Disaster Relief; First Responders; Legal Aid;
Crime Prevention; Transitional Housing;
Faith-Based Support; Rehabilitation Programs;
Places of Worship; Mission Services; Support Groups
![A boy holds a little girl in a refugee camp]()
Disaster & Crisis Response: GIVE HELP
Cause areas: Disaster & Crisis Response;
Public Safety; Fire Prevention; Search & Rescue;
Natural Disasters; First Responders; Women & Girls;
Human Trafficking; Refugees; Clean Water;
Food & Nutrition; Faith-Based Support; Animal Control;
Poison Control
![A girl performs a science experiment]()
Education: GIVE KNOWLEDGE
Cause areas: Education; STEM; Early Education;
Colleges & Universities; Continuing Education;
Vocational Training; Educational Infrastructure & Facilities;
Educator Training; Special Education;
Study Abroad Programs; Social Sciences / Cultural Studies
![A man in his small business selling baskets]()
End Poverty: GIVE OPPORTUNITY
Cause Areas: End Poverty; Economic
Development; Community Improvement;
Refugees; Infrastructure Improvement;
Women & Girls; Human Trafficking; Refugees;
Clean Water; Food & Nutrition
![A woman in a yellow jacket raises her arms in a bamboo forest]()
Environmental Protection: GIVE CONSERVATION
Cause Areas: Environmental Protection;
Wildlife Preservation; Animal Welfare;
Natural Resources; Agriculture; Sustainable Energy;
Parks & Recreation Areas; Recycling;
Conservation (Forest, Ocean, Wetland);
Education; Climate Change
![A boy and a woman serve food behind a cafeteria counter]()
Food & Nutrition: GIVE NUTRITION
Cause areas: Food & Nutrition; Nutrition Programs; Agriculture;
Health & Lifestyle; Education; Food Supply Chain;
Food Banks; Faith-Based Support; Clean Water
![A doctor talked with her patient]()
Global Health & Research: GIVE HEALTH
Cause Areas: Global Health & Research;
Cancer Awareness & Treatment;
Disease Eradication, Prevention & Treatment
(Auto Immune, Blood, Degenerative, Diabetes, Heart);
Health & Lifestyle Education; Persons with Disabilities;
Vaccine Research, Development & Administration;
Refugees; Rehabilitation Programs
![A man in a hard hat stands inside the wooden framing of a newly constructed house]()
Housing & Shelter: GIVE SHELTER
Cause Areas: Housing & Shelter;
Temporary Shelter; Disaster Relief;
Senior Care; Safe House; Refugees;
Home Accessibility & Improvement;
Family Shelters; Faith-Based Support;
Sanitation Services
![A woman signs some legal documents]()
Human Rights: GIVE JUSTICE
Cause Areas: Human Rights;
Social Justice; Human Trafficking;
LGBTQIA; Women & Girls; Legal Aid;
Crime Prevention; Persons with Disabilities
![A woman leads a support group discussion]()
Mental Wellness: GIVE HOPE
Cause Areas: Mental Wellness; Counseling Services;
Rehabilitation Programs; Health & Lifestyle Education;
Victim Services; Community Centers; Hotline Services;
Disaster Relief; Intervention Programs; Persons with Disabilities
![A military member hugs his children]()
Military & Veterans Services: GIVE SUPPORT
Cause Areas: Military & Veteran Services;
Active-Duty Member Support; Veterans;
Military Families; Rehabilitation; Counseling;
Medical Services; Job Training / Workforce Reentry
