Federal employees in the Washington, D.C., region raised millions more this year for charitable donations than the goals for 2020, the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area announced March 10.

The region had initially set a goal of $30 million raised through CFC during the 2020 season, and instead raised a total of $37.2 million in monetary contributions and almost 48,000 volunteer hours.

That number also beats out the region’s fundraising totals for 2019 and 2018, which each came in at $34.2 million.

“To have not only met and surpassed our goal, but to have raised more than we did in 2018 and 2019, shows how this caring community continues to shine bright even in the face of challenges and darkness,” said Ann Van Houten, co-chairperson of the CFCNCA.

“To all donors and CFC supporters, on behalf of charities and countless beneficiaries we may never meet, thank you. Your hearts opened and your gifts are being sent when the need has been most dire.”

Federal employees, retirees and military personnel also raised an additional $2.6 million during the 2020 COVID-19 special solicitation from late April to the end of June that year.

OPM has yet to release the total numbers for the governmentwide campaign, but if CFCNA raises the same percentage of the whole as last year, the government can be expected to have raised approximately $94 million in 2020.

That number would be a marked improvement from the $86.4 million raised in 2019, though still only a third of the record $283 million raised by federal employees, retirees and military personnel in 2009.

From that high, CFC numbers dropped significantly over the course of the next decade, in spite of the introduction of volunteer work as a new giving option in 2018.

CFCNA Local Federal Coordinating Committee Chair Vince Micone previously speculated that those dropping numbers may be due to the ease of online giving options in recent years leading feds to make donations outside of CFC.

Indeed, one of CFC’s major selling points is the ease with which feds can donate funds, as the pledging system automatically deducts committed funds from employee paychecks or allows for a credit, debit or bank transfer.

But unlike a decade ago, many charities can easily set up their own online giving portals or rely on dedicated sites that solicit donations for the chance to win certain prizes.

About Jessie Bur

Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.

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