Did You Know Donors Can Pledge Volunteer Hours in the CFC?

For a first time ever, federal employees are now allowed to pledge volunteer hours through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) to share time and talent with their favorite charities. How does it work exactly and what can you do to leverage this opportunity?

Here’s what we know so far about how the process works:

During the pledge process, if a donor selects a charity with available volunteer hours, that donor indicates the number of hours they wish to pledge to that organization. If the donor elects to volunteer for an organization, they have two choices regarding how to follow through with that volunteer opportunity:

1. They can share their contact information, giving permission for the charity to contact them directly about volunteer opportunities, or 

2. They can opt out of sharing their contact information, meaning they would have to contact the charity directly about the volunteer opportunity.

How Your Team Can Encourage Volunteer Participation:

1. Your Website: If your organization has volunteer opportunities for federal employee donors to participate in, we suggest putting a big button or banner on your nonprofit’s website homepage with a call-to-action like “Volunteering through the CFC? Click here for more information” or “Volunteer Opportunities for Federal Employees.” Create a landing page on your site where that button or banner can direct federal employees to learn more about your volunteer opportunities and how they can pledge volunteer time to your organization through the CFC. 

2. Social Media and Newsletters: Once you have a landing page set up on your website, use social media, your newsletter, and other similar communication methods to make sure donors are aware they can pledge volunteer time to your organization through the CFC. Don’t forget to use the CFC’s official campaign hashtag #ShowSomeLoveCFC with your social media messages to target federal employee donors. 

3. Save the Date! On December 5, 2017, the CFC is celebrating International Volunteer Day by encouraging federal employees to pledge volunteer hours through the CFC. Join in the celebration by promoting your volunteer opportunities.