Civil servants and military personnel were more generous than ever with their earnings last year as federal pledges to charities reached an all-time high, the Office of Personnel Management announced Wednesday.
Feds last year pledged $206 million to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the only authorized solicitation for charities in the federal workplace. That total was up $9 million from 1997.
The CFC was formed in 1961 to pool informal solicitations into one large-scale charity drive. According to OPM, it represents one of the most successful workplace fundraising efforts in the world. On April 21, OPM director Janice Lachance approved a special solicitation that allows feds to donate funds in support of the Kosovar refugees. That campaign is scheduled to close at the end of August.
OPM issued awards last week to federal communities with the largest participation rates, highest percentage increase in contributions and highest average gifts. For campaigns over $2 million, the southeastern Michigan area, near Detroit, was recognized as the most improved for dollar increases. The area contributed roughly $1.7 million in 1997 and $2.1 million in 1998, a 22 percent increase. Meanwhile, San Antonio had the highest percent participation rate in the large-campaign category, nearly 67 percent.
On the other end of the scale, Adams County, near Quincy, Ill., had the biggest increase in contributions for campaigns under $250,000. The area handed over $2,715 last year, up 98.8 percent from 1997's $1,366 total. The Rio Grande Valley, near McAllen, Texas, had nearly 100 percent participation in the CFC drive last year, the most in the small campaigns category.
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