SMC donates during CFC Month

  • Published
  • By James Spellman, Jr.
  • Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs
LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, El Segundo, Calif. --  Hot dogs, cotton candy, multi-flavored sno-cones and literature from volunteers and ambassadors representing 21 local charitable and service organizations helped the Space and Missile Systems Center kick off the 2015 Combined Federal Campaign Oct. 6 in the courtyard of the Schriever Space Complex.

The annual event at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, Calif., provided personnel an opportunity to talk to representatives from various CFC-approved charities and to make cash donations. The CFC Open Season runs through Nov. 17.

"The CFC today is known to be the most inclusive workplace giving campaign in the world with the number of participating charities estimated at over 20,000 nonprofit charitable organizations worldwide," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, SMC commander and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space.

Greaves signed over his CFC pledge form during a short ceremony with local SMC coordinators Maj. Steven Mawhorter and Nancy Owen from the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate, and Presley Kann, United Way of Greater Los Angeles campaign specialist for the CFC.

"The charities supported through the CFC range from nascent community groups right in our own backyard to large, well-known charities nationwide," said Greaves.

"I would like to thank all the volunteers that helped make the CFC kickoff event a truly special occasion. I would also like to thank the charities that participated. It was great to see SMC personnel getting the chance to interact directly with the local charities," said Mawhorter.

"Often times we donate through the CFC but the charities don't get a chance to give us feedback on what our donations actually accomplish in the community. Our kickoff event was a great chance for this feedback mechanism to take place," Mawhorter explained. "Now that our campaign is underway, our goal is 100 percent contact with SMC government personnel so that everyone has the chance to participate in this year's CFC."

"CFC takes place once a year and is a great way to contribute to charities.  Military and civilian personnel can donate to charities of their choice through CFC. Every directorate has CFC reps who will distribute pledge forms and charity lists," added Owen. 

According to Owen, SMC personnel can donate through payroll allotments, or make a one-time cash or check contribution. Civilian and military personnel can use either a CFC pledge form, or use myPay to set up a pay period deduction. Personnel can also designate one or more charities to receive money and a specific dollar amount to be given to that charity. Donors can choose from more than 2,500 local and national charities including veterans, cultural, medical, educational, relief, environmental and animal organizations.

"The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all," explained Kann.

"You might be thinking, 'What are the benefits of the CFC?' With the CFC, charities receive one check each month that represents the combined gift of many donors instead of multiple, individual checks," said Kann. "It allows employees to give larger gifts overtime by making small monthly payments. Through CFC it costs charities about 13 cents to raise a single dollar. Through other methods such as corporate and foundation gifts, direct mail renewal, and special events it can cost charities anywhere between 20 to 50 cents to raise that same dollar."

According to Kann, 15 percent of participating federal employees in the Southern California area raised $3.8 million towards a wide variety of essential community services. During the past 20 years, federal employees raised $80 million throughout the local region. Locally, 2,272 SMC personnel donated an average gift of $264 during the 2013-2014 campaign.

For more information, visit the CFC of Greater Southern California website at www.cfcofgreatersocal.org or on Facebook via www.facebook.com/cfcofgreatersocal/timeline/.

For myPay deductions, visit https://mypay.dfas.mil/.

 

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