Washington, DC - The U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced another successful charitable giving drive by the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the world's largest workplace giving campaign.Despite a very tough economic year in 2010 and a drop in charitable giving across the country, Federal civilian, military and postal employees pledged more than $281.5 million tothe CFC.  The amount raised was the second highest in the CFC's 50 year history and only less than half a percent below the record set in 2009 of $282.6 million. 

"The CFC has been a source of food, of warmth, of light, of medicine, of schoolbooks - a source of life. For countless Americans and people in need around the world, it has been like bedrock - supporting them, even if they don't know it's there," said OPM Director John Berry. "Our charities make sure the money is well spent, and that our donors can see the good they're doing - whether it's for the community center down the block, or a child halfway around the world."

The campaigns with the largest increase in pledges will be recognized by OPM in a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building this summer. The campaigns include the CFC of the South Puget Sound, CFC of North Central Kentucky - Southern Indiana - Fort Knox, Greater Chattanooga Area CFC, Lowcountry CFC, Rio Grande Valley CFC, Greater Southwest Texas CFC, Rowan/Iredell CFC, CFC of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, and the Eastern Panhandle CFC.

The 2010 CFC was comprised of 209 campaign regions in the U.S. and overseas and approximately 25,000 charities. Pledges made by Federal donors during the CFC season (September 1 - December 14) support non-profit organizations that have met the CFC's public accountability standards and eligibility criteria.  Since its inception in 1961, Federal employees have contributed almost $7 billion to charities through the CFC.

2011 marks the 50^th anniversary of the CFC. This landmark presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and thank volunteers and donors for helping charities do good for so many people across the world. But equally as important, it provides a unique opportunity to develop a strategy for strengthening and ensuring the continued success of the CFC for the next 50 years.  OPM Director John Berry has announced the formation of the CFC 50 Commission to study ways to improve the program. The goal of the Commission will be to provide Director Berry recommendations for increasing the CFC's accessibility, accountability, transparency and affordability. Members will include Federal employees, charitable organizations, watchdog organizations, and the media.