1. WESTERN PA & WEST VIRGINIA ZONE Combined Federal Campaign Campaign Manager and Keyworker Training
Welcome to the 2018 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)! As the Campaign Manager/Coordinator for your Agency/
Installation, you join thousands of federal colleagues and military service members in planning and organizing
one of the largest and most successful workplace fundraising campaigns in the world. You play a critical role
in promoting the CFC within your agency or installation. Through the CFC, federal employees, military service
members, federal contractors, and retirees have the opportunity to support their favorite cause by making a
monetary or volunteer pledge.

2. Rules of the Road Mute your phone line
At the end of the presentation, we will have a brief Q & A session. Please keep your line muted in listening mode by pressing *#5 until you ask your question. Place your phone on mute immediately after you have asked your question. To unmute press #6.
Do not put your phone line on hold (to avoid “on-hold” music)
Limit questions to CFC related marketing, events and training
For questions regarding contributions, including pledges, payroll, and giving reports, contact the Central Campaign Administrator (CCA) at, / , or visit

3. Your Role & Responsibilities
Agenda
About the CFC
Your Role & Responsibilities
Resources & Tools
Campaign Events
We will be together today for about 30 to 45 minutes, at the end of which, I hope you will feel comfortable with your role as a CFC Campaign Manager/Coordinator for your agency or installation. We will talk a little about the CFC, then cover your role and responsibilities before, during, and after the campaign. I will show you where to find additional resources and tools to help you. And finally, we will talk about how to plan and execute a successful campaign event.

4. About the CFC
Can anyone tell me what the CFC is?

5. CFC Quiz Does the CFC accept cash donations?
The CFC has been around for 57 years. How much money have generous federal employees donated during that time?
CFC Quiz
Who is eligible to donate through the CFC?
What are the ways to make a pledge?
Does the CFC accept cash donations?
What can donors pledge in addition to money?
Yes! That’s right, the CFC is a federal program that facilitates charitable giving within all federal workplaces. Let’s test your knowledge a little further with this quiz:
Q: The CFC has been around for 57 years. How much money have generous federal employees donated during that time?
A: $8.3 Billion!!
Q: Who is eligible to donate through the CFC?
A: All federal employees, military service members, USPS employees, federal contractors and federal retirees are eligible to give through the CFC.
Q: Does the CFC accept cash donations?
A: No.
Q: What are the ways to make a pledge?
A: Online or paper pledge form
Q: What can donors pledge in addition to money?
A: Volunteer hours (to charities that accept them)

6. Confidence Convenience Choice Why the CFC Confidence
• Regulated program
• Giving is easy and secure
• The CFC provides charities with an efficient way to connect with thousands of potential donors
• CFC charities have been vetted
• The Centralized Giving Portal allows donors to track their donation and confirm its distribution to their selected charity(s)
Convenience
• Payroll deduction makes it easy for donors to give generously
• Donors can give to multiple charities through one pledge,
• Charities rely on donations from the CFC because it is a consistent source of unrestricted revenue that can fund vital programs
Choice
• There are several ways to pledge
• Payroll deduction
• Credit/debit card (one-time or monthly)
• ACH bank transfer (one-time or monthly)
• Employees can pledge volunteer time
• CFC allows donors to give anonymously
• Retirees can give from their annuity
There are thousands of local, national and international charities to choose from

7. How the CFC Works
Step 1: Motivated campaign workers invite their colleagues to make a pledge.
Step 2: Federal employees, retirees, and contractors choose their cause.
Step 3: Donors pledge dollars and volunteer hours, either online or with a paper pledge form.
Step 4: The charities chosen by the donors receive funds throughout the year.
Step 5: Beneficiaries receive help and hope!
Here’s how the CFC works:
1. Motivated campaign workers (that’s you!) invite their colleagues to make a pledge. A regulatory requirement is to ensure every federal employee is given the opportunity to participate in the CFC and that the campaign should be aimed at collecting the greatest amount of charitable contributions possible. The BEST way to do this is through a personal ask.
2. The federal community (military and civilian personnel, retirees and contractors) choose the causes and charities that are important to them.
3. Donors make their pledge online using the pledge portal or using a paper pledge form.
4. The Central Campaign Administrator (CCA) processes the pledges and distributes the funds throughout the year to the charities selected by the donors.
5. Local, national, and international charities and their beneficiaries receive the funds they need. Such as…

8. The CFC Impact
As a Campaign Manager/Coordinator, you will have a big impact on the success of this campaign. Each year, we have the privilege of working with motivated and passionate campaign workers. For example, Gerald, who works for the Department of Health and Human Services, was one of the prior campaign workers who agreed to be photographed for the campaign materials. His cause is homelessness. And he said “I am one of 10 siblings, and growing up our family experienced homelessness. I vividly remember sleeping in the car and living in shelters. As I travel around the country, I still see how homelessness affects every community, race, and nationality. It knows no bounds. I believe no one should experience the adverse effects of being homeless. Funding through the CFC to organizations who serve the homeless population in our region will provide resources dedicated to meeting their holistic needs. Contributions will provide food, clothing, shelter, and medical/mental health attention to everyone who needs it.” When he left the photo shoot, he distributed these blankets to the homeless on the streets of Washington DC on his way back to the office!

9. Who Can Pledge
Now that you know what a big impact the CFC can have on campaign workers, donors, and the charity beneficiaries, let’s review who can pledge and how they can complete their gift. [walk through who can pledge using each option]

10. The CFC Impact
[Trainers should feel free to use their own favorite charity story or personal story here. This one has been provided as an example.]
We have probably all heard that some underprivileged children only really get one meal per day: the school lunch. One of the CFC supported charities works to help this situation by providing three services to children at risk of hunger when schools close over the weekends, holidays, and summer break.
1. They provide backpacks filled with food for the children to take home on Fridays so they can arrive to school on Monday morning without the distraction of severe hunger.
2. They deliver fresh produce and other healthy food to parents when they dropoff their children at school.
3. They provide a free lunch and snack to kids five days a week all summer long. These meals include fresh salads and locally grown berries, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
In their area of the country, 1 in 4 children is considered “food insecure.” And in the work they do $1 can provide up to 8 meals for hungry children. Talk about a big impact!

11. 2018 Enhancements Improved online pledge experience
Enhanced online charity search
Reorganized, user-friendly paper pledge form
New hire pledging
Let me tell you about a few changes that have been implemented to improve the 2018 CFC. The online pledge portal has been improved to allow donors to complete more than one pledge per account (for example, making a payroll deduction and then making another onetime pledge via a credit card); to pledge dollars and volunteer hours on the same pledge; and the expanded office/unit list will allow donors to attribute their pledge to the correct reporting unit. The online pledge portal will be open for donations from September 10, 2018 through January 11, 2019.
Additionally, the enhanced online charity search helps donors find charities they might be interested in. It now features a reset button that allows donors to clear their results between different searches.
Donors who still wish to pledge using paper will find a larger, more user-friendly format.
And, newly hired federal employees outside of the pledge period can contribute during their first 30 days of employment (Feb – July)

12. Your role as a Campaign Manager/ Coordinator
Now let’s talk about how you fit in. As a Campaign Manager/Coordinator, you are responsible for planning and implementing a successful CFC in your agency/installation. I am going to break your responsibilities down into three periods: pre-campaign, during campaign and then post-campaign (or campaign culmination).

13. Pre-Campaign Responsibilities
Get Connected
Prepare your Reporting Unit List
Develop a Campaign Plan
Brief your Leadership
Order Supplies
Recruit and Train Keyworkers
Get Connected: Here you are in training today with your fellow Campaign Managers. While you are here, exchange contact information and use each other as a resource. We will be having periodic check-in meetings where you can ask questions or share best practices, but you can also reach out to each other at any point. Another great way to get connected to the campaign is to follow us on social media. We will be pushing information and announcements via this venue. Your homework today is to like/follow us on: [provide local social media info such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.] Finally, take some time to really review the website. There are so many great tools available to you there. More will be added throughout the campaign.
Review your agency/installation structure: The next step in getting prepared for the campaign is to review the list of offices, units, or groups that make up your agency. You will need to work with your HR office or management to obtain an accurate count of employees within each unit and contact your OC to provide updated figures. This drives when you achieve 100 percent contact rate and will determine your participation percentage at the end of the campaign, which may impact awards. And finally, review the list of units in the pledge system so you can be familiar with how it is displayed.
Develop a Campaign Plan: The third step is draft out a campaign plan for your agency. Be sure to include your publicity plans and any campaign events you would like to host. We have a template for you to use when drafting your agency level campaign plan. Don’t worry! You won’t have to do everything yourself. As a part of the plan, recruit an event committee and a publicity committee to help you. Invite motivated individuals from all areas of the agency.
Brief your Leadership: Once you have the plan drafted, you will need to obtain approval for the plan from your leadership. It is also important to encourage their visible and tangible support of the campaign. So be sure to identify ways they can get involved. This might include sending communications during strategic points; coming to speak at the Keyworker training; attending and/or participating in campaign events. You will also need their input to set a campaign goal for your agency. Keep in mind, you were selected for this role by your leadership, and they anticipate being asked to be involved.
Order Supplies: Base the quantity of each supply on the number of employees in your units. See the Ordering Guide on the website for detailed instructions on how to order supplies. [local campaigns can insert instructions here if desired] 
Recruit and Train Keyworkers: Finally, you will need to build your campaign team. This means recruiting Keyworkers for each unit or office. A ratio of one keyworker to every 25 to 50 employees works best. Use last year’s campaign team as a starting point. Once you have your Keyworkers identified, you will need to schedule and conduct a training session for them. On our website you will find everything you need to train your keyworkers. In addition to the Keyworker Guide and Training presentation slides, be sure to download the Keyworker checklist. It’s a nifty handout that for Keyworkers to keep as a reference.

14. Active Campaign Responsibilities
Involve Leadership
Motivate Keyworkers
Hold a Campaign Event
Publicize, Publicize, Publicize
Collect and Submit Paper Pledges
Involve Leadership: Be sure to brief leaders on campaign progress. Make sure they stay engaged and follow up on the things you asked them to do during the campaign planning phase. They can make the first official pledge of the campaign; they can send key messages during the campaign, including invitations to events; and they can attend and speak at events.
Motivate Keyworkers: Hold weekly touch-base meetings with Keyworkers for updates on campaign progress; share tips/tricks/best practices; review key points from training as they are needed; and answer questions. You may even consider holding a special event just for Keyworkers such as a potluck lunch, having a charity speaker come talk to them, or host a volunteer event at a local organization. Invite your leadership to speak at one of these meetings to encourage Keyworkers or officially recognize their efforts.
Hold a Campaign Event: Campaign events can be powerful motivators for donors and they can be fun! A little later in the presentation, I am going to run through a few slides with instructions on how to plan and execute a successful campaign event.
Publicize the Campaign: Use the publicity materials we have available for you (posters, table tents, flyers, infographics, social media shareables, banners, etc) to publicize the campaign in your agency/installation. We also have media resources like advertisements and articles for publication in newsletters and newspapers. Get creative and put messages on message boards, use large banners in public spaces, post videos on intranet sites, create splash screens that employees will see when they log on to their computers each day.
Collect and Submit Paper Pledges: Most pledging should take place on the online pledge portal, but some contributors may prefer to use a paper pledge form. If they do, they should submit their completed form to a Keyworker who will be trained to review the form for accuracy and completeness before they are submitted to you. You will be responsible for mailing these forms to the CFC Processing center using the form and envelope provided for this purpose. Pledge forms missing required information will experience processing delays and/or potentially will not be able to be processed. Please advise donors NOT to wait until the end of the campaign to turn in their pledge form. Donors who wish to submit a confidential pledge may insert their pledge form in a plain white envelope and write "confidential" on the outside. Campaign workers should not open these envelopes, but rather submit them straight to the CCA processing center. NOTE: Donors may mail their pledge directly to the CCA themselves and if requested should be provided with the processing center mailing address.

15. Campaign Culmination Responsibilities
Mission
accomplished!
Recognize Success
Provide Feedback
Create a Continuity Book
Recognize Success: One of the most important things you will do is recognize everyone who played a part in the campaign. For donors, you do this by making sure they are thanked verbally, that Keyworkers provide them with any promised recognition items (ex: coins), with a thank-you card, and collectively in some other way. Why? Research shows that donors won’t remember being thanked unless they are acknowledged three or four times. By holding a thank-you celebration of some kind, you can provide that third means of thanking, and you should also take that opportunity to thank your campaign team (Keyworkers, management, events/publicity committee members, etc.). Order unit awards and Keyworker certificates from our system. Getting your leadership involved in recognition will also be meaningful to everyone in your agency/installation.
Provide Feedback: We will ask you to participate in After Action Review (AAR) meetings at the end of the campaign. Be sure to provide your honest feedback to help make the campaign even better next year.
Continuity: Put together a folder or binder with tips, instructions for next year’s campaign manager/coordinator. Imagine how helpful it would have been if you would have had something like this! Include your campaign plan from this year, any leadership support you received, the list of units and Keyworkers, notes on any campaign events you executed, etc.

16. Your role as a keyworker
Now let’s talk about how you fit in.

17. 8 Steps to Success Practice giving. Publicize. Get your supplies.
Attend training.
Get your supplies.
Publicize.
Practice giving.
Here are a few critical responsibilities you have as a Keyworker. These first four are all about PREPARATION. This includes:
Attend a training session. Learn about the great benefits of the CFC, all of the available giving options, and how to both answer questions about the campaign and confidently ask co-workers to give.
Get your supplies. Work with your Campaign Manager to ensure you have enough pledge forms, charity lists, posters, donor cards, etc. Remember, there are many online resources available to you on our website.
Publicize the campaign. Use s, posters, brochures, messages from your leadership, social media, and campaign events to promote the CFC. Connect and engage with your local CFC zone and/or the national CFC account on social media.
Practice giving. Ensure you are familiar with the online donation portal and the paper pledge forms so you can offer help as needed. Make your own pledge before you ask others to give.

18. 8 Steps to Success (cont.)
Make the Ask.
Follow up.
Submit completed pledge forms.
Express gratitude.
5. Ask each of your co-workers to give. Talk to your co-workers in person about the campaign and ask them to Show Some Love to their favorite charitable causes through the CFC. Speaking face-to-face and using stories is the most effective way to inspire your co-workers to give. You
can share your personal cause or use one of the charity success stories.
6. Follow up. Many people say “yes” and then forget to visit the giving portal and make a pledge. Others say “maybe” because they need time to think it over or talk with family. In either case, they typically welcome a friendly follow-up. Research has shown that donors often need four
to six touchpoints before they give. Let your co-workers know that you will follow up at a later time. You may want to keep a list of who you’ve followed up with, so you don’t miss anyone. This will also serve as a record of those you have contacted.
7. Submit completed paper pledge forms. Encourage donors to promptly submit pledge forms to you or a designated drop-off location, if available. Review the completed form with the donor to ensure it is legible and all sections have been completed. Check the math to ensure the total
pledge is equal to the charity allocation. Store all paperwork in a secure location until you are able to deliver them to your Campaign Manager.
8 Express gratitude. Always thank your co-workers for their time and for considering a donation through the CFC. [Local campaign zones should add information about their recognition program here if applicable]

19. Additional Responsibilities
Keep your leadership informed and involved
Participate in campaign events
Connect with the campaign via social media
Attend weekly meetings with your Campaign Manager/Coordinator
Promote and participate in #GivingTuesday
Here are a few additional responsibilities to add to those eight critical steps. You will want to keep your leadership informed and involved. Brief them on your area’s campaign progress. See if they will send out communications in support of the campaign. If your Campaign Manager is planning any campaign events, get involved! Serve on the event committee, help publicize the event, and then attend the event. Be sure to connect with the campaign via social media so that you can stay informed of the latest information. Attend weekly meetings if scheduled by your Campaign Manager. These are excellent opportunities to share best practices and success stories and get updates and reminders. And promote and participate in #GivingTuesday. We are trying to make this annual event, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, the largest online pledge day of the campaign. We have tools and resources available to help you promote this within your office/unit.

20. Campaign Materials, Resources & Tools
As I mentioned, we have many tools and resources available to help you complete your job as a Campaign Manager/Coordinator.

21. How to Make an Online Pledge
How to Make an Online Pledge: The step-by-step guide for how to make an online pledge includes a section outlining the pledge portal improvements and a section with tips for returning donors in addition to the instructions for new donors.

22. Campaign Management Guide
The first is the Campaign Management Guide which can be found on our website in the “Training Materials” section in the Resources menu. This guide has all of the information we are covering today and can serve as a handy resource throughout the campaign.

23. Keyworker Guide and Checklist
The first two resources for you are the Keyworker Guide and Keyworker Checklist. The Checklist has been provided to you today and the Keyworker Guide can be found on our website in the “Training Materials” section in the Resources menu.

24. Online Resources
Visit our website to access the “Resources” under the Campaign Worker menu. There you will find:
Training Materials – which includes this training presentation, the Campaign Management guide as well as Keyworker training materials
Logos and Templates – the Show Some Love and Show You Care logos, document headers, PPT template can all be found here
Posters and Flyers – the campaign posters, infographics, flyers, and other printable promotional materials can be found here
s and Speeches – This section contains templates of pre-written s you, your Keyworkers, or your leadership can send during the campaign. You will also find sample speeches and talking points here.
Toolkits – We have Start Strong, Giving Tuesday, Finish Strong, and Social Media toolkits available for you to use this year.
Media and Advertising – find sample advertisements, radio and TV PSAs, and press releases in this section to be used in internal publications.

25. Keyworker Guide and Checklist
The first two resources for you are the Keyworker Guide and Keyworker Checklist. The Checklist has been provided to you today and the Keyworker Guide can be found on our website in the “Training Materials” section in the Resources menu.

26. Charity Listing
This hard copy brochure contains much more than just the list of CFC-participating charities. It includes information provided by OPM as well as information about our zone. Since we want to encourage pledging online, a limited number are available for Keyworkers. It can serve a visual reminder that the CFC season is open. Tip – Since there are not many printed listings available, you can use this knowledge to plan follow ups. If a co-worker asks for a charity listing let them know that you’ll need it back once they are finished.

27. Pledge Form and Pledge Tips Card
Notes – While pledging online is encouraged, it is recognized that not all employees can access the system during the work day. The paper pledge form has been improved this year. The form is larger and more user-friendly with instructions. It also does not contain the address for the CFC Processing Center, so donors are encouraged to submit completed forms to a Keyworker so you can double check them before giving them to your Campaign Manager/Coordinator to send to the CFC Processing Center. We also have a handy Pledge Tips Card you can use when you make the ask. This card has tips for donors who are using the online pledge portal or completing a paper pledge.

28. Cancer Awareness Cause Card
Back by popular demand is the My Cause card. It’s a great tool to engage your co-workers in conversation about what they care about.
Distribute them at CFC events and encourage people to share their cause
Build a cause wall in your area
Use them as a follow up tool – “I wanted to give you a chance to be a part of our office cause wall.”
You have a printed version you can use in conjunction with your campaign kickoff and there are digital versions available on the website.

29. #GivingTuesday Card
New this year is the Giving Tuesday card. Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving that was established as a way to bring attention to what the holidays are really about, providing a message that counters all the messages we received during the holiday shopping season. Over the past few years, the CFC has experienced a surge in pledges on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. This card was designed to use a follow up tool so you can take advantage of the momentum generated for that day.

30. Posters
Use these posters to help publicize the CFC in your office/unit. In addition to the printed posters provided, you can also download them and print them on 8.5 x 11 from the website.

31. Barometer Poster
Use this poster to track campaign progress in your office/unit. You can track dollars raised, percent of employees contacted, or weeks left to pledge in the campaign period. TIP: consider waiting to hang this poster until you have some results to track. Looking at a blank barometer for several weeks can be disheartening.

32. Table Tent Cards
These are a great option to display in common areas and cafeterias. They are a good alternative if your office has limited spaces for displaying posters.

33. Digital Resources and Toolkits
There are additional resources available to you on the website. When you click on the “Resources” section under the Campaign Workers menu, you will find:
Training Materials – which includes this training presentation, the Campaign Management guide as well as Keyworker training materials
Logos and Templates – the Show Some Love and Show You Care logos, document headers, PPT template can all be found here
Posters and Flyers – the campaign posters, infographics, flyers, and other printable promotional materials can be found here
s and Speeches – This section contains templates of pre-written s you, your Keyworkers, or your leadership can send during the campaign. You will also find sample speeches and talking points here.
Toolkits – We have Start Strong, Giving Tuesday, Finish Strong, and Social Media toolkits available for you to use this year.
Media and Advertising – find sample advertisements, radio and TV PSAs, and press releases in this section to be used in internal publications.

34. Pledge Submission Materials
[Note: either add a photo of your report form to this screen, or distribute hard copies at your training session for Campaign Managers to see.]
You will be supplied with pre-addressed report envelopes and report forms to mail completed pledge forms to the CFC Processing Center. This is official mail and postage should be authorized by your agency. Remember: Pledge forms missing required information will experience processing delays and/or potentially will not be able to be processed. Please advise donors NOT to wait until the end of the campaign to turn in their pledge form.

35. Campaign Events

36. Event Guidelines and Regulations
Events supplement the campaign, but do not replace the “ask” by a Keyworker.
Cash fundraisers are not permitted.
CFC funds cannot be used for food, drink, prizes or entertainment.
Follow your department or agency’s specific regulations and ethics guidelines.
Campaign events are strongly encouraged and offer an additional touch point with potential contributors, but they do not replace the necessity of the personal ask, which is best accomplished through one-on-one contact by a Keyworker.
• Cash fundraising events are not permitted under CFC regulations. However, events are a great way to educate your colleagues on how to make their pledge. Have trained campaign workers in attendance to answer questions regarding donation options. Feel free to demo the online pledge portal and have paper Pledge Forms and Pledge Tip Cards available.
• Always follow your department or agency's specific regulations and ethics guidelines when planning events. This includes obtaining proper approvals before your event.
• CFC funds cannot be used to purchase food or drink. Food and beverages can be donated (e.g., a potluck luncheon).
• CFC funds cannot be used to purchase prizes or entertainment.

37. Types of Events Awareness Charity Fair Guest speaker Special
Competitions
Contests
Recognition
Awards Ceremony
Thank-you Pot Luck
From kickoff to closing out the campaign, events are critical to encourage participation and increase awareness. Events can be part of something already scheduled, like inviting a charity speaker to weekly staff meetings, or they can be a stand-alone, like a chili cook-off.
Awareness Events
These events educate your community on the options and benefits of supporting charities through the CFC. Invite guest speakers such as leaders at your agency or installation and representatives from CFC-supported charities. These events are a great way to spread the word about the campaign and build motivation to support charities through the CFC. Awareness events can be held at the beginning of the campaign (e.g., a kickoff event) or throughout the campaign (e.g., a charity fair). Work through your Zone Outreach Coordinator (insert name of OPM contractor company) to assure charity selection is fair.
Special Events
These events are often held in conjunction with an event that is already taking place at your agency or installation (e.g., leadership calls and staff meetings, farewell parties, bazaars, training/safety days, etc.). Hosting a friendly CFC competitive event can boost energy around the campaign and add a fun element to an existing event (e.g., push up contest) and provide bragging rights to the winning office or unit. This year, consider planning special events in support of the Cause of the Week, #GivingTuesday (Nov. 27), International Volunteer Day (Dec. 5), or the last five days of the campaign.
Recognition Events
Recognition events allow department, agency, or installation leaders to publicly recognize and thank campaign workers for their dedication and thank all employees for their generosity through the CFC. These are usually held toward the end of the campaign, as a finale event, or even a few weeks after the completion of the campaign.

38. Event Idea Brainstorm
Now let’s spend some time brainstorming some great event ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Here are a few to get us started…
Physical contest (who can do the most push ups, sports game)
Competition (chili cookoff, best costume, cutest pet photo)
Charity fair/charity speaker
Office mini golf
Has anyone else attended a great event they can tell us about? Or do you have an idea for a fun event you can share with the group?

39. Steps to a Successful Event
Establish a committee.
Request leadership support.
Publicize.
Follow the checklist.
Step One: Establish an active event planning committee. Recruit committee members from all areas and include a variety of ranks/pay grades. Assign each committee member a specific task and deadline. Encourage creativity!
Step Two: Request leadership support. Ask leadership to send an invitation to CFC events. Invite leadership to speak at and/or participate in CFC events. Publicize leadership participation via your website, intranet, newsletter, social media, etc.
Step Three: Motivate your co-workers to attend. Ensure there is a “draw” (e.g., a prize, a competition, free food). Make it fun! Publicize, publicize, publicize: be sure everyone knows about the event and is reminded to attend.
Step Four: Utilize the Event Planning Checklist in the Event Planning Guide or on the website. Follow the checklist, which offers detailed instructions for planning a successful CFC event.

40. Make the “Ask” your most important responsibility
This is your most important responsibility as a keyworker. The number one reason people give is because they are asked by someone they know and respect. We’re going to go through some tips to help you make this interaction feel comfortable and allow some time to practice.

41. What’s your favorite Cause?
We all have causes we care about and the CFC approved charities represent every cause imaginable. I’d like to know what your favorite cause is? Invite the audience to share their stories. For an onsite session hand out to cause cards in advance. For a webinar session invite participants to share through the technology platform being used. You can ask the three questions: 1. Which charitable cause is most important to you? 2. Why? 3. How does it make you feel to support that cause through the CFC?
Thank you, what comes across is the passion you each have for your causes. That passion is what will make you a great Keyworker.

42. The Ask INVITE your co-worker to join you in making a pledge GIVE
TELL your “why”
GIVE
the benefits of the CFC
ASK about their favorite cause
INVITE your co-worker to join you in making a pledge
THANK them for their time
Nothing is as effective as talking with people about the campaign in person. Using a personalized story-based approach can be powerful and effective. We practiced telling our own stories earlier in the training. So, you are already familiar with that piece. The next step is talking about the benefits of participating in the campaign. For example, the ease of giving a little each month through a payroll allotment, the confidence in giving knowing the campaign is regulated, the collective power of everyone’s contributions adding up to millions of dollars of help each year that that charities and their beneficiaries depend on. Next you can ask some questions. What is your favorite cause? Why? And that is usually a perfect segue into inviting them to make a pledge through the CFC. Finally, don’t forget to thank everyone for their time.
Let’s put it all together and give it a try. [For onsite training ask for five volunteers and hand them each a notecard with the 1-5 sections of the Make the Ask script. Call out “step 1: Tell your story” and have the first volunteer read what is on the card. Continue through all five steps. For webinar training perform a role play of making the ask]
Step 1: Tell your story.
Hi. My name is Sam and I am your CFC Keyworker this year. The charitable cause that is most important to me is supporting veterans. My cousin had some problems with PTSD after returning from service and was able to get back on his feet by accessing resources and support through several CFC charities.
Step 2: Explain the benefits of giving through the CFC.
The beauty of the Combined Federal Campaign is that we can each choose the cause that is most important to us. The CFC allows us to give via payroll allotment which lets us give a little each month and makes it easy to give to multiple charities at once. I also love being able to give anonymously. My gift goes to the charities I choose, but not my name or contact information, unless I want it to. And all of our contributions added together really make a difference. Did you know the CFC raised over $100 million last year? Did you know that this year, in addition to giving money, we can also pledge volunteer hours?
Step 3: Ask some questions.
Do you have a favorite charitable cause? Why is that your favorite?
Step 4: Invite your co-worker to make a pledge.
I made my pledge yesterday online. It was really easy. Will you join me and make a pledge through the CFC this year? I am going to leave this card with you which has the pledge site web address and some other information.
Step 5: Thank them for their time.
Thanks for giving me the time to talk to you about this. I will follow up with you next week to see if you have any questions. And if you do make a pledge, be sure to let me know because I have a small thank you gift for you.
That was great! Let’s give them a round of applause.
Notes – [If in person invite the participants to pair up and practice. For webinar trainings recommend that they pair up after the session to practice]

43. Follow Up
Follow up is critical to campaign success. People need reminders and if they are making the pledge online they will need to do that after you have left. Let people know that you will stop back to see if they have questions.

44. Resources for Following Up
templates
Flyers
Stories
Dollar impact statements
Cause card
Giving Tuesday card
Once you have made the initial ask in person, you can follow up using various means including . We have multiple resources on our website that you can use for this purpose, including pre-drafted templates, flyers, stories from federal employees who have been impacted, examples of the impact a gift can have and two different cards.

45. Collect Completed Pledge Forms
Common Pledge Form Errors
Illegible writing
Total gift and charity designation amounts not the same
Not all funds specified to a charity
Reporting unit info missing or inaccurate
Authorization portion not signed
SSN missing for payroll deduction
If giving by check, attach that when submitting the form. CFC does not bill donors.
One great way to follow up is to ask your co-workers if they have any completed pledge forms to submit. If they do, be sure to double check them for common errors before passing them off to your Campaign Manager/Coordinator.

46. Thank you and Recognition
Notes – It’s important to thank people once they have completed their pledge. When following up with your co-workers ask if they have completed their pledge yet and give them a thank you card if they say yes. Adding a personal note to the card makes it more meaningful.

47. Important Guidance Important Guidance DO DO NOT
Promote voluntary giving
Encourage donors to
select a cause
Recognize and thank donors
DO NOT
Do not use coercion - it is not tolerated
Do not show favoritism to a particular charity
Do not create lists of non-donors or share a list of donors with management.
I want to leave you with some final thoughts: some general dos and don’ts. [read through them]

48. Questions

49. Thank you
For more information, be sure to visit or
page 49

50. CFC Help Desk Information
(833) - LOVE CFC (833) Hours of Operation Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (EST) Zone 029 – Western PA and WVA

51. CENTRAL CAMPAIGN ADMINISTRATOR
The organization responsible for developing and maintaining the national CFC giving website, receiving pledge data, and making distributions to charities.
For questions on pledging or pledge processing, contact:  TTY available Hours: 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. (ET) M-F  Last day of open season until midnight cfcgiving.opm.gov/contact