Charity Drive Changes Delayed

OPM has announced its intent to delay until calendar year 2017 changes in the annual Combined Federal Campaign workplace charity drive that had been set to kick in effective in 2016. A Federal Register announcement on Monday said that the delay is needed to “ensure that the tools needed to put these reforms in place–including the pivotal online charity application and donor pledging systems–are thoroughly tested and fully operational before being made available to charities and donors.” Numerous procedural changes had been proposed by a review commission, including an end to cash donations and greater centralization, with local drives to focus more on promotions and employee engagement in the drive, which has seen donations slip in recent years. Some charities have resisted the changes, in particular one to charge each applicant charity a non-refundable fee, with those listed being charged an additional fee in some circumstances. One change that took effect last year without controversy allows donors to designate contributions toward local charities regardless of whether they are in that region.