MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Representatives are designated within various units and departments aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii for the annual Combined Federal Campaign, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, 2013.
Each year, CFC representatives approach fellow active-duty service members and federal government employees to donate money to one or more of the more than 180 approved nonprofit organizations listed by the campaign.
“The mission of the Combined Federal Campaign is to support and to promote philanthropy through a voluntary program that is employee-focused, cost efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all,” reads the mission on the CFC Hawaii website. “The Hawaii-Pacific area Combined Federal Campaign is one of the nation’s largest and most successful.”
The CFC’s Hawaii-Pacific area, which consists of Hawaii, the northern Marianas Islands, Guam and American Samoa, raised more than $5 million for local, national and international organizations last year. Organizations including the national American Red Cross, Hawaii Foodbank Inc. and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received funding from CFC last year.
Organizations vary in size and mission. The CFC lists a brief description of each organization’s mission as well as a percentage indicating approximately how much funding directly benefits the cause, and how much covers other costs such as administration or advertising.
There is no monetary goal for the campaign. Rather, CFC officials encourage 100 percent contact. In other words, all representatives are asked to personally approach each person who works in their respective department or unit, and inform them about CFC and the process of donating.
Participants can make a one-time donation for the year or choose to have a certain amount deducted from each paycheck to the campaign. According to the CFC Hawaii website, payroll deduction made up 90 percent of the funding received last year.
Unit or department representatives handling CFC have forms participants must complete, as well as a catalog of organizations currently eligible to receive funding through the campaign. Participants may choose one or more charities on the list that to receive the donation. If no charity is designated, the money is distributed among all CFC organizations.
“There are so many charities out there and good organizations to give to,” said Gunnery Sgt. Eric Molnar, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the Meterological and Oceanographic office at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay. “I think people just need to look at themselves and find out what matters to them, what they find important in the world and try to help out.”
Molnar, of Ortonville, Mich., is the current CFC representative for MCAS K-Bay, but has been donating to the campaign for years. Though he has also donated to animal protection organizations, Molnar chooses to donate to organizations dedicated to cancer research. Molnar has been donating to cancer research since there is a history of cancer in his family, and he recently lost his mother to the disease. He continues to donate in the hopes that the research will one day find a cure.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Roberto Cisneros, a hospital corpsman at 21st Dental Company, is serving as the unit’s rep for the third year. Cisneros, of El Paso, Texas, has given to the CFC over the years, and in particular supports research to find cures for many diseases, like cancer. In addition to approaching his fellow co-workers, Cisneros plans to help the unit host fundraisers like car washes and bake sales to further bring in funding for the campaign.
“With all the budget cuts, it seems like some research has been put on the back burners,” Cisneros said. “The CFC is actually a good way to continue funding them.”
The campaign also recognizes units or departments for the amount of money they collect and the amount of people participating. Groups receive platinum award certificates for 60 percent participation with an average of $95 per person; a gold award certificate for 55 percent participation with an average of $90 per person; a silver award certificate for 50 percent participation with an average of $85 per person and a bronze award certificate for 45 percent participation with an average of $80 per person.
This year, units or departments are eligible for the 2013 Green Award in one of three categories: large organization category (more than 1,000 personnel), medium organization category (100 to 1,000 personnel) and small organization category, (less than 100 personnel). The Green Award is given to units or departments with the highest participation and per capita donations online.
The campaign, which was a pilot program in 1964, served as a solution to more than a decade of issues with fundraising among federal government employees.
For more information about CFC, visit http://www.opm.gov/combined-federal-campaign/. For more information about the CFC Hawaii campaign, visit http://www.cfc-hawaii.org.
If you have questions regarding the MCB Hawaii collection, call Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donald Brown, the agency project officer representing Marine Corps Base Hawaii for this year’s campaign, at 257-8562.