Washington-area charities are scrambling after moves by the Office of Personnel Management left the Combined Federal Campaign, the long-running payroll-deduction charity drive for federal workers, in limbo. Local nonprofit leaders warn the turbulence could wipe out months of planning and leave food banks, shelters and small rescue groups short just as demand is climbing.
OPM Says 2025 Will Run While It Weighs the Program’s Future
The Office of Personnel Management has said the 2025 campaign will go forward while the agency "evaluates changes to the CFC for 2026 (including whether to continue the program)," according to an OPM press release. The agency told departments it was pausing some contractor work while it studies administrative costs and participation rates. Director Scott Kupor has pointed to overhead and declining donations as reasons to explore a more cost-effective model for workplace giving.
Portal Pulled and Nonprofits Say They Were Shut Out
Nonprofits say the CFC’s application and giving portal went dark this spring and that the usual 2026 application cycle never opened, leaving groups unable to apply or plan. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports the online system was decommissioned in early March, a move charity leaders say looks like the first step toward winding down the program. Local fundraisers told the Chronicle they got little warning and were not brought into conversations about possible changes.
Why the Numbers Matter
The Combined Federal Campaign has directed roughly $9 billion to charities since it launched in the 1960s and still pulls in tens of millions of dollars each year, according to reporting by The Washington Post. In 2024, federal workers contributed roughly $68–70 million to about 4,500 charities, money that many local programs build into their service budgets.
Local Groups Say the Hit Is Immediate
Small and mid-sized charities in the D.C. region say any disruption will be felt right away. As reported by WUSA9, Bread for the City estimates it received about $100,000 from the CFC this year, while the Homeless Animals Rescue Team said CFC donations made up roughly 20% of its annual budget, about $200,000. WUSA9 also reported that Kupor has floated the idea of giving charities past CFC donor contact lists so they could solicit directly while OPM decides what comes next.
Charities and Lawmakers Are Pressing for Answers
A coalition of nearly 400 organizations sent an emergency letter urging OPM not to abandon the campaign and warning that cancellation would be "devastating," according to The NonProfit Times. Charities and some members of Congress have pushed back publicly and asked whether legislative fixes or stepped-up oversight will be needed to preserve payroll-deduction giving, a channel advocates say is hard to replace with one-off direct appeals.
Legal and Procedural Note
The CFC was created through executive action, and federal rules make it the authorized mechanism for workplace solicitation of federal employees. OPM guidance says an agency head may not block participation without the director’s written approval, according to OPM. That regulatory framework gives OPM broad discretion over administration, but it also raises questions about whether sweeping operational changes should involve clearer rulemaking or action by Congress.
For now, Washington-area charities say they are scrambling to shore up budgets and pressing both OPM and lawmakers for a firm timetable. If the agency’s review leads to major program changes, local nonprofits say they will need bridge funding and quick clarity on how, and whether, federal workers will still be able to give through payroll deductions.
