"The Time Is Now, To Make A Difference, That Will Last A Lifetime."

  • Published
  • By Kenji Thuloweit
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Team Edwards leadership and Airmen came together for a breakfast at Club Muroc Oct. 3 to officially kick off this year's Combined Federal Campaign.

The theme for this year's CFC is "The Time Is Now, To Make A Difference, That Will Last A Lifetime."

This year's monetary goal for Edwards is $403,000.

"This is based on an average donation of approximately $70 for all Edwards government civilian and military personnel," said Capt. Andrew Anderson, 419th Flight Test Squadron operations director and CFC program manager.

"Last year's CFC was a very successful year with Team Edwards raising $489,000 and $273 Million raised nation-wide by all federal employees. CFC charities help those in need: poverty, domestic violence, lack of health insurance, the environment , animal rights and many other causes."

Each unit on Edwards has volunteer CFC Keyworker personnel that will act as representatives for CFC. They will answer any questions and will be going around units to personally contact anyone interested in giving to CFC and distribute forms. Unit Keyworkers will also collect CFC forms.

If anyone is uncertain about who their CFC Keyworker is, please contact Capt. Anderson at andrew.anderson@edwards.af.mil or (661) 275-1066.

This year's dates of CFC are Oct. 3 through Nov. 14. All of Air Force Materiel Command will be participating in CFC during these dates.

The Combined Federal Campaign is one of only two fundraising campaigns officially sanctioned by the Air Force. It provides an efficient and effective way for government employees to give back to local and national charities.

Charities prefer donations from CFC for several reasons. First, it is much more convenient for the charity. They get a regular amount each month that represents the combined gift of many donors. It is also more convenient for the donor, as payroll deductions can be set up to ensure automatic donations throughout the year. Furthermore, the CFC reduces the fundraising costs of charities that participate in the campaign, freeing up resources to be spent on the charity mission.

Anderson said CFC participants generally give more than the average charitable contribution because of the ease of regular giving. While the average donation to a charity is $35, the average annual donation by a CFC participant is $245 (just over $20 a month).

A list of charities can be found in a CFC booklet, distributed by the unit CFC Keyworker, or online at www.cfcofgreatersocal.com, where people can search for a charity of interest.

Team Edwards members can also donate to the CFC online at this same address.