WASHINGTON — A special solicitation open to members of the federal workforce that took place from April to June raised $670,000 for relief efforts in Ukraine, the Office of Personnel Management said.
Each year, tens of millions of dollars are given by federal civilian, postal and military donors in the Combined Federal Campaign, the main conduit for donations from government workers to thousands of pre-approved nonprofit groups. The current CFC season is in full swing, opening on Sept. 1 and ending on Jan. 14.
Outside of that program, agencies can conduct “special solicitation” giving periods toward a particular cause for which federal employees can pledge a new or extra gift. Last year, $520,000 was raised in a special solicitation for winter storm recovery in Texas and other southern states. Two years ago, a special solicitation for COVID-19 relief raised nearly $2.6 million.
This year, the cause of choice was the war in Ukraine. Federal employees passed the hat after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February. The war has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, and destroyed entire cities.