With the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) scheduled to end Dec. 15, Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola service members and civilian employees are encouraged to continue donations through their departmental or command CFC representative.

“One word comes to mind during the holiday season: gratitude,” said Operations Specialist 1st Class Carl Sowden, the NAS Pensacola CFC coordinator. “Each year, we celebrate what we are most grateful for, from our loved ones to the opportunities we have to serve, protect and better our nation. A way to celebrate the good in life and to pay it forward is through donating to the CFC.”

The CFC is an annual workplace charity campaign, with nearly 200 CFC campaigns organized at federal worksites throughout the country and overseas raising millions of dollars each year. Pledges made by federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season, which runs Sept. 1 to Dec. 15, are designed to support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

Individuals donating through the CFC choose which pre-screened charitable organization their pledge will serve, Sowden said, a benefit to the donor since all 2018 eligible organizations have been vetted and approved for inclusion as a charitable organization.

“People can sometimes wonder whether or not their donation is going to the right place,” Sowden said. “Each of the organizations on the CFC list have been thoroughly scrutinized and donors need to know that the organization they select will receive the donation you make. There are hundreds of organizations available, and making a contribution to an organization you truly care about is an effective method of giving back to the community.”

Charitable organizations included on the 2018 CFC list are varied, with national-level philanthropic organizations, local organizations and specific organizations available for donations.

Sowden also said that each NAS Pensacola-area command should have a CFC coordinator, an individual designated by their command who can assist eligible personnel interested in donating through the CFC. He added that although donating online through the CFC Donor Pledging System at https://cfcgiving.opm.gov, the primary method through which donors contribute, paper pledge forms should be available through command and departmental CFC representatives.

Sowden also said that making sure these non-profit organizations continue to operate and provide services that one day service members or their families might need is important.

“Some of us are fortunate to be in the position to help others, to help organizations improve the quality of life all over the world,” he said. “Right here in Pensacola, we have the opportunity to donate, and there are so many organizations from which to choose, even some which could have a direct impact on us one day.”

The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

NAS Pensacola, referred to as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation," is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).  

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