Florida State Employees' Charitable Campaign
Overview: What is the FSEC Campaign?
The Florida State Employees' Charitable Campaign, known as the “FSEC Campaign” or “FSECC”, is the only state-sanctioned charity drive among state employees in the workplace. Each year, state employees generously contribute more than $4 million to their favorite charities through the FSEC Campaign. Until 1993, the campaign was authorized by a Cabinet Resolution. The 1993 Florida Legislature, however, authorized the campaign in Florida law, (Section 110.181, Florida Statutes), in order to address concerns that the Cabinet Resolution provided insufficient authority to promulgate legally binding rules relating to the campaign. The FSEC Campaign is housed, for administrative purposes, in the Department of Management Services, is overseen by the FSEC Campaign Steering Committee comprised of nine state employee representatives, and is conducted by state employees with the assistance of 27 United Way Area Fiscal Agents throughout the state.
THE CAMPAIGN WAS INSTITUTED TO:
- Provide state employees an opportunity to contribute to the charity or charities of their choice through an easy, payroll deduction process;
- Minimize the cost of fundraising and reduce the work disruption caused by separate campaigns;
- Combine separate fundraising drives for voluntary nonprofit agencies among state employees; and
- Provide funds to charitable organizations that provide services and benefits for Florida's citizens, thereby reducing the burdens of government on its taxpayers.
CAMPAIGN POLICIES:
- Giving is voluntary! No coercion will be tolerated.
- Criteria for Organizations to be Admitted into the FSEC Campaign: The FSEC
Campaign Steering Committee ensures that an organization applying for inclusion:
- has as its principle mission: public health and welfare; education; environmental restoration and conservation; civil and human rights or relief of human suffering and poverty.
- is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is properly registered as a charitable organization with the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, pursuant to Chapter 496, Solicitation of Contributions Act, Florida Statutes.
- provides service either locally or throughout the state. (International Service Agencies must have well-defined programs meeting basic human needs in an overseas area with no duplication of existing programs.)
- shows sound financial/management performance, attested to by an annual audit performed by an independent Certified Public Accountant.
- has an active volunteer Board of Directors.
- complies with all relevant non-discrimination guidelines as to program recipients, staff, and Board of Directors.
- has reasonable fundraising and administrative costs and has active on-going programs.
- does not engage in activities that contain an element that is more than incidentally political, religious, professional, or fraternal in nature.
Copyright 2010 United Way of Florida