Combined Federal Campaign faces shutdown under Trump administration review
The future of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) hangs in the balance as the Trump administration considers shutting it down. The programme, which allows federal employees to donate to charities through payroll deductions, has raised billions since the 1960s. Now, lawmakers and officials are clashing over its efficiency and cost.
The CFC was launched during the Kennedy administration and has since collected over $9 billion for charities. In the 2025 cycle alone, it raised an estimated $40 million from federal workers, supporting more than 4,400 participating organisations.
However, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has raised concerns about the programme’s sustainability. Officials point to declining participation and high administrative expenses, estimating that roughly 33 cents of every donated dollar never reaches the intended charity. The CFC’s online donation portal has already been marked for decommissioning, with a warning on the website that it could go offline at any time. Democrats in Congress are pushing back, arguing that the CFC plays a vital role in funding non-profits. They claim the programme saves taxpayers hundreds of millions by covering needs that might otherwise require federal assistance. Ending it, they warn, would destabilise thousands of charities that rely on these donations. Trump administration officials remain sceptical. They question whether the costs of maintaining the CFC in 2026 and beyond justify its continued operation.
The dispute leaves the CFC’s future uncertain. If the programme closes, charities could lose a key funding source, while federal employees would no longer have a streamlined way to donate. A final decision is expected in the coming months.
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