Lawmakers Warn Trump Administration Against Ending Federal Charity Drive

Congressional Democrats are urging the Trump administration to save the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)– the annual campaign that allows federal employees to donate a portion of their wages to charity. 

The administration has not yet said whether the program will continue in 2026, but has decommissioned online portals  for participating charities and donors and warned users to download tax receipts and pledge history. 

In their letter addressed to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor, more than 40 House and Senate Democrats say ending the program would “disrupt and destabilize” thousands of charitable organizations that depend on it.

“The recent decommissioning of online portals for participating charities and donors represents a significant threat to their work,” wrote the lawmakers. “In light of the strong return on investments delivered by the CFC and the lifeline it represents for charities across the nation, we urge you to preserve this vital program.”

In 2025, the administration put the program on hold temporarily before ultimately opting to go forward with it in August 2025 because charities had “spent time and money preparing for this over the course of this year.”

The Trump administration argues the program is too costly to operate and points to low participation, noting that employees in the internet age have a lot more ways to give to charity than through their paycheck. 

Giving in the CFC fell from a peak of $282 million in 2009 to $70 million in 2024 and $40 million in 2025. 

Democrats pushed back on the administration’s cost concerns, noting that charities pay fees to participate, and that the donations could offset money that would otherwise require federal spending. 

“If there are changes OPM can make to further increase the efficiency of the CFC, we encourage you to explore them in consultation with longstanding charity partners,” the lawmakers wrote. “But a unilateral decision to dismantle the program altogether is not the solution.”

The CFC program was established in 1961 and has raised about $9 billion for charities since its inception. More than 4,400 charities participate each year.