Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
The following FAQ's were created for and by the State Employee Charitable Campaign. For more information concerning the 2006 SECC and frequently asked questions, please visit http://www.secchouston.org/
How Are the Charities Selected?
HOW ARE FUNDS DISTRIBUTED?
WHAT IF I DON’T DESIGNATE?
WHAT WILL MY MONEY PROVIDE?
WHAT DOES ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MEAN?
WILL I BE PUT ON A MAILLING LIST?
What is Payroll Deduction?
How Are Charities Selected?
To participate in the SECC, a charitable organization must meet some strict but fair standards. These standards were established, by legislation, to protect Texas State Employees, so that you can give with confidence without doing all the research. During an annual application period, participating organizations must show that they:
•are a tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization.
•maintain administrative and fund-raising expenses of no more than 25 percent of annual revenue, unless there is a reasonable explanation and a plan to reduce costs.
•provide health and human services to citizens of Texas and people around the world.
•are governed by a voluntary board of directors that sets policy and oversees the activities of the organization.
•are audited or reviewed annually by an accountant to guarantee full and open financial disclosure.
The Local Employee Committee (LEC), comprised of state employees, individually review EACH application for adherence to the regulations and oversee the general administration of the local campaign. Their role is to set campaign policies, determine eligibility for applicant charities and monitor the campaign activities.
How are funds distributed?
Contributions made by state agency employees are distributed by the State Comptroller to participating federations, who then send the funds along to their members. Each university distributes the funds to federations through its own payroll system. At the local level, the Local Campaign Managers distribute the funds the same way.
But because it is almost impossible to account for donations lost through such things as an employee leaving or transferring, a percentage method is used to distribute the funds. At the end of each year's campaign, the percent of funds pledged to each charity is calculated. Each charity then receives that percentage of what is eventually collected. Undesignated pledges are shared with all participating charities using the same percentage.
Each charity also pays its share of the cost of running the campaign (printed materials, etc.) based on the same percentage.
What If I don't designate?
There are so many to choose from…Cannot decide?
SECC is a designation driven campaign and encourages donors to designate to the charity of their choice.
All contributions submitted without a charity code are considered undesignated, and will be allotted to the GENERAL FUND. These funds will be shared by all charities who received a designation in the campaign. Thus, we defer to popular demand. If a charity received no contributions, then your general fund money will not support them.
Your donation will be divided among the supported charities equaling the percentage of donations they received.
If Charity A received $5,000, or 5% of the total collected donations, then they would receive 5% of the General Funds.
What will my money provide?
•provides 3 days of parenting classes that teach effective discipline and stress/conflict management.
•provides 1 day of food and shelter for a homeless person.
•underwrites 1 day of mentoring for at-risk youth.
•covers the cost of planting of 100 tree saplings.
•provides meals for a homebound senior citizen for 2 weeks.
$5/mo. for one year
•helps to fund 3 days of a support group for teens having experienced domestic or sexual abuse.
•provides 5 elderly people with the help they need to gain income security.
•provides adaptive aids for personal care to make life easier for ALS patients.
•will pay for 10 trees to be planted in an inner-city neighborhood.
•provides teaching materials for 30 at-risk students for one school year.
$10/mo. for one year
•provides a student with lunch at school each day of the school year.
•enables 3 elementary school classes to tour a natural area.
•provides physical therapy exercise sessions for patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy.
•will help a family in crisis with their monthly utility or grocery bills.
•provides 233 meals for hungry babies.
•provides school supplies for one child for an entire school year.
•provides one mammogram for an uninsured woman.
•will help to pay the cost of testing for early signs of kidney disease for a low-income patient.
$20/mo. for one year
•provides a full year of groceries for a homebound AIDS patient.
•funds 11 days of a support group for teens having experienced domestic or sexual abuse.
•provides food for one guide dog in advanced training.
•covers the cost of training material and instruction for self-examinations for breast cancer and for awareness materials for prostate cancer.
•supports training in an environmental career for a person with a disability.
$45/mo. for one year
•provides 26 students with assistance in math and science.
•provides 11 days of food and shelter for a homeless person.
•ensures safety from cholera for 50 people.
•funds a volunteer on-line at a national AIDS treatment hotline for a week.
•provides 2 high schools with science curriculum materials about proper handling of chemicals found in the home.
What does acknowledgement mean?
Will I be put on a mailing list?
The option for Acknowledgement is our way to show you our appreciation and that your gift made it safely to its designation. Two options are provided for you, but both REQUIRE A HOME ADDRESS.
If you check “YES, I would like my name and gift amount to be acknowledged”
• The charities of your choice will send you a letter acknowledging that they received the gift you sent.
•You will be listed in next year’s SECC Brochure, if you give $1,000 +.
•You will be recognized locally by the SECC Campaign Team as a show of our thanks!
If you check “YES, I would like my name but not the amount to be acknowledged”
•The charities of your choice will send you a letter acknowledging that they received the gift you sent.
I F YOU DO NOT CHECK ANYTHING:
•The charities will receive your donation in a lump sum with other donors, and will not possess your name in their files.
•Your name will not be published in the brochure.
•You will receive no additional recognition from the SECC Campaign Team.
PLEASE NOTE: BY LAW, the charities are PROHIBITED from using your information to solicit you any further. You will not be put on mailing lists, or receive newsletters unless you expressly wish it.
What is Payroll Deduction
Payroll Deduction is easy and convenient. It allows you the ability to have your gift deducted in smaller amounts from your paycheck each pay period. Through payroll deduction, you can afford to be more generous because it spreads your contribution out over a year's time.
Payroll Deduction provides nonprofit charities with a steady income over the year. This is critical in planning and implementing successful programs and in providing assistance when and where needed.
The Benefits of Payroll Deduction
Payroll deduction offers a special opportunity to do more and feel it less
•It helps to minimize cost while maximizing your contribution.
•You can manage your own philanthropy-you know when deductions start and that you can end them at any time.
•It saves time and takes little effort.
Best of all, by donating a specific amount from each paycheck, you can make a much more significant impact on causes you wish to help.