LA SCCC Campaign Coordinator - Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the Louisiana State Combined Charitable Campaign (LA SCCC)?
  • The LA SCCC is the only state approved charitable activity that will enable state employees the opportunity to give to a charity through payroll deduction (with payroll administered through the LaGov HCM payroll system).
  • In 2012, the Louisiana State Combined Charitable Campaign was established in accordance with R.S.42:456.A.(3) and LAC 4:III.Chapter 11.
  • Employees are allowed to designate their contribution to up to four approved, health and human service charities of their choice, by selecting from the LA SCCC Charity List and completing a pledge form. Contributions can also be made online through LEO (payroll deductions) or GiveLASCCC.org (one-time, full-paid contributions).
  • Annually, all health and human service non-profit agencies registered in good standing with the state are eligible to apply to be a part of this campaign.
  •  The Louisiana Association of United Ways (LAUW) serves as the Principal Combined Fundraising Organization (PCFO) for this statewide campaign. 

What state agencies are included in the LA SCCC?
  • All executive branch agencies paid through the LaGov HCM payroll system are allowed to participate in the LA SCCC, not including higher education or state hospitals. 

What are my responsibilities as a LA SCCC Campaign Coordinator?
  • As defined in LAC 4:III.Chapter 11; page 24 - a Campaign Coordinator is the state employee designated by the agency/department head to attend a coordinator training, secure campaign materials and support from the Principal Combined Fundraising Organization, prepare and send communications as required to support the annual campaign at his/her location, arrange for a presentation to employees, turn in pledge forms to the Principal Combined Fundraising Organization, maintain confidentiality of pledge information, and complete the campaign evaluation form for their agency.

What is the campaign timeline for the 2018 LA SCCC?
The 2018 campaign will begin on September 5th: 
  • All employee pledge forms are due on Wednesday, October 31st
  • All other special event/fundraiser revenue due on Monday, December 3rd
NOTE: Any pledge form received after January 4, 2019, will be processed as an undesignated contribution.

Can our department/agency host LA SCCC fundraisers outside of the campaign timeline? If so, how do I submit the funds?
  • Yes, please submit any LA SCCC special event/fundraiser revenue in a Campaign Report Envelope. If the funds are received after January 4, 2019, it will be accounted for the 2019 campaign.

What should I do when approached about submitting a late pledge form?
  • Please contact the LA SCCC Principal Combined Fundraising Organization (PCFO) at sccc@launitedway.org or call (225) 218-2613.

How can donors contribute to the LA SCCC?
  • By completing a 2018 Pledge Form (found on page 10 of the 2017 LA SCCC Charity List), donors can give biweekly via payroll deduction or give a one-time contribution via cash, check, credit card or payroll deduction.
  • Donors can also securely make donations online:
    • LEO (payroll deductions)
    • GiveLASCCC.org (one-time, full-paid contributions)

Do I include online contributions as part of my department/agency report envelope?
  • Please do not include online contributions in your LA SCCC reporting.
  • LAUW (PCFO) will manage the reporting of all contributions made online by donors.
  • To get an update of online giving for your department/agency, please call (225) 218-2613. 
 
What types of donation payments are accepted?
  • Payment types accepted through pledge form donations:
    • Payroll Deduction (bi-weekly or one-time)
    • Cash (please convert all cash collected into a check or money order before submitting in report envelope) 
    • Checks (made payable to Louisiana Association of United Ways)
    • Credit Cards (VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express)
  • Payment types accepted through online donations:

When does payroll deduction begin and end?
  • Payroll deducted contributions made during the 2018 LA SCCC will begin January 2019 and continue through the last pay period in December 2019.
  • Payroll deducted contributions will be deducted each pay period as requested on the donor’s pledge form unless otherwise notified or changed. Donors may choose to increase, decrease or end their contribution at any time by contacting their HR/Payroll Office.

How are funds distributed?
  • Contributions made by state employees will be collected by OSUP and provided to LAUW (PCFO) for processing and distribution to the participating charitable organizations. Payments sent by LAUW to charities will occur on a quarterly schedule. Charity proceeds amount will be based on the percentage of funds designated to each charity through employee pledge form contributions, which is calculated at the closure of campaign. Each charity will then receive their percentage of all funds collected quarterly from LAUW, after all state-approved fundraising and administrative expenses are reimbursed to the PCFO.

What happens with money raised through special events/fundraisers (i.e. a bake sale)?
  • All contributions raised at special events and through fundraisers outside of employee pledge form contributions will be considered undesignated funds.
  • All undesignated funds will be dispersed to all charitable organizations at the same percentage of funds charities receive from employee designations.
    Example: Charity A received 10% of all employee designations, in turn Charity A will receive 10% of all funding collected through the LA SCCC (to include designated and undesignated funds) after PCFO fees are paid.

Can employees not make a designation?
  • Employees are required to designate all payroll and one-time contributions (outside of special events/fundraisers) to up to four charities of their choice, by selecting from the LA SCCC Charity List and completing a pledge form.
  • Incomplete pledge forms will be returned to the employee before the donation can be processed.

Can employees request that their contribution be rolled over from last year?
  • No, Sorry!  Employees must authorize a payroll deduction from their paycheck annually.  Therefore, to give to the LA SCCC each year, employees will need to complete a new pledge form.  

Can our department/agency designate special event/fundraiser revenue to a LA SCCC charity of our choice?
  • Designations are only allowed from individual employee contributions accompanied by a pledge form and money raised from special events and fundraisers is considered undesignated funding. 

Can an employee cancel or change their deduction at any time?
  • An employee may cancel or change their deduction amount at any time through their HR/Payroll office.
  • If the change is made before January 4, 2019, please notify PCFO of the change with a copy of the edited pledge form, with all changes initialed by the donor. All changes after January 4, 2019, cannot be processed for charity designation results.

Can an employee receive a refund for their donation?
  • No refunds will be issued to employees for any amounts withheld from a previous pay period prior to cancellation. If an employee would like to make changes to their LA SCCC contribution, please advise them to contact their HR/Payroll office.

Are employees who do not have payroll administered through the LaGov HCM payroll system allowed to participate in the LA SCCC?
  • Only employees with payroll administered through the LaGov HCM payroll system are allowed to contribute through payroll deduction.
  • Contracted employees, without payroll administered through the LaGov HCM payroll system, are allowed to give one-time contributions or contribute by supporting special event and fundraiser efforts. Gifts cannot be given via payroll deduction for contracted employees.
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Are contributions tax-deductible?
  • While tax deductible, LA SCCC contributions (one-time gift or payroll deduction) are not deducted pre-tax.
  • Documentation to support contributions to the LA SCCC may be required depending on the amount. Please advise your donors to consult with their accountant or tax advisor for details.

As a state employee am I allowed to solicit for in-kind contributions to assist with fundraising and can a company donate towards the LA SCCC?
  • Please check with your legal department prior to soliciting for and accepting any contributions from vendors/companies to ensure you are following the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics.

How are charities reviewed and approved?
  • All applications received in the first quarter of the year are reviewed by OSUP and the PCFO to ensure that all requirements have been met (in accordance with R.S. 42:456.A.(3) and LAC 4:III.Chapter 11).

Will donor information be shared with the charitable organizations receiving contributions?
  • Donor information will be given to charitable organizations so they can be aware of the support received. If a donor identified to remain anonymous, be assured that their personal contact information will not be shared.

How is this different from past United Way state campaigns?
  • The LA SCCC is designed specifically for employees of the State of Louisiana. 
  • The campaign must be executed in accordance with R.S. 42:456.A.(3) and LAC 4:III.Chapter 11.
  • Each year, all health and human service agencies throughout the state may apply to be listed as an approved charity of the LA SCCC.

How is the percentage of fundraising and administrative expenses established?
  • The LA SCCC operates using an annual project budget approved by the Louisiana Office of State Uniform Payroll within the Division of Administration. LAUW (PCFO) executes the annual campaign within the approved budget. The overall outcome of the FRA is based on the actual outcome of a given campaign year. The average FRA since the inception of the LA SCCC is 18%.
    ​
What is the percentage of fundraising and administrative expenses covered by employee pledges for the 2018 LA SCCC?
  • Estimations of fundraising and administrative expenses as per the approved 2018 LA SCCC budget is 19.6%. The actual FRA percentage for the 2018 LA SCCC is contingent upon the final fundraising outcome. The average FRA since the inception of the campaign is 18%.
    ​
Are additional fundraising and administrative expenses taken out once the charity collects LA SCCC funding?
  • No. LA SCCC requirements mandate that funds received from this campaign be in invested in providing services or benefits to the citizens of Louisiana and not be used to cover administrative and fundraising costs.

Who do I contact if I have questions regarding the LA SCCC?
Who do I contact if I have specific payroll deduction questions? And who should donors contact with payroll inquiries?
  • Campaign Coordinators should contact the OSUP Benefits and Financial Administration Unit at _doa-osup-bfa@la.gov with any general campaign questions.
  • Employees should contact their HR/Payroll office with questions regarding their deduction.

How can I request a LA SCCC Charity Speaker or Charity Fair? And what is the selection process?
  • No later than two weeks prior to an event, please submit a Charity Request Form to request presenters for your LA SCCC event or charity fair to the PCFO.
  • The PCFO will then solicit all enlisted Charity Presenters via an e-mail, outlining details such as event date, time, location and hosting state department/agency. All e-mails soliciting presenters will be only sent between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. (CST).
  •  The charity to first reply with confirmation of availability to serve as a presenter, as outlined on the e-mail, will be assigned to the event. The number of presenters assigned will be determined by your request. The PCFO uses the time indicated on the reply e-mail to determine the order of e-mail responses received.
  • Once a presenter has been identified, the PCFO will promptly confirm event participation with you and the Charity Presenter. Additionally, the PCFO will send a follow-up e-mail to inform all Charity Presenters that the event request has been filled.

Can my campaign team create our own marketing materials to support the LA SCCC?
  • For printed/digital materials that support donor solicitation, contributions and the campaign reporting process - no.  Please use the provided campaign materials.
  • For internal communication pieces illustrating a special event, fundraising effort and/or deadlines (i.e. bake sale, presentation, etc.) – yes.

Where should I send my LA SCCC Report Envelopes?
  • Mail to:
    Office of State Uniform Payroll
    P.O. Box 94095
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9095
  • Deliver to:
    Office of State Uniform Payroll
    1201 North Third Street - Claiborne Bldg., Ste. 3-210
    Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  • NOTE: Payroll copies go to your HR/Payroll department and not to OSUP or in the report envelope.

If my state agency/department contributes to other charities and fundraisers throughout the year through work, is that funding now being directed to the LA SCCC? 
  • No. Fundraising activities scheduled outside of the LA SCCC campaign time period are not part of the LA SCCC campaign, therefore funds are not directed to the LA SCCC.
  • The scheduled time frame of the 2018 LA SCCC is September 5  to December 3, 2018. 

Is my state agency/department allowed to participate in other fundraisers during other times of the year?
  • Charitable activities pursued by employees of state agencies outside of the LA SCCC time period shall not have application to the LA SCCC or be restricted by the rules of the LA SCCC.
  • Approval or guidance for charitable activities outside of the LA SCCC time period are to be directed to the leadership of the respective state agency and not the LA SCCC PCFO.
  • Additionally, these activities will not be coordinated by the LA SCCC PCFO.
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