Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How can I contribute to the campaign?
A: You can give a one-time gift with cash or a check, or contribute through payroll deduction.

Q: When does the campaign end?
A: At UConn, the end date of the active phase of the campaign is November 15.  Pledges or contributions will be accepted through December 2011 for the campaign.

Q: Will the contribution I made last year be automatically applied to this year’s campaign?
A: No.  Any employee who wishes to make a contribution to this year’s campaign must either give a one-time gift or designate the dollar amount in the payroll deduction section of the card. All payroll deductions require employee number, signature and must be whole dollar amounts.

Q: Can I designate my pledge to a charity that is not listed in the directory?
A: No.  All charities listed in the directory are carefully screened by a volunteer group of state employees who are appointed to serve on the Connecticut State Employees’ Campaign committee.  If you wish to contribute to the campaign, and designate to a specific agency, the charity must be listed in the directory.

Q: How many pay periods are there in the year?
A: 26 pay periods.

Q: When does my payroll deduction pledge begin?
A: The first pay period in January and concludes the last pay period in December.

Q: What is the minimum amount I can pledge through payroll deduction?
A: One dollar. All payroll deductions must be whole dollar amounts.

Q: Can I have my payroll deduction taken out in one large sum?
A: No.  The Central Payroll Office in Hartford processes all payroll deduction pledges made to the CSEC.  It is very difficult for them to arrange one, or any number less than 26, in terms of payroll deduction.

Q: What are the administrative fees?
A: The administrative fees are listed next to each agency in the directory. According to the directory: organizations with an administrative percentage over 25% are not accepted into this campaign unless they have adequately demonstrated that they are taking the necessary steps to bring these expenses below 25%, as is the case with agencies that have an (*) after their percentage. The CSEC committee has given these agencies a one-year extension to bring their administrative cost to below 25%. The campaign’s administrative fee is 11%.

Q: Why should I contribute through the Campaign? I can write a check directly to a service organization and avoid the 11% administrative fee.
A: All organizations that rely on donations incur costs – referred to as fees – connected with soliciting donations, processing them once received, and complying with reporting requirements of the IRS.  Each organization listed in the directory “charges” its own administrative fee to cover its own costs.  These individual fees are listed in the directory, and they vary from agency to agency.  One of the main reasons to support an ‘umbrella campaign’ such as CSEC, where one campaign distributes to many agencies, is that it lowers the actual costs of fund-raising for the individual agencies.  Advertising, staffing, and collection costs are spread more widely in these large campaigns, achieving an ‘economy of scale’ that often cannot be matched by smaller, local agencies.  Without the CSEC, these agencies’ costs would be higher.  They also benefit from the exposure that CSEC brings to their individual efforts.
And making a contribution through UConn’s CSEC identifies you as a caring member of our university.  UConn has an important public-service mission to the communities that support our salaries, our campuses, and our programs.  By giving back through the UConn CSEC, we build stronger ties with these same communities that sustain us.

Q: Can I receive a receipt for my contribution?
A: If it is over $250 and made in one lump sum, the Internal Revenue Service requires that the campaign send you a receipt.  If you are using payroll deduction, your last pay stub will serve as your record of money contributed throughout the year. However, we also encourage you to make a copy of your pledge card for income tax purposes.

Q: How do I use the recognition contribution form on the back of the pledge card?
A: This form is used to make a contribution in recognition of someone (i.e. birthday, promotion, anniversary, etc.) or in memory of someone.  If you are a donor to the campaign and wish to receive an acknowledgment for your contribution, please check off the first bubble in Section C on the pledge card.

 

Additional Questions? Contact the CSEC hotlines at (860) 402-8430 or (860) 887-5288.