The Florida State Employees' Charitable Campaign, known as the “FSEC Campaign” or “FSECC”, is the only state-sanctioned charity drive among state employees in the workplace.  Each year, state employees, who play a key role in conducting the campaign, generously contribute millions of dollars to their favorite charities through the FSECC.  Until 1993, the campaign was authorized by a Cabinet Resolution.  The 1993 Florida Legislature, however, authorized the campaign in Florida law, (Section 110.181, Florida Statutes), in order to address concerns that the Cabinet Resolution provided insufficient authority to promulgate legally binding rules for administering the campaign.  The FSEC Campaign is housed, for administrative purposes, in the Department of Management Services (DMS), which provides program oversight and policy guidance through Rule 60L-39, Florida Administrative Code.  A Statewide FSECC Steering Committee comprised of nine state employee representatives assists DMS in an advisory role.  DMS also contracts with a Fiscal Agent (United Way of Florida, Inc.) to oversee various administrative and accounting duties with the assistance of 26 Fiscal Agent Area United Ways throughout the state.

The Campaign was instituted to:

• Provide state employees an opportunity to voluntarily contribute to the charity or charities of their choice through an easy, payroll deduction process;
• Allow participation by a diverse group of eligible charitable organizations that meet human or environmental needs and range from local to international in their focus;  and
• Minimize the cost and disruption of fundraising caused by separate campaigns or drives in the workplace.

Campaign policies:

Giving is voluntary!  No coercion will be tolerated.

Criteria for Organizations to be Admitted into the FSEC Campaign: 

The FSECC Statewide Steering Committee ensures that an organization applying for inclusion:

• has as its principal mission: public health and welfare; education; environmental restoration and conservation; civil and human rights or relief of human suffering and poverty.
• is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is properly registered as a charitable organization with the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, pursuant to Chapter 496, Solicitation of Contributions Act, Florida Statutes.
• provides services either locally or throughout the state or, if they are international charities, have a well-defined program meeting basic human needs in an overseas area with no duplication of existing programs.
• shows sound financial/management performance, attested to by an annual audit performed by an independent Certified Public Accountant.
• complies with all relevant non-discrimination guidelines as to program recipients, staff, and Board of Directors.
• has reasonable fundraising and administrative costs (not exceeding 25%) and has active on-going programs.  (The Statewide Steering Committee may recommend organizations with costs that have exceeded 25% in extraordinary circumstances.)
• does not engage in activities that contain an element that is more than incidentally political, religious, professional, or fraternal in nature.

Overview of roles in the Campaign

Solicitation of an employee group is a team effort.  The size and complexity of the agency will determine the composition of the team.  Generally, the levels of responsibility and roles are as follows: