SECGC FAQs
Q. What is the Giving Campaign all about?
A. The State Employees' Charitable Giving Campaign (SECGC or Campaign) is the annual opportunity for all state employees to make donations to their favorite non-profit organizations. The convenience it offers through either payroll deduction or one-time contributions is its hallmark. Its purpose is to provide an easy way for state employees to give and support the non-profits of their choosing. The SECGC offers a large array of nonprofits that are unique to this Campaign. The Campaign is overseen by the Department of Administration and an Advisory Council comprised of volunteers from a variety of state agencies and non-profit organizations. You can find the list of Advisory Council members in the Giving Guide, and you may contact them with your suggestions or questions. The United Way of Lewis and Clark County has a contract to provide financial services, and Alison Munson is our Campaign Contractor who works with the 300+ volunteers. Montana Shares organizes all the Campaign materials. It is the volunteers who make the SECGC such a success. Each Department has a Coordinator who is responsible for making sure each employee in their agency receives a Giving Guide and knows about the Campaign. In large or multi-site departments, volunteers help distribute the Giving Guides, posters, and the weekly prize and Campaign dollar total announcements. The payroll contributions begin with the first pay check in 2017 and take place for the remainder of the year. Contributions are deducted in 1/24 increments in 24 pay periods. The three “free” pay periods in 2017 where health insurance and other deductions don't occur also apply to the donations.
Q. Who decides which non-profits are included in the Campaign?
A. First of all, it's people like you. Every year the Campaign receives requests for additional non-profits to be added to the list. These are welcomed! You may email your recommendations to Steven Hrubes at the Department of Administration at shrubes@mt.gov. Please give us as much contact information as you might have, such as the town where it is located or even its address.We will send the organization(s) an application for next year's Campaign next spring.
The Advisory Council carefully reviews all applications and assures each non-profit:
- is officially registered to do business in Montana with the Secretary of State's Office;
- is currently authorized by the IRS to receive tax-deductible donations; and
- spends at least 70% of the funds received through the SECGC in Montana.
Q. Are my gifts tax deductible—and when?
A. Donations made this fall by e-check, credit or debit card are deductible when you do your 2017 taxes. Pledges deducted from your pay checks in 2017 are deductible when you prepare your 2017 tax return. The IRS requires that you keep your payroll advise slip showing totals for IRS tax deductions. How much of my donations actually go to non-profits/charities? The Advisory Council is deeply committed to keeping the costs of managing the Campaign as low as possible. Thanks to all the volunteers involved and generous assistance from the Department of Administration, our management costs are typically 8%. It is one of the lowest state Campaign administrative costs in the country—and we strive to make them even lower!
Q. There seem to be a lot of non-profits to choose from! What's that about?
A. Absolutely -- and that's to make sure every state employee has the options of their choosing. If you would like to learn more about the charities/non-profits listed in the Guide, a great feature of Click and Give site is the opportunity to link directly to the websites of many of them. You can access more in-depth information about the group's mission and activities. The phone numbers and websites are also listed for each organization in the Giving Guide.
Q. Want to learn more?
A. The Click and Give site found on the MINE site has a short video that explains the Campaign, and you can also contact your Department Coordinator (whose names and phone numbers are listed in the Giving Guide), or anyone on the Advisory Council, including Mike Manion the Chair at 444-3310 or mmanion@mt.gov and Alison Munson at 442-4360 or alison@unitedwaylca.org. We're all here to be of help!
Q. How do I win a prize and why are there prizes in the first place?
A. The prizes are offered to keep the Campaign fun and exciting and to acknowledge the generosity of state employees! All donors—even those who give $1 – are eligible to all of the prizes!
There are three opportunities to win prizes:
- Weekly prizes are each Friday from the list of everyone who has donated up to that time. The prizes are donated by the non-profits included in the Campaign and generous businesses who appreciate state employees. There is a time lag for their announcement because of the careful record keeping process, so the first week's giving totals and prize winners are announced on October 14, and the last week's is announced on November 18.
- Early Bird Prizes consist of the highly-sought after Griz and Cat football and basketball tickets. To be eligible, submit your gift within the first week for the football, and by the second week to qualify for the basketball tickets. No minimum donation size is required.
- The grand prizes are drawn in December in the Capitol Rotunda at the Campaign Celebration event between noon and 1:00 PM. All state employees are invited. The winners are announced that afternoon on the website.
Q. May I provide prizes to the Campaign to demonstrate my support?
A. You bet! State employees and even state agencies provide weekly prizes. Ideas include gift certificates from family businesses, bottles of wine, logo wear, other logo items, etc. Contact Alison Munson at 442-4360 or alison@unitedwaylca.org to do so. And, thanks in advance for considering this.
Tags: Programs and SECGC