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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Download here
- Ask your worksite Ambassador
- Request one by contacting the EGP
Where do I turn it in?
Give to your worksite Ambassador or send directly to the EGP at CNK-HR-0231, scan and email to employeegiving@kingcounty.gov or by snail mail to 401 Fifth Ave, CNK-HR-0231, Seattle, WA 98104
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Minimum 4 Hours
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Maximum 40 hours - unless in use it or lose it situation - then may give excess plus original 40
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Up to three organizations
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Only Vacation and Comp Time
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Processed in a single special payroll run in the second week of December
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Current year tax event.
See the full details on time donations here.
That is completely up to you! The most common first time gift through the Employee Giving Program is $5.00 per paycheck.
The minimum donation is $5 per deduction (either one-time, once a month, or twice a month).
Many employees like to give based on a personal goal; leadership giving may help you with that, find out more more about leadership giving.
Authorized in King County Code 3.36
We are King County's workplace giving program providing access and opportunity for meaningful connections between nonprofits and employees. We have five lines of business serving employees year-round. Included in these are giving, volunteering, and policy work. We are proud to be a year-round resource regarding philanthropy and nonprofit resources. Since 1988, King County Employees have donated more than $30 million. Learn more about the EGP!
Per King County Code 3.36, nonprofits share in the costs of the program. These costs are deducted from the donations. Typically, the costs to run the Employee Giving Program have been between 8-12% of total donations. Included in the costs of the program are printing and marketing materials, events, personnel salary and benefits, payroll costs, training, and county overhead and space costs. These funds are critical to run a successful robust program like the EGP. A great nonprofit industry paper on the importance of proper funding can be found here. The last three years have averaged about 10%. Which is very good! Specifically, the national workplace giving average is .16 to raise and administer a dollar (16%).
Workplace giving in general, and the EGP specifically, are one of the lowest cost, lowest risk, and most efficient forms of fundraising and administering donations available to nonprofit organizations. For example, to reach and get new donors through direct mail (which most of us are familiar with and is the most common fundraising tool) nonprofits lose money and to renew it costs .20. This is why payroll donation can be better than writing a check directly, though nonprofits appreciations gifts in all their forms!
Per IRS guidelines, you are recognized for the total gift; for tax reporting purposes all you need is a copy of your last pay stub of the year and a print out from PeopleSoft.
You are already on the right track! What interests you? What are you passionate about? What need do you think should to be filled? Do you have a personal connection to something? Check out our online nonprofit search!
We have organized it several ways to help in your review: service category, key word search, alphabetical, interactive map, and federation.
You will find a summary for each nonprofit organization with links to more information.
You can also choose the KCEGP in general (undesignated funds) with 9999.
All nonprofit organizations are required to apply each year between March and April for that year’s annual giving drive. Click here to see the nonprofit application process.
They must meet eligibility requirements set in King County Code.
Nonprofits can sign up for notifications about the Application process.
Employees can refer their favorite nonprofits here.
In 2012, we transitioned away from publishing the percentage that we used to. After 2 years of research into best practices we have found that the AFR calculation that was used is not considered industry standard and in fact, there is not ONE industry standard formula or set amount that constitutes an appropriate indicator of how well the organization is meeting its mission or fiscal responsibility and, therefore, that number out of context could actually be misleading. For example, an AFR of 0% in the past should be just as odd as 95% because nonprofits have to spend time and resources on fundraising in order to raise the money necessary to do their work and that can change dramatically based on the kind of work they do. For example, an organization doing work for a rare disease is going to have a harder time fundraising than a more prominent cause such as a hunger. It gave the false impression that the lower is always better. To learn more about the national shift on this topic this is a good place to start.
Our new eligibility standards are based on industry best practices for governance, oversight, and fiscal stewardship. You can read about our 10+ points of nonprofit eligibility by clicking here.
However, we are committed to providing you with as much information as possible to encourage informed giving. You can find details about each organization including links to the Washington Secretary of State's website - where nonprofits file their financials each year, if the organization is rated by national rating groups, links to their website and more. Click here to see participating nonprofit organizations.
Yes. Every donation made through the EGP is tax deductible to the fullest allowed by law. Just keep track of the proper paperwork and you may be able to deduct your donations when you file your taxes. Find out more on documenting your donations. The EGP recommends that you make sure to consult your tax advisor if you have any questions regarding the deductibility of your donations.
A federation is an umbrella nonprofit group which raises money for its member nonprofit organizations through workplace giving campaigns. They also act as the main point of contact for their member charities. Often federations represent similar types of nonprofit organizations such as “children” or “the environment.” The King County Employee Giving Program allows nonprofit organizations to participate directly or as part of a federation.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
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