A Message from Secretary of State Kim Wyman

 

Greetings,

On behalf of those in need, I thank you for your personal and professional support of the Washington State Combined Fund Drive (CFD). Informed and engaged leadership is crucial to the success of our program, and I look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead.

Today I am writing with good news about our efforts to reduce administrative costs of the program. As you may know, the CFD was moved to the Office of Secretary of State by the legislature three years ago with the intention of improving all aspects of our state’s charitable giving program. By every measure, we are achieving those improvements.

Last year, my friend and predecessor, Secretary Sam Reed, informed our state and higher education personnel that intense budget cuts were forcing the CFD to inherit new costs that were near 18 percent. This cost, while acceptable by the standards set forth by the Better Business Bureau for nonprofits, is not acceptable to the standards of our program.

I am proud to announce that through the hard work of our staff and volunteers, anticipated program costs of the Combined Fund Drive will fall to approximately 10 percent for 2013, almost half of last year’s administrative costs. Our staff continues to work tirelessly to lower our program fees, maximizing every dollar given by our generous donors.

Please see the attached financial statement for the CFD in 2012. If you have any questions about administrative costs, or any other issues related to the Combined Fund Drive, please do not hesitate to call Special Programs Director Stephanie Horn at 360-704-5258, and feel free to contact me personally. I greatly value your support, and that of the amazing and generous employees here in Washington. Together, we can achieve great acts of generosity for those in need.

 

Click here to download the 2012 Financial Statement for the Combined Fund Drive.