The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area has tallied $35.1 million in online pledges for the campaign solicitation period that ran from Sept. 1, 2022 through Jan. 14, 2023.

The amount is down about 5% from the 2021 total of $37 million, a spokesperson said. However, the 2021 total was boosted by a special supplemental fund drive for humanitarian needs in Ukraine last April through June, the proceeds of which were added to the previously pledged amounts for 2021.

The 2022 campaign built on last year’s generosity and beat expectations in at least one area by posting the campaign’s strongest GivingTuesday in a decade, bringing in $3.4 million in what has become the world’s largest nonprofit fundraising and generosity event of the year.

The 2022 campaign also hit a new milestone in volunteerism with donors pledging a record 48,500 volunteer hours, a 13% increase from 2021.

“We are incredibly proud to be part of a community that selflessly gives,” said Vince Micone, co-chair of this year’s National Capital Area campaign, via a statement. “It takes a great amount of compassion to care for those we’ll never meet, and even more to take action. But each year, we see testament to where the hearts of public servants are – with those in need.”

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management and is the official workplace giving campaign for federal employees and retirees all over the world, including postal employees and members of the military and diplomatic corps. Dating back 61 years, it is also one of the oldest and largest workplace charity campaigns in the world and has cumulatively raised over $8.6 billion for domestic and international humanitarian needs during that span.

Federal employees who choose to participate can pledge donations to any of thousands of participating charities during each year’s CFC solicitation period, which then get deducted as charitable contributions from their earnings and paid out to charities over a 52-week period beginning in the spring.

The results announced so far represent the sum total of charitable pledges by federal employees in the capital region of Washington, D.C. and outlying areas of Virginia and Maryland, which together constitute one of 36 CFC collection zones domestically and abroad.

The capital region is by far the largest of these zones, encompassing about 20% of all federal workers, and historically has punched above its weight with employees typically contributing about 45% of total pledges received from all 36 zones combined. The capital region also contributed over 60% of the volunteer hours pledged by all zones combined in the recently concluded campaign.

Final pledges from the other zones are still being tallied and will be included when the worldwide campaign’s 2022 total is announced in April. Mail-in pledges are also continuing to trickle in and will be included as well but aren’t expected to significantly alter the total, a spokesperson said.

More than 5,000 federally approved charities representing hundreds of causes participated in the 2022 campaign with nearly all receiving support. Organizations engaged in crisis and disaster relief saw particularly high support as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine neared its one-year anniversary. Anti-poverty nonprofits working in the areas of food/nutrition and housing/shelter also received high support.

The Office of Personnel Management is accepting applications from nonprofits for the 2023 CFC. Applications must be received no later than Feb. 28. www.givecfc.org/charity-application-resources.