1. 2018 Charity Application Webinar
Welcome to the Instructional Webinar for the 2018 State Employees Combined Campaign Charity Application. Many of you have applied with us before, but there are some who are new to the campaign and the application process. Today we want to ensure that everyone has the information and knowledge they need to make this process a little easier.

2. 2018 Application Webinar Contents
Charity Application Overview
Charity Application Instructions: Parts A, B, C and D.
Instructions for Independent Charities: Walking through the web form.
Instructions for Federations Only: What’s expected from a federation and how to complete the 2018 Federation Spreadsheet.
-SECC staff reviews each application 2 times for compliance and completeness before our recommendations are made to the State Advisory Committee board. Notification of acceptance, decline around May 1st.
-Any questions regarding the application or attachments can be directed to me or any of our SECC staff members.

3. 2018 Charity Application Overview
State Regulations guide the application process.
Application deadline is March 1, No exceptions or extensions to the deadline.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
An appeals hearing will be held in April for those who want to appeal the decision to decline if documentation was missing or received by SECC late.
Application information and downloadable forms available at
-Application is due (or postmarked) on or before March 1st, We will not accept anything later, and there are no exceptions.
-Incomplete application will not be considered.

4. 2018 Charity Application Overview Contd.
The SECC will review applications for compliance and completeness twice before making recommendations to SAC board at the beginning of April. Any applicants that were orignally denied inclusion can appeal the decision at our Appeals meeting at the end of April, and applicants will be notified of their campaign status in May.
Return completed application packages, including all attachments and certifications to:
2018 Application State Employees Combined Campaign 875 Walnut Street, Suite 150-A Cary, NC 27511
For any help with application, contact SECC office at or Lindsey Taylor at
-SECC staff reviews each application 2 times for compliance and completeness before our recommendations are made to the State Advisory Committee board. Notification of acceptance, decline in early-to-mid-May. -Any questions regarding the application or attachments can be directed to me or any of our SECC staff members.

5. 2018 Charity Application Instructions
Charities may apply for admission as an Independent Charity (Example: Carolina Ballet), a Federation (Example: America’s Charities), or a Member Organization of a Federation (Example: Dress for Success is a member agency of America’s Charities). Charities may not apply as both a federation and an Independent Charity, or as a Member of a Federation and an Independent Charity.
All charities must complete the 2018 SECC Charity Application for Admission paper application, including calculation of the organization’s fundraising and administrative (FRA) costs. Independent charities will submit directly to SECC, member agencies to their federation.
Independent Charities are required to submit a completed 2018 application with all required attachments AND complete the online form at regardless of whether they are a new or re-applicant charity.
-Charities can apply to the campaign as an Independent Charity, meaning they are applying on their own. They can apply as a Federation meaning they are bringing in charities below them, or as a Member Organization of a Federation. They cannot apply as a combination of the 3.
-All charities must complete paper application with calculated FRA.
-FRA >25% for 1st year will be placed on probation, but able to participate in campaign.
-Independent charities must submit both paper and webform application.

6. Paper vs. Web Form
Independent Charities are asked to submit a paper application with all attachments and signatures and complete the online application web form.
We are required by state regulations to have a paper application on file, but the paper application doesn’t capture some of the detailed information needed for our website.
Web Form captures information like a 25 word description, service area, location so that it can be easily uploaded into our website, whereas we would have a much lengthier paper application and would have to hand enter everything into our website otherwise.

7. Part A
Legal Name of Organization, DBA name (which must be on file with the Secretary of State office if you have a DBA), Name/Title of Agency Contact, Contact’s Phone Number, Contact’s Address, Calculation of FRA.
-Part A of the application asks for the organizations Legal Name, DBA Name, Name and Title of the Agencies Contact, their phone number and address and a calculation of the FRA.
-The FRA can be calculated 2 ways: 1 using the organization most recent audit or using the organizations most recent 990.
-FRA >25% for 1st year will be placed on probation, but able to participate in campaign.

8. Part B
Attachment A: Most recent CPA Audit or review. Most recent means the most recent fiscal year for which an audit or review of financial information was prepared. Must occur in a 3-year period from Audits are required for all organizations with total support and revenue greater than $300,000.
A CPA Review is permissible for organizations with total support and revenue less than $300,000. The letter must clearly show the auditors CPA credentials, or attached documentation proving they are a CPA or CPA firm.
The form 990 and the CPA Audit/Review DO NOT need to cover the same fiscal years as long as the most current document is provided for each.
Part B lists all attachments needed for a complete application.
-Attachment A is the organizations most recent CPA audit or review no older than 3 years ( ). Must show CPA credentials.
-Review for organization with support & revenue < than $300K.
-Audit for support & revenue > than $300K.
-The audit/review and 990 do not need to cover the same year, as long as they fall with thin the 3 year window and the most current documentation is provided.

9. Part B Continued
Attachment B: Explanation of Excessive FRA (applies only if FRA is above 25.0%).
Attachment C: IRS Form 990. Must provide a certified copy of the most current IRS Form 990 signed by an authorized agent or officer for the organization. A CPA or accountant’s signature will not satisfy this requirement. 990 EZ and E-File signatures are permitted.
Attachment D: NC Solicitation License Valid on or after March 15, This includes “extended” licenses. An application for a license in lieu of the actual license will not be accepted. Visit for information on obtaining license or regarding status of an organization’s license.
-If you qualify as an exempt organization, you must include a letter of exemption.
-Attachment B is for organizations with FRA >25%. Explain excessive and demonstrate how it will be lowered.
-Attachment C is the certified, signed IRS Form EZ and E-File signatures are permitted.
-Audit/review and 990 do not have to be from the same year, as long as neither are older than 3 years.
-Attachment D is a valid NC Solicitation license, valid on or after March 15, We will accept extensions, as long as they too reflect a date after March 15, Any questions on how to obtain or track, visit Secretary of State’s Office at
-If not done already, make sure you are getting on top of this immediately as it does take some time to complete. No one wants to be denied admission because they do not have their license or extensions.

10. Part B Continued
Attachment E: Letter from Board of Directors, signed by a voting member, requesting inclusion in the campaign and certifying compliance with the SECC eligibility standards. This must be on organization letterhead and addressed to the State Employees Combined Campaign.
A sample of the Board Inclusion Letter is available on our website.
Questions on Application Attachments?
-Attachment E is a signed letter from a voting member of the organizations Board of Directors asking for inclusion into the State Employees Combined Campaign, and MUST be on the organization’s letterhead and must be addressed to the State Employees Combined Campaign.

11. Part C
The State Employees Combined Campaign requires that all organizations applying for admission certify compliance with the requirements as outlined within the 2018 SECC application by checking the box for each requirement.
-Part C is a checkoff list certifying compliance with all requirements outlined in the application.
-Notable Items: -Checkoff 3 (which will be discussed later) is a new checkoff from past years.
-Checkoff 4 is a new checkoff from past years.

12. Part D
Please date and sign the application. The signatory must be the current CEO/President/Executive Director/CPO or another officer of the corporation who is authorized for the organization.
-Part D is signature page, to be completed by the current CEO, president, Executive Director, CPO.

13. Instructions for Independent Charities Only
Online Web Form. This is what the State Employees will see on our website.
Is this your first time?
SECC Code: If you are new to the SECC or do not know your code, leave blank.
Legal name of organization
DBA or Program Name
Phone Number
Website
Mailing Address
Location: Select the NC Counties where the organization provides services from the drop down menu. Statewide, National and International options are available.
Areas of Service: Select service areas that apply to the organizations programs from the drop down menu.
-Independent charities must fill out the Online Webform along with the paper application. This information is used to create the profile of each charity on our website.
-Many of the instructions for independent applicants apply to those applying as a federation or as a member agency to a federation.
-SECC Code: If you are new and don’t have an SECC code, or don’t remember your SECC code, leave the field blank.
-Location: The location means those NC counties where the organization provides its services.
-Areas of Service: These are service areas that apply to the organizations programs. Examples include Housing, Adoption Services, Disability Services, Etc.
-These will be used for the search tool on our website.

14. Instructions for Independent Charities Only - Continued
Online Form:
25 Word Description: Describe the organizations programs and services and how those services stand out from other agencies that provide similar services in 25 words or less. CANNOT exceed 25 words.
Name of agency CEO/CPO/Executive Director/President.
Title of Agency CEO/CPO/Executive Director/President.
Name of Agency Contact.
Title of Agency Contact.
Contact’s phone number.
Contact’s fax number.
Contact’s address.
Federal Tax ID.
Questions???
-25 Word Description: must be 25 words. This will be the summary of the organization on our website, should be a description that makes your organization stand out from others that fulfill the same service areas. Mission statement or specifics.
-This helps state employees understand what your organization does.
-Cannot exceed 25 words.
-If agency contact is CEO/CPO/ED/President, must still complete agency contact information, even if information is being duplicated on the application.
-Any Questions??

15. Instructions for Independent Charities Only - Continued
Online Form:
FRA %
Most Current Document: Enter the document used to calculate the FRA percentage. This information is found on the first page of the 2018 SECC Charity Application for Admission.
FRA Fiscal Year: Enter the fiscal year of the document used to calculate the FRA percentage.
Questions?
-The FRA will be needed on the online form as well.
-Document used to calculate the FRA
-Fiscal Year document was drawn up
-Once the application is completed and submitted, you will receive an confirmation that you have filled out the application, and a confirmation will be sent to me and filed with your paper application once it is received by our office.

16. Instructions for Federations Only
All federations applying for admission to the 2018 campaign must collect and review the 2018 SECC Charity Application for Admission (completed Parts A, B, C, & D) and all required attachments and signatures from its member charities. Must keep all information on file in case SECC needs to review documentation.
Each federation must submit the following to the SECC:
A completed 2018 Charity Application for Admission (Parts A, B, C, &D) and all required attachments and signatures for the Federation itself.
2018 Charity Application for Admission and all required attachments from each member charity that was NOT an SECC participant in 2017
A copy of the completed signed certifications [Part C and Part D (pages 3 and 4) of 2018 Charity Application for Admission] for each member charity that participated in the SECC as a Federation Member Charity in 2017.
The completed 2018 Federation Spreadsheet using the template available at The completed spreadsheet should be ed to Lindsey Taylor at .
-A federation acts as a parent to another charity (referred to as a member agency or member charity) and will collect all information from their agencies to submit to SECC.
-Federations must complete the application, all attachments and signatures for the federation itself. Must collect full application packet with attachments and submit from agencies that are new to the campaign under the federation.
-Collect Pages 3 and 4 from each member charity.
-Federation are to complete UW and Federation Spreadsheet.
-Federation must submit full application of new agencies to SECC.

17. Instructions for Federations Only - Continued
Instructions for completing the 2018 Federation Spreadsheet:
The 2018 Federation Spreadsheet is located on the Application webpage at . The spreadsheet MUST be saved as an Excel Macro-Enabled Worksheet.
Federations should complete each field for the Federation and each of its member charities and the completed document to Lindsey Taylor at
The 2018 Federation Spreadsheet is much like the online 2018 Application for Admission, with a few exceptions:
Complete Organization Type – Enter “Member Charity” for each member charity and Federation for the federation.
Federation Name
Questions???
-Must ensure that the spreadsheet is saved as an Excel Macro-Enabled Worksheet. Easier upload to master file/website, less chance of losing Counties or Areas of Service.
-Review Spreadsheet here.

18. Changes to 2018 Application
Instruction Changes: Word Description and Area of Service has been elaborated upon to avoid confusion between the two and to help ensure the Search Tool is more user friendly. -Non-Solicitation Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement attachments have been removed from Application Instructions. Will now instruct to review documents and to acknowledge in checkoff #3 in Part C of the application.
-Applies to everyone.
-Changes to 2018 Application Process: The 25 Word Description and Area of Service has been elaborated upon to avoid confusion between the two fields and to help make the search tool on our website more user friendly.

19. Changes to 2018 Application
Application Changes: -Attachment E (previously a copy of the confirmation received once application is submitted) has been changed. confirmation no longer needed, and Attachment E has been changed to the need for the signed Board Inclusion Letter. -Attachment G (completed and signed MoA) and Attachment H (completed and signed NSA) have been removed and are no longer deemed “attachments”. They are now to be reviewed on our website and will be a checkoff under Part C: Certifications. -Additional Part C Checkoff that reads “I certify that I have read and understand the SECC Privacy Policy and Terms of Service available at and respectively” has been included. -LGBTQ Services has been added as a service area as more charities that support the LGBTQ Community have applied to the campaign.
To the application:
-Attachment E was previously a copy of the confirmation received once the application was submitted. We already receive a copy of that confirmation, so there is no need to have 2 confirmations s on file. Instead, Attachment E has been changed to reflect the need for the signed Board Inclusion Letter.
-Attachment G (completed and signed MoA) and Attachment H (completed and signed NSA) have been removed and are no longer deemed “attachments”. They are now to be reviewed on our website and will be a checkoff under Part C of the paper application.
-An additional Checkoff was added to Part C that reads “I certify that I have read and understand the SECC Privacy Policy and Terms of Service available at and respectively”.
-LGBTQ Services was added as a service area as more charities that support the LGBTQ Community have applied to the campaign.

20. Questions? Concerns? Feedback?
-Questions before we begin reviewing website?