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Five lucky donors to COLCPE will win $1,000 each in a new “Gimme 5” competition announced by NALC President William H. Young. There’s a new twist to this year’s contest—the race to qualify is among NALC branches, grouped by size, with members of five winning locals automatically entered in the contest drawing.
“We want to build on our success over the past two years,” President Young said. “And by success, I mean both the way we increased COLCPE contributions and the fact that we helped elect a president who cares about working families and more pro-labor members of Congress, in both
the House and Senate.”
The new contest, he said, puts the focus on growing automatic Gimme 5 donations of $5 or more per pay period at the branch level, the source of the union’s organizational strength.
The Committee on Letter Carrier Political Education, or COLCPE, is NALC’s political action committee. Funds are used to support candidates—Republicans, Democrats and independents—who support letter
carriers’ issues, and to help finance
get-out-the-vote and other political activities. Absolutely no union dues money is used to support political
candidates.
How to
Contribute to COLCPE
NALC's Political Action Fund
helps elect friends
of letter carriers
(For NALC members only) |
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Active members can contribute directly from their paychecks via PostalEASE
PHONE INSTRUCTIONS
ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS |
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Active and retired members can contribute automatically from their bank account via Electronic Fund Transfer
INSTRUCTIONS |
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Retired members can contribute directly from their OPM annuities
INSTRUCTIONS |
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Contributions to COLCPE are entirely voluntary. Tens of thousands of active and retired NALC members choose
to give each year, many through regular deductions from their paychecks
or monthly annuity payments, or by electronic funds transfer from their checking accounts.
“It’s tempting to rest on our laurels, but we can’t relax now,” President Young warned. “You can tell by the
political posturing around the economic stimulus legislation that the losers in 2008 are just itching to start the 2010 campaign. We have to be ready to answer them.”
“Our struggle to rebuild the middle class is just beginning,” he added.
“Gimme 5 for COLCPE” was launched just three years ago, in March 2006, with the aim of increasing the number of automatic contributors. The target of $5 per pay period represents just 50 cents per work day. The goal for retiree contributions is $5 each month. (Of course, any amount is welcome.)
“A steady stream of contributions
is really important for planning by
our Legislative and Political Affairs Department and for budgeting our resources over the coming months,” Young explained.
How the contest works
For the 2009 COLCPE campaign,
the union locals will be divided into
five categories:
- Branches with 2,000 or more members
- 1,000 to 1,999 members
- 500 to
999 members
- 100 to 499 members,
and
- 50 to 99 members.
Between now and the end of the year, branches will strive to sign up as many active and retired members as possible as automatic Gimme 5-level COLCPE donors. The five branches with the highest percentage of members who are Gimme 5 contributors in their size category as of December 31 will be the winners.
At that point, each winning branch will conduct a raffle among all of its Gimme 5 members and the winner will receive a $1,000 American Express gift card. In addition, the five winning branches will each receive laptop computers for branch use, and the COLCPE coordinators of each winning branch will receive a $200 gift card upon completion of a report on their branch’s winning strategy.
There will be a special prize for making the greatest progress. The branch recording the most growth in percentage of automatic contributors during the contest months also will stage a $1,000 raffle for eligible
members, receive a laptop, and the COLCPE coordinator will receive a gift certificate. (The branch winning this special prize must not have won in its size category in the general competition.)
And don’t think for a minute that branches with 49 or fewer members are being forgotten. All Gimme 5
contributors in these branches will
be entered into a separate raffle, with one lucky winner drawn for a $1,000 gift card.
Branch standings are reported and
updated below so members can track the progress
of their home branch. Winning branches will be announced in the February 2010 Postal Record, the annual COLCPE recognition issue.
Current Branch Standings (Charts are in Excel):
These figures reflect the automatic contributors at the "Gimme 5" level only.
Note: Contributions to COLCPE are not tax deductible.
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