Records Retention Policy For All CFC Participants

The governing CFC regulation (5 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 950), paragraph 950.604 directs that "Federations and other participants in the CFC shall retain documents pertinent to the campaign for at least three completed campaign years.

The records retention requirement may seem complicated on the surface. So, here is an example: Documents relating to Campaign 2009 must be retained for three years after completion of all actions for Campaign 2009. The last disbursement for Campaign 2009 will occur in February 2011 and the last action for the campaign will be the audit that occurs a few months afterwards in May 2011.

Thus, documents relating to Campaign 2009 must be held for three years after May 2011 (i.e, until May 2014). Documents requested by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must be made available within 10 business days of the request."

All CFCs across the country have been instructed to remind participants about records retention. Typically, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) asks for federation and/or agency documents when a local CFC is being audited. However, OPM may also ask for such records at other times, as required.