When Nancy Glynn joined the Farm Service Agency and participated in the Combined Federal Campaign for the first time, she had no idea that seven years later she would be one of the largest contributors in FSA.
“I assumed everyone gave to the CFC,” said Glynn, a budget analyst in the Office of Budget and Finance.
But not everyone donates six percent of their salary to 25 organizations each year for seven consecutive years. For that feat, Glynn stands alone and was recognized last week by Undersecretary Jim Miller, FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess and CFC Coordinator Robert Haughton for her generosity.
“To donate six percent of your salary for so many years with no fanfare or asking for anything back is a wonderful, charitable mentality and we wanted to recognize you and say thank you,” said Coppess during a brief awards ceremony.
To date, FSA has raised $65,000 in CFC contributions, just short of its $122,000 goal and nearly $18,000 shy of the $83,000 donated last year. With three days left in the campaign, Haughton hopes more employees will come forward like Glynn and donate a portion of their salaries to help.
“Everyone may not be able to give six percent, but even five or ten dollars a pay period helps,” said Haughton, who added that Glynn’s generosity represents the true meaning of a government worker.
“She is a tremendous public servant and citizen,” he said. “This is the reason we become a part of the government, to serve others, and she has gone above and beyond with her charitable contributions.”
For her efforts, Glynn was awarded three double eagle pins, with each pin representing two percent of her salary donated to CFC.
But receiving an award for giving to those in need is out of the ordinary for Glynn, who has been donating to charities several years prior to joining the federal government. CFC just made it convenient.
“It was easier for me to have it taken out of my check as pretax dollars and given to organizations I was giving to anyway,” she said.
Although her contributions help the Salvation Army, homeless shelters and wildlife organizations across Maryland, Washington, DC. and Virginia, two charities are special to her — the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Ally Cat Allies. A former caretaker of a feral cat colony and current owner of four felines, Glynn said she never used to like cats until 1987 when one showed up at her house the day before Thanksgiving.
Since then she has been an advocate for animals by encouraging people to report animal abuse and reminding pet owners to bring their pets in during extremely hot and cold weather.
“I feel like I need to give back to the community. That is the way I was brought up,” said Glynn. “There are so many people and animals in need that I want to do what I can to help.”
