Environmental
Federation of Oregon
P.O. Box 40333
Portland, OR 97240
(503) 223-9015
info@efo.org

About EFO Mission, History & Allocations | Frequently Asked Questions In the Media | Staff & Board

Frequently Asked Questions

How long has EFO been around?
EFO was founded in 1989 by 14 environmental groups; since then we have raised over $4 million for our member organizations.

Can I give my money to a particular group or groups only?
You can designate any specific EFO member group to receive your gift, or contribute to the federation as a whole. If you make a general (undesignated) contribution, it will be divided equally among EFO's 32 groups.

How does the money get to the individual groups?
EFO sends out allocation checks to its member groups every quarter. Member groups that receive specific designations receive those funds in addition to their share of the undesignated funds, which are divided equally among all of EFO's member groups.

Will I be put on a mailing list of the organization(s) I designate?
On your pledge card, if you check the box requesting acknowledgement, you will probably receive that group's newsletter. Most EFO groups also offer their membership benefits to EFO donors. EFO does not trade or sell any names in its database.

What is EFO's overhead?
EFO's administrative overhead is less than 10%. EFO's Board of Directors, which is in majority made up of representatives from its member groups, is very concerned and conscientious about keeping EFO's overhead low. The federation also relies heavily on volunteers to offset administrative expenses. Over three thousand volunteer hours were donated to EFO in 1999.

Aren't some of EFO's groups political?
All EFO member groups are 501(c)3 charitable non-profits that meet all state and federal laws governing charitable organizations. This non-profit status specifically limits the amount of political work a group can do, and prohibits it from being involved in partisan politics at all.