Give Today

Together, we can make a huge difference in our community. All contributions, regardless of the amount, help us reach our campus campaign goal. All donations, except by donor choice, stay local.

Who We Support

children
families
elderly
homeless
those living in poverty
those living with illness or disability

Three Ways to Give

Biweekly Pledge

Contribute to charities of your choice
Easy payroll deductions start at $1
Become eligible for challenge prizes valued up to $3,000! See "Give and Win" below for details

View SEFA Charities (PDF)

One-Time Donation

Easy, secure, online donation process
Contribute to the United Way of Greater Oswego County and the 29 local charities they support
Become eligible for cash challenge prizes of up to $50!

Fundraisers

Over 20 fundraisers and special events each year
Support local charities aligned with each fundraiser theme
Fundraisers include food, swag, and plant sales; raffles; awareness walks; and supply drives

Give and Win

By making a one-time donation or biweekly pledge, you'll be entered to receive our 10-day challenge prizes! These cash incentive prizes, with a value of $40-50, are generously underwritten by the UUP and CSEA unions.

All new biweekly pledge donors as well as returning pledge donors who give at least $1 more than last year are also eligible for the regional CNY SEFA Step Up Challenge prizes valued at $25-50 and awarded weekly, with large quarterly prizes like a $3,000 debit card. Learn how to enter the Step Up Challenge below.

Step Up Challenge - How to Enter

Fill out the Step Up Challenge form and email it to [email protected] after completing your pledge to be entered for a Step Up Challenge Prize.

How SEFA Works In 5 easy steps COMMIT to give and help the hungry, the sick, the disabled, the elderly, veterans, children, families, and animals. SELECT your method of giving. Choose between our easy and convenient E-pledge payroll deduction, or a one-time donation by credit or debit card. DESIGNATE your giving to one or more organizations ($26 minimum per agency). View the list of statewide and local charities to find organizations that are important to YOU! CHARITIES will receive funds during the ye

Making a Biweekly Pledge

One of the biggest impacts you can make is through a convenient biweekly pledge to a charity or charities of your choice (hundreds of charities to choose from). See below to learn how.

Which charities can I support?

Check out the SEFA Pledge Booklet to see a list of the hundreds of local, regional, national, and international charities you can support through convenient biweekly payroll deductions. Central New York charities are listed on page 85.

You can also search for charities on the SEFA website by name, by geographic area, and by keyword.

Charities must be vetted before they can be included in the SEFA Pledge Booklet. Each year, new charities can apply between Dec 1 and Jan 15. If you have a charity you love to support that is not listed in the SEFA Booklet, please share the above link with them starting Dec 1.

How do I make a pledge?

Visit the NY SEFA e-pledge webpage to make your pledge today. Be sure to select the “Oswego - 28230” (887 - Central NY campaign area) so your contribution is counted toward our campaign goal.

Your pledge starts with the new calendar year and remains in effect until you change or cancel your pledge. Start pledging or increase your pledge from last year and complete a Step Up Challenge form to be entered for prizes from CNY SEFA! See "Give and Win" above for details.

If this is your first time, please see below for our pledge tutorial. If you encounter any issues with the e-pledge process, please reach out to us at [email protected]. A printable paper form is also available and can be submitted to a member of the SEFA Committee.

Do you have a pledge tutorial?

Yes! Please see SEFA's e-pledge instructions here.

Why should I designate where my pledge goes?

Did you know the majority of funds from undesignated pledges are awarded to charities outside of Oswego County? Consider teaming up with us to make Oswego County SEFA Strong by designating your pledge to one of the local charities below. Or, choose your own favorite local, regional, national, or international charities by searching the 2022-2023 Booklet of Statewide and Local Charities.

The Children's Center of Oswego, Inc
- 999-00491
Friends of Oswego County Hospice, Inc.
- 87-00214
Oswego County Opportunities, Inc.
- 87-00320
Paws Across Oswego County
- 87-00198
Peaceful Remedies, Inc
- 87-00205
Salvation Army - Oswego
- 87-00144
United Way of Greater Oswego County, Inc.
- 87-00157

Can retirees make a pledge?

Yes! Please see our instructions for retirees and the retiree pledge form.

How can I calculate my total pledge contribution?

You can see what your total contribution will be with our Contribution Conversion Chart (PDF), image below.

What difference can my dollar make?

Even a small biweekly donation can make a huge difference. Here are some examples:

$1 a paycheck can feed a family of four 3 meals a day for 3 days;
$2 a paycheck provides food for two dogs or cats for 3 weeks;
$5 a paycheck can plant twenty trees, offsetting 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions;
$10 a paycheck provides two weeks of temporary housing for someone recovering from a bone marrow transplant;
$15 a paycheck provides supplies to build emergency shelters for twenty families uprooted during a crisis;
$20 a paycheck provides a hand-washing station to give people access to clean water;
$25 a paycheck can send a shipment of medicines to a community clinic.

What if I have another question?

We're happy to help! SEFA has an FAQ document you can reference.

If you don't find your question answered there, feel free to reach out to your building representative or the SEFA committee at [email protected].

Contact Information

Committee Chair

Cathy Johnston, [email protected]
SEFA Committee email: [email protected]