The Foreign Service National Emergency Relief Fund

Help Our LE Staff Colleagues in Israel-Gaza via the FSN Emergency Relief Fund

A Message from U/S for Management John R. Bass:

The nature of our work serves as a sharp reminder that global conflict impacts all of us at the Department, and as we see the devastating images and staggering reports coming from Israel and Gaza, I know we are all too aware that our colleagues, especially our Misson Israel Locally Employed Staff in Israel and those living in Gaza, are directly affected by this war. Many are now facing the unimaginable as their communities are shattered with the loss of homes, family members, and friends. We continue to work around the clock to assist our workforce in the region, and there are ways you can help, too, including through the FSN Emergency Relief Fund.

The Mission

The FSN Emergency Relief Fund is the Department’s official charitable mechanism for disaster assistance to LE Staff. Since 1994, the Fund has served as the immediate humanitarian resource for local employees of the Department of State and all other USG agencies under Chief of Mission authority. Funding for this program is not appropriated and is sustained solely by private contributions from the foreign affairs community. Contributions can be made by check, credit card, or through payroll deductions. All donations to the Fund are tax-deductible and can be made by Civil Service, Foreign Service, LE Staff and private sector individuals. In 2022, the Relief Fund has provided monetary assistance to local staff in Oman, the Philippines, Ukraine, Yemen, the Republic of Djibouti, South Africa, and Pakistan who incurred property loss due to war and natural disasters. Since its inception, more than $2 million has been disbursed to employees from each regional bureau, including personnel from other U.S. Government agencies under Chief of Mission authority to respond to natural disasters, civil unrest, war and targeted attacks.

History of the Fund

The Fund for Assistance to U.S. Government Employees at Overseas Posts was established by local employees in Embassy Santiago on April 27, 1983. Voluntary donations were given in support of their colleagues who were killed or injured in the April 18, 1983, bombing of the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Those funds were further augmented by a donation from Diplomatic and Consular Officers,

Retired (DACOR). Following donations from the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), group contributions from overseas posts, employees of foreign affairs agencies, and private sector individuals in the U.S., $84,000, was distributed among the surviving family members of the local staff.

It was renamed in 1994 as the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. As awareness of the Fund has increased over the years, so has the number of incoming requests for financial assistance. Since 2004, more than $2 million in donations have been collected and distributed to local employees and their families in each of the Regional Bureaus. These disbursements were issued in response to tragic cases involving natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and floods; targeted attacks on those identified as working with the U.S. government; victims of mass riots and political unrest; and those injured in the performance of their duties. Although donations are received regularly, the Department issues requests for replenishment via ALDACs and Department Notices whenever there are large-scale natural disasters or an overwhelming number of cases that require immediate humanitarian relief.

The vast majority of donations have come in from LE Staff, Foreign Service officers, domestic and retired employees as well as senior Department officials.

Over the years, we have received numerous letters and photos from gracious employees who have rebuilt their lives, following the loss of a loved one who was employed by the overseas post, or their homes after a disaster destroyed personal property

How You Can Help – Individual or Group Efforts

Unfortunately, in many countries that suffer from hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, civil unrest and other national calamities, there are few support systems or government assistance to cover losses.

All contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible and can be made by Civil Service, Foreign Service, LE Staff and private sector individuals. Donations can be made via the following:

Secure on-line electronic donations can be made directly from your bank account or by credit/debit card to pay.gov.
Checks made payable to the U.S. Department of State, designation for the FSN Emergency Relief Fund may be sent to the Department’s Gift Fund Coordinator’s Office.
DOS, LE Staff, and overseas American employees of other federal agencies on payroll by the DOS can make contributions by payroll deduction.
Cash Contributions in dollars or local currency can be made through the embassy/consulate cashier.
Contributions via your Financial Institution’s Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

The collection process has expanded and now includes the option to make credit card donations online via pay.gov or dropping foreign currency in collection boxes in the Employee Service Center or the State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) in HST (and other select branches). The SDFCU has partnered with the Department and covers the cost of converting the donated currency to U.S. dollars.

Various bureaus within the Department have partnered to host annual fundraising challenges, such as cook-off competitions holiday parties, and Earth Day events. Additionally, our colleagues at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), both in Washington, D.C. and at our overseas missions, routinely collect donations throughout the year. All proceeds from these events directly benefit

the Relief Fund. We encourage you and your colleagues to organize fundraising projects to assist with these efforts.

How To Donate:

1. Pay.gov (All Contributions)

Pay.gov may be used to make secure on-line electronic donations to the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. Payments can be made directly from your bank account or by credit/debit card. Follow the link below to the State Department’s donation page on the pay.gov site for detailed instructions.

2. Check Contributions

Please send checks to the Department’s Gift Fund Coordinator, Crystal Jobe, Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, EDCS, Rm. 1821, Washington, DC 20520. Make checks payable to the U.S. Department of State, with a notation that it is a donation for the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. Please include a return address or email where a letter of acknowledgment for tax deduction purposes may be sent.

3. Beneficiary or “In Lieu of” Requests

You may wish to consider designating the FSN Emergency Relief Fund as a beneficiary of your estate by including such instruction in your Last Will and Testament. Please consult your attorney or estate planner for specific requirements of your state of residency. You may also consider a group donation to the Fund for commemorative events, such as class reunions, weddings, retirement parties or in lieu of gifts in memory of Foreign Affairs Employees/EFMs.

4. Contributions via your Financial Institution’s Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

Make a Grant Recommendation for the FSN Relief Fund by providing the Tax ID number (38-4303032) for the FSN Emergency Relief Fund Department of State.. Contact MEDCS@state.gov for more information.

5. CFC Questions

The FSN Emergency Relief Fund is not included in the Combined Federal Campaign, since maintaining the funds in the Department’s own Gift Fund account ensures the Gift Fund Coordinator may access them immediately. The Fund is managed by the office of Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Services (CGFS/EDCS). As this program is maintained within the Gift Fund portfolio and administered by EDCS staff, there are no overhead costs. Absent the encumbrance of administrative fees, 100% of all contributions are allocated for disbursement directly to LE Staff recipients. Additionally, EDCS provides donors with the Department’s IRS charitable deduction statement for your tax purposes.