The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) is a labor-union-associated nonprofit fund that provides emergency relief for federal employees. FEEA was founded in 1986 by a group of federal employee unions and associations, including the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which is as of 2020 the second-largest union for federal employees in the United States. 1
As of 2020, nearly the entire FEEA board consists of leaders of left-of-center labor unions and associations, and FEEA is largely funded by these organizations. 2
FEEA also manages FEEA Childcare Services, a for-profit subsidiary contracted by federal agencies to subsidize childcare for federal employees. 3 In 2019, FEEA Childcare Services provided $2.1 million in subsidies to federal employees. 4
Services
FEEA provides emergency hardship loans of up to $1,200 to federal employees with no interest. 5 FEEA also offers disaster relief funds and academic scholarships to federal employees and their children amounting to over $250,000 annually. 6 FEEA also provides free academic tutoring to the children of low-income federal employees, in addition to childcare subsidies through FEEA Childcare Services. 7
Leadership
FEEA board member and vice president Darlene Young is the former president of Blacks in Government (BIG). Board member and treasurer Jason Briefel is the executive and legislative director of the Senior Executives Association. Board member and secretary Todd Wells is the executive director of the Federal Managers Association. Chad Hooper, another FEEA board member, is the national president of the Professional Managers Association. FEEA board member Cory Bythrow is the deputy chief of staff for the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union in the United States. Board member Dave Stamey is the secretary treasurer of the National Federation of Federal Employees. Board member Karen Rainey is the president of Federally Employed Women. Board member Anthony Reardon is the president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Board member Ken Thomas is the national president of the National Archive and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). 8
Funding
In 2019, FEEA received $2.7 million in funding through donations, and an additional $372,000 in profits from FEEA Childcare Services. FEEA has received funding from numerous federal employees’ unions and professional associations, including the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program (BCBS), Federal Employed Women, Blacks in Government (BIG), the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA), the NTEU, the Senior Executives Association, Federal Employees Defense Services, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the National Federation of Federal Employees. 9
FEEA also received funding from Netflix and Geico. 10
References
- “FEEA.” NTEU. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.nteu.org/who-we-are/feea.
- “Our Board of Directors.” FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://feea.org/about/#bod.
- “Our Mission…” FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://feea.org/about/#bod.
- “Annual Report 2019. FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congratulations-to-the-2020-federal-employee-education–assistance-fund-scholarship-finalists-301135268.html.
- “FEEA.” NTEU. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.nteu.org/who-we-are/feea.
- “Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund Scholarship Program.” Peterson’s. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.petersons.com/scholarship/federal-employee-education-and-assistance-fund-scholarship-program-111_153536.aspx.
- “Our Programs.” FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://feea.org/our-programs/.
- “Our Board of Directors.” FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://feea.org/about/#bod.
- “Annual Report 2019. FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congratulations-to-the-2020-federal-employee-education–assistance-fund-scholarship-finalists-301135268.html.
- “Annual Report 2019. FEEA. Accessed October 31, 2020. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congratulations-to-the-2020-federal-employee-education–assistance-fund-scholarship-finalists-301135268.html.